It could be better (Microsoft MSN Messenger Service)

Member Name: drakonte

Product:	Microsoft MSN Messenger Service
Date:	31/12/02 (287 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fast, Easy

Disadvantages: Can not change list's names

I started using Msn Messenger one year ago because I hadn't enough memory to run ICQ and because I didn't want that anyone could know my IP address. Now I have a more powerful computer so I use both ICQ and Msn Messenger and I've noticed there are a lot of differences: sometime the first is better but the second is easier to use (maybe because it hasn't a lot of functions).

After you created an account (called Msn Passport) and downloaded the program you can login inserting e-mail and password you have chosen, change your nick (by default it's your e-mail address) and add your friends to your list. If you have to format your hard disk don't you worry: the list is saved on the server (now ICQ can do that too), but never delete contacts from Outlook contact list because if you do that you lose contacts even from Messenger's list.

Unlike ICQ you can't change list's names so if you have two or more people with the same nick you can't do anything, just pay attention to their e-mail address.
Newest versions carried more sponsors and more uninteresting functions I had to disable them when I installed the newer version.

It's very easy to chat, just click on your friend's nick, write something in the new window and, if you want, invite some other people to chat together in the same window.
You can also notice only some friends that you are online and be invisible to others.

I suggest you to try it because it's very easy to use, it can be installed on a old computer and it does well what it has to do: give you a link with your friends (when they are online).
If you prefer to manage your list better and to have a lot of different functions (if you want to know your contacts' birthday for example) try ICQ, but it's slower and sometimes irritating.

Summary: