Windows Live Messenger aka MSN 8.5 (ish) (Microsoft MSN Messenger Service)

Member Name: ianoir

Product:	Microsoft MSN Messenger Service
Date:	30/06/09 (130 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Free download, large variety of features, easy to use

Disadvantages: Initial set up can be a pain

I've used MSN for a little while now, even going so far as to having MSN Plus on the last big version (7.something I think) and now its up to 8.5 but how much change has it been through and is it still the industry standard or has Skype and others beaten it?

Well, yes and no. MSN has always been about text based communication, Instant Messaging (IM), and as the version number increases so too does the extra features of the program. Now present in this latest version is handwriting messages, file sharing (though with a bigger push on photos than anything else), games, video calling, voice calling (VOIP) and a new layout and layout options. Overall it handles these with competance, and even conference messaging (more than two people in a single conversation) feels simple to set up.

The new layout is interesting and well designed, with contacts status given as a coloured border round their display picture and a message at the top of the conversation window to confirm it if it isn't online. Green is online, orange is away, red is busy and if the display picture is faded slightly then the contact is offline (or appearing offline). Its simple enough to grasp and more streamlined than the old system which also listed "out to lunch" and "on the phone" as options which are essentially variations on the same settings. Although I do have to say on the first run after installing theres alot of extra stuff that you may or may not need and all your contacts are grouped into family friends co-workers etc. Even if you change the ordering around (like I have it set up) so that contacts are grouped by being online or offline the groups and favourites still appear. These are turned off (like many features) through the options menus under the "layout" tab.

Also added to the bottom of the main window is a twitter like feature keeping you up to date with what your contacts are up to. Although I did turn this off in all honesty as it was simply updates from Live Spaces (a myspace/facebook like service linked into MSN) or personal messages that people haven't changed in a good while. I can see why people might use this, but I personally don't use it, and the option to turn it off is again under the layout tab of the options menu.

In conversations (and even in usernames) emoticons can be used, these (if you've been hiding for all this time) are the little smiley faces and animations that help show emotions quickly in a wholey text based conversation. Winks (short flash animations) can also be used, and for those with money to burn custom emotes and winks can be bought in packs. Although there are many emotes about that are free and once someone uses an emote like this its just a few clicks to save it to your collection.

I personally don't use the VOIP features or the photo sharing very often so I can't really comment on them.

MSN is a good program overall, and pretty easy to navigate, of course you need a compatable email account, and enough friends who also use the service.

Considering its a free download MSN can't really be sniffed at, although it does have its random little problem.

Installation took me a little while for some reason.

Summary: A great free IM program with a few let downs, constantly updated

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