https://securityinabox.org/en/pidgin_portable
Take a look at this website. It explains everything in great detail.
Of course, if they are using windows, your privacy is 0 already, so you can
just have them downloading Pidgin, unziping it, and running it with gmail.
You use a compatible xmpp account, and you can use video/voice chat. No big
security, but still an improvement over skype.
With people who are more "computerish" as you put it, you can use text
conversations encrypted with OTR.
My actual line of thought is "using security tools in an uncompromised
system". That's the main reason I use Trisquel, even if I am sorry Trisquel
does not put a big emphasis in security/privacy by default installation.
