Windows Live Messenger

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For the former instant messaging client for Microsoft Windows, see MSN Messenger.
For the instant messaging client included with Windows XP, see Windows Messenger.
Windows Live Messenger
Windows Live Messenger 8 login screen.
Windows Live Messenger 8.0.0812 login screen.
Developer: Microsoft
Latest release: 8.0.0812 / August 10, 2006
Preview release: 8.1.0168 / December 13, 2006
OS: Windows XP or above
Use: Instant messaging client
License: Freeware
Website: http://messenger.live.com

Windows Live Messenger (WLM), formerly and still commonly referred to as MSN Messenger or MSN, is a freeware instant messaging client for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows Mobile, first released on July 22, 1999 by Microsoft. It is part of Microsoft's Windows Live set of online services. The current version is 8.1, which was released on November 2, 2006. Amongst its users it is still often referred to as "MSN" (referring to pre-8.0 versions) primarily because many people have not upgraded, do not give attention to the name change, or are not familiar with Windows Live. Some people simply call it MSN because it is familiar and easier to say. In some parts of Latin America, Spain, and the Middle East it is known as simply "Messenger".

"MSN Messenger" (or often just "MSN") is often also used to refer to the .NET Messenger Service (the protocols and servers that allow the system to operate) rather than any particular client. Corporations can also integrate their Live Communication Server and Active Directory with the network on behalf of its clients. Most major multi-protocol clients can also connect to the service.

Contents

[edit] Development of Windows Live Messenger

[edit] Windows Live Messenger Beta 1

The first beta to be released to the public, it included a complete overhaul of the conversation window, with orange being the default instead of blue, although there was the option to customize this using the paintbrush symbol. The send and search buttons were put into different rounded boxes in the text area. The contact list was also completely redone, so that when you hovered your mouse over a contacts screen name, a more detailed and larger rectangle appeared in its place. The default colour was also orange, and it contained the "Word Wheel" search box at the top, as in the final. Known bugs with this version include the offline conversation feature, although still advertised in the yellow bar at the top of the conversation box, useless to anyone who hadn't received an invitation (i.e. downloaded it from another site). This beta was received very coldly by the online community, being viewed as "not what we're used to". It remained online and usable for about a month until an auto-update feature forced one to install the beta 2, rendering all current versions of this beta useless.

[edit] Windows Live Messenger Beta 2

The second beta to be released to the public replaced the newly designed desktop icon with the Windows Messenger icon (the messenger program supplied with all windows XP PCs). The interface was once again changed so the display picture, text box and conversation box were all squared, with the default colour being changed back to blue. The contact list also contained the symbols from MSN Messenger 7.5 downwards. Although this beta was received more warmly than the last, it was still widely despised within the online community and only remained online for a couple of weeks until an auto-update feature forced one to install the BETA 3, rendering all current versions of this beta useless.

[edit] Windows Live Messenger Beta 3

This beta was nearly identical to the final. It brought a brand new desktop icon not seen before, redesigned the interface to both the conversation and contact list windows to make it more pleasing, brought back the word wheel function on the contact list and made the default colour a dark blue-light blue fade. Anyone with this beta installed on their PC can use it and all its functions perfectly as of early August 2006.

[edit] Windows Live Messenger 8.0 (Final)

Released June 19, 2006, this version has all features mentioned above working perfectly, e.g. offline conversations, the possibility to share files with other users, a new user interface, and much more. However, like beta 3 and MSN Messenger 7.5, this version only runs on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista.

[edit] Windows Live Messenger 8.1 Beta

Current event marker This article or section contains information about computer software currently in development.
The content may change dramatically as the software development progresses.		 Software Development

The beta version was released to selected beta testers from Microsoft on 2006-09-08. According to the testers [1], the new features include improvements for Windows Vista compatibility, roaming Display Pictures (means that the Display Picture is stored on Windows Live servers and will not change if you logged in from another computer), new menus for Winks and Emoticons, new Contact Card design, and support for lower bandwidth connections when attempting to use Verizon Web Calling to make a PC to Phone call. It also tends to sign in much faster than the final release.

[edit] Features

[edit] Sharing folders

The Sharing Folder feature of Windows Live Messenger is an alternative to the "direct transfer" method of file distribution. When a user wants to deliver a file to another person on his or her contact list, the "sharing folder" window appears, which is an individualized representation of all previously shared items.

When files are added to the "sharing folder" for that particular person, the file will automatically be transferred to the corresponding computer when they are online. This means that the folder is literally "shared" between two computers. If a user deletes a file, for example, the file will also be deleted from the corresponding computer's shared folder.

To minimize risk of virus-infected transfers, the "sharing folder" feature is bundled with an anti-virus program. The "sharing folder" feature can only be used on computers with NTFS-formatted hard disks.

