Keeping in Touch Is Easy! (Yahoo! Messenger)

Member Name: marina321

Product:	Yahoo! Messenger
Date:	25/03/09 (132 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Easy to install, easy to use, instant messages,PC-PC calls, use webcam, user-friendly

Disadvantages: None

I started using Yahoo Messenger a number of years ago! I have had a Yahoo account since I started using the internet so it was only a matter of time before I started using messenger too.

To get 'Yahoo Messenger', you go to the website and download the application tool FREE. This download is quite fast on normal broadband speed internet and by normal I mean 56K modem so should take less than 5-10 minutes to download and install and start-up the whole application.

Once downloaded, you get a 'Yahoo Messenger' pop up window on your screen and you log in using your email credentials 'user ID' and 'password'.
You now also have the options 'remember ID & password' which saves your login details for the next time you log in and 'sign in automatically' which if selected means you will be signed into messenger automatically when you start up your PC (I try to avoid using this option as sometimes I do not want to chat to anyone when at my PC...:)

Once signed in you have various options but shall only go through the main ones:

MESSENGER:

You can use this to change your 'status'. Your status is what your online friends see when they sign into messenger. This can range from 'available', 'busy' to my favourite 'Invisible' whereby no one would be able to tell you're online and best for when you do not want to waste time...
While 'Invisible', you can chat to users you want to chat to but other users would not be able to see you're online.
It was good that Yahoo added this option as it means you have a bit of privacy and not bombarded when with messages and chats when you do not feel like it.

Under this 'messenger' option, you can also change your profile details, add an image or choose the option to use your webcam on 'my webcam' which is great because you can then see who you're chatting to..

CONTACTS:

You use this to add your friends to your messenger list using the options 'add a contact' where you just type the person's Yahoo ID or email address, 'invite people to join' which sends your recipients an email or 'import contacts' from your Yahoo address book or Outlook account.
Recently, Yahoo Messenger also added the option of being able to add hotmail or windows live users which is great because this saves you creating a seperate hotmail account for the purpose..

Within the 'Contacts' option, you can also check your 'voice messages and call history'.
This is because Yahoo Messenger also enables you make FREE PC-PC calls to those on your friend list which is brilliant!
You just need headphones and a mic for the purpose, plug them in and go..it's like you're on the phone but on your PC, this has come in handy and saved me money in paying for international calls and it is as clear as being on the phone..

ACTIONS:

You can select this option to 'send an instant message', 'call a PC', 'send an email', 'send a file' or even 'share photos' with someone selected on your messenger list. You can also 'invite to view my webcam' and also 'invite to conference' if you wish to chat to a group of users at the same time (handy for online meetings with the girlfriends too..:)

You have icons for most used options like 'add contacts', 'messenger list' and you can go to your email account and address book easily by clicking a couple of icons in messenger.

When you click on an ID in your list, you get a small pop up that gives you options to 'IM '(Instant Message), call their PC or send them an email.
When you select the option to IM, a pop up box appears and you can chat to someone in that pop up box, you can have many pop up boxes open and chat to various people at a go...

At the bottom of the window, there's a selection of plug-ins that you can choose from, some of which include the Yahoo Music Launchcast radio and Yahoo 360. Other popular ones include Amazon and ebay.

There's a 'Yahoo Search' at the bottom so you can do all your searches in the messenger box too.

Yahoo Messenger is easy to use, easy to navigate and you can learn how to use it very quickly, the application has undergone a few updates since I first used it and yet remains very user-friendly.

I mainly use Yahoo Messenger to keep in touch with my family and close friends that live abroad. It is an easy way to have a real-time conversations or chats whether typing or by using the PC-PC calls which are all FREE so making this little application very handy and you can save a lot of money on calls if you use it well.

I'd highly recommend....

©marina321 Dooyoo March 2009; Ciao.co.uk March 2009

Summary: Very handy application

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