Windows Live Messenger is the next-generation MSN Messenger. It has everything you already love about Messenger - your contact list, emoticons, and instant access to your friends via text, voice, and video - plus new ways to connect and share photos and documents effortlessly. It's faster than e-mail and is a great choice for conversations and the perfect alternative when you can't be there in person. As always, it's free to download Messenger and use most of its features.

With the advent of the new version of Windows Live Messenger, the most famous patch for the program updates its instant messaging functions to adapt to the new MSN Mesenger.Messenger Plus! Live is not a review of Messenger Plus! 3 but is a standalone application with a new interface tailored to Windows Live Messenger and new features.Messenger Plus! includes new options and improved the structure of some menus have been changed now offering new sounds default viewer events and happenings, contact manager (very useful for cleaning), blocking antijefe improved library of sounds, etc..Preferences section has also been improved. The remaining functions are identical to those that included the previous version of Messenger Plus!

A completely new look and also new feature turn Windows Live Messenger into a real competitor for Yahoo! Messenger.

You can, of course, send an instant message, call a computer, call a phone number, send a mobile message or send an e-mail. You can edit your status display and start a video chat with your friends.

Customizable skins and new emoticons are only a few of the new features included in Windows Live Messenger. During the installation process, you are also prompted to install the Rhapsody Music Service which allows you to discover, play and share music from the Rhapsody catalog.

Pluses: You can create custom emoticons by selecting an image on your computer which will be automatically resized. Now, you can send messages to offline contacts so that they will receive them as soon as they log in, but this feature need to be improved.

Other exciting features of Microsoft Live Messenger are the Whiteboard, Remote Assistance and Application Sharing. These features, only available with Microsoft Live Messenger give chatters the opportunity to share data or be part in a remote assistance session with partial all complete control of the target workstation.

Drawbacks / flaws: In case you receive a file, it will be saved in the default directory instead of prompting you to choose the location yourself. Of course, the received files directory can be chosen from the options menu. The Web Calling service is available for long distance calls to only a few countries, but the list is growing. The offline messages feature is not working at all; so far, after signing in, I didn't receive any offline messages.

One of the best known instant messengers worldwide, Microsoft's MSN Messenger comes with a complete set of options such as direct links to your e-mail Inbox, MSN home page, and address book.

MSN Messenger includes video and voice conversation options as well as animated winks, shared search, photo swap between you and your friends or a personal music message which displays the track you are listening to while communicating with friends.

There is also a range of funny online games that can be played by two or more peers. Some exciting features of MSN Messenger are the Whiteboard, Remote Assistance and Application Sharing. These features, only available with MSN Messenger give chatters the opportunity to share data or be part in a remote assistance session with partial or complete control of the target workstation.

In version 7.5 you can record a short voice message (up to 15 seconds) that can be played by your peer; you can add an animated graphic as your conversation backgrounds.

Messenger Plus! Live is an add-on for Windows Live Messenger which adds lots of features and extras that make your instant messenger easier, more useful or just tons more entertaining. More than 300 million downloads! :up: unbelievable...

Here are some key features of "Messenger Plus! Live":

Tabbed chats
Use a tabbed web browser? Even if you don't, you might find tabbed conversations useful for organizing your chats by converting a myriad of windows into a simple single one. Vertical tabs on the left, normal tabs on the top. You name it. You can also use tabs to group just some special chats and keep all the rest in normal windows if you want.

Quick Texts
Tired of always typing the same? Meet quick texts and text replacements: automatic and customizable messages that can be sent with a simple shortcut or typed command, or automatic text replacing to use written shortcuts or using it as a word filter.