Games - MSN Messenger

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MSN Messenger is Microsoft's instant messaging client for Windows computers aimed toward the home user. Among its users it is often referred to as MSN, for example, "I'll send it to you over MSN," though in Latin America and Spain it is known as "el Messenger," as other instant messaging clients are less popular there. MSN Messenger is often used to refer to the .NET Messenger Service (the protocols and server that allow the system to operate) rather than any particular client. The business oriented client for Windows, which also uses Microsoft's .NET Messenger Service is called Windows Messenger. It is possible for virtually any browser-equipped computer with an Internet connection and Windows XP to connect to the Messenger Service by using MSN Web Messenger, or one of the unofficial equivalents (which have advantages such as compatibility with browsers other than IE, but do not have an interface that mimics the familiar one of the MSN Messenger application). MSN Messenger 7.5 is the last version of MSN Messenger that will be released. This is because Microsoft is planning a replacement called Windows Live Messenger.

When MSN Messenger was first released it featured support for access to America Online's AIM Network. America Online continually tried to block Microsoft from having access to their service until eventually the feature was removed, and has not re-surfaced in any later versions of the software. Now the software only allows connections to the .NET Messenger Service, requiring a Microsoft Passport Network account to connect.

The major use of the software is for instant messaging, although other features which now come as standard include support for voice conversations, webcams (MSN Messenger 7.0 and later feature full screen audio video conversations), transferring files, and built-in multi-user online games such as Tic Tac Toe. In a similar vein to many of MSN Messenger's competitors, MSN Messenger allows messages to be enlivened with graphical emoticons, sometimes called smileys, Flash animations called winks, animated display pictures, styled text, and many more with third-party add-ons such as MSNLiveDisplay.

Macintosh users have a combined home and corporate client dubbed Microsoft Messenger for Mac 5.0 rather than MSN Messenger for home use and Windows Messenger for corporate use. The Macintosh version has far fewer features than its Windows counterpart; Version 5.0, though released several months after MSN Messenger 7.0, does not offer voice conversations, webcams, online games, and several other features already introduced and popular with Windows users. Another minor upgrade for Mac was released in March 2006, but it still does not support audio, video, or other extended features, leaving Mac users crippled when compared to Version 7.x that is available for Windows users. Although two shareware messenger applications (Mercury and aMSN) support video and extended features on the messenger system, Microsoft continues to be unable or unwilling to offer these to Mac users via their Microsoft Messenger application. Mac users hoping for some of these features will instead have to settle for Mercury Messenger.

In August 2004, Microsoft introduced a browser-based version of the MSN Messenger client which can be used on any computer with a compatible browser and access to the Internet, without the need to install the Messenger software beforehand. This 'Web-messenger' is very limited, and can only be used to chat. It is also possible to use the Messenger Service on a mobile phone using Microsoft’s MSN Mobile service. Again, Microsoft has elected not to allow their browser-based client to run on the Mac platform.

There is a large community of third-party developers who have created add-ons to extend the capabilities of MSN Messenger.

Version Overview

MSN Messenger 1

The first product release, released July 22, 1999. Claimed operability with AOL's AIM network. It included only basic features, such as plain text messaging and a simplistic contact list.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for MSN Messenger ]

Games - MSN Messenger

Version Overview

MSN Messenger 1

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