MSN Messenger

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MSN Messenger supports PC to PC voice and PC to telephone calling!

V3.0 has voice and pager capabilities and PC to PC file transfer. I have used it to call mobiles, regular phones, other computers. The phone capability in 4.5 is changed so that you can choose from a number of providers ( not just Net2Phone)

Rates vary with provider.

The voice quality is surprisingly good on all voice calls. I had great difficulty though getting messages through my voice messaging service though - the dtmf tone send strategy with Net2Phone seems somewhat suspect (and my voice messages require communicating a dozen or so). No matter what I did it didn't seem possible to get that many through correctly. I haven't tried this lately and don't know if the situation is improved with Net2Phone or other providers.

Msn Messenger has been upgraded in Version 4.5 to allow cross audio/file transfer with Windows Messenger. It is available in a free download at MSN. The user interface has been upgraded to one similar to Windows Messenger -- it apparently supports the .Net strategy.

Msn Messenger is an ICQ/AOL Instant Messenger type program that seems to work well generally (though not as full featured as ICQ -- which probably is a blessing) and for NetMeeting users allows call initiation something that though promised always seemed out of reach with ICQ. MSN has published an FAQ for MSN Messenger that may be useful to you.

Using MSN Messenger requires that you have a hotmail, MSN or Passport account ( the account is used as a unique identifier) and allows similar ( to ICQ) tracking of people in your buddy list.

As the product progresses (as I am sure it will) or I uncover more information, I will update this review. I am tracking versions of MSN Messenger on my Version Watch page.

Microsoft had published a draft document describing the protocol used in MSN Messenger but it seems the link is no longer valid -- I haven't been able to find another location or an updated document.

Features that are in MSN Messenger and not in ICQ:

	Instant messaging seems to combine chat and message into one function (I like it but others may not).
	In the instant message/chat function you can't see what the other person is typing but you are notified that they are typing
	Calling other parties with NetMeeting integration is tighter and actually works out of the box. Because the NetMeeting call initiation protocol is essentially switched (you "invite" the other party to call you instead of calling directly) - those that are generally cannot be called (behind a firewall, Nat or proxy) can be "invited" but cannot "invite".
	Buddy lists seem to be stored on the server not locally --you can access your buddy list from a different machine easily
	You can find out whose list your are on (a kind of reverse buddy list)
	Instant notification of email in your Hotmail account
	Integration with Outlook Express (but not Outlook 98/2000)
	All IM messages go through a server -- this makes for a more secure client and an easier behind a firewall implementation as the client does not require "listening" capability ( audio features and file transfer are direct though and have difficulties with firewalls) but leaves you open to server based eavesdropping.
	1.5MB download as opposed to 5 MB

Features not in MSN Messenger but in ICQ:

	No web accessible presence indicator that I can determine
	Other features too numerous to mention but perceived (by me) to be of lesser utility to NetMeeting users

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Changed:Thursday January 12, 2006 11:27 -0500