[edit] PC-to-phone calls

In addition to PC-to-PC calls that have been supported in previous versions, Windows Live Messenger now supports PC-to-phone calls. This feature is supported by Verizon, branded as "Verizon Web Calling". The rates are 1.9 cents per minute to North America and Western Europe.

[edit] Windows Live Messenger to Yahoo

On October 13, 2005, Yahoo! and Microsoft announced plans to introduce interoperability between their two messengers[1], creating the second largest instant messenger userbase worldwide: 40 percent of all users (AIM currently holds 56 percent). The announcement comes after years of 3rd party interoperability success (most notably, Trillian, Gaim) and criticisms from Google that the major instant messengers were locking their networks. Microsoft has also had talks with AOL in an attempt to introduce further interoperability, but so far, AOL seems unwilling to participate.

Interoperability between Yahoo! and Windows Live Messenger was launched July 12, 2006[2][3]. This allows, for Yahoo! and Windows Live Messenger users to talk to each other without the need to create an account on the other service provided both contacts use the latest versions of the clients. However if a user uses an older client they will appear offline to the users of the other network.

[edit] Games and applications

Main article: Games and applications for Windows Live Messenger

There are various games and applications available in Windows Live Messenger that can be accessed via the conversation window by clicking the games icon and challenging your "buddy".

[edit] Xbox Live integration

As of MSN Messenger 7.0, the client offers a level of integration with Microsoft's Xbox Live Internet Gaming service. Users of MSN Messenger can go to the Xbox Website and link their gamertag to Microsoft's .NET Passport network. This will allow MSN Messenger to report the user's Xbox Live friends list, as well as allow them to send game invitations to players, so that the user does not have to be on Xbox Live in order to arrange games. This feature goes along with Microsoft's continuing goal to place integration between their various services. After December 2, 2005, Xbox Live Integration had temporarily malfunctioned. This was due to the change in hardware and protocol brought with the release of the Xbox 360. The error was soon corrected however, and full functionality is now available.

[edit] Other changes

The colour scheme drop-down
Enlarge
The colour scheme drop-down
  • Unlike previous versions, one can start conversations even when his or her status is set to Appear Offline, like in Yahoo! Messenger.
  • It is possible to message a contact who's offline. The contact will receive the message as soon as he or she signs in.
  • Nicknames of individual contacts can be customized to appear differently from what the contact has set.
  • Windows Live Messenger onwards gives the ability to turn off pre-pending contact names if same person writes multiple messages. If the same contact writes more than one message, the contact name will be displayed for only the first message.
  • Messages from contacts can now be time-stamped.
  • Colour scheme can be chosen for the entire application, including the status window, and not just the conversation windows. A paint brush menu is situated below the personal message box in Windows Live Messenger, to facilitate choosing colours.
  • Microsoft Passport has been replaced with Windows Live ID.
  • Word wheel search within the contact list.

[edit] Protocol

Windows Live Messenger uses the Mobile Status Notification Protocol (MSNP) over TCP (and optionally over HTTP to deal with proxies) to connect to the .NET Messenger Service — a service offered on port 1863 of messenger.hotmail.com. Its current version is 14 (MSNP14), used by Windows Live Messenger and other third-party clients. MSNP14 adds Yahoo! Messenger interoperability. The protocol is not completely secret; Microsoft disclosed version 2 (MSNP2) to developers in 1999 in an Internet Draft, but never released versions 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, or 14 to the public. .NET Messenger Service servers currently only accept protocol versions from 8 and on, so the syntax of new commands from versions 8 through 14 is only known by using sniffers like Wireshark.

[edit] Competition

The most significant rivals of Windows Live Messenger are AIM and ICQ (both from AOL), Skype, Gaim, and Jabber based clients including Google Talk.

In China, an instant messenger named QQ is predominantly used. Although used little outside of China, its domestic users number as many as 226 million. However, its popularity has recently been greatly weakened, since the entering into the Chinese market of MSN Messenger. Up to now, MSN Messenger has taken about 17 percent of the Chinese market, a figure which is becoming increasingly larger.[citation needed]

[edit] Criticism

Ever since Messenger has been released, it has been targeted entirely towards Windows users, leaving Mac users with a limited client, and Linux users without a client at all. However, numerous third party applications now offer webcam, winks, and even nudging support for these users. Third party software is usually one of many alternative instant messaging clients, such as aMSN, Gaim, Mercury or Kopete.

Messages containing "download.php", "gallery.php", "profile.php?", ".pif" or ".scr" result in the server closing the switchboard socket and don't appear to the remote contact. The intention of this filtering is to help prevent users from falling foul of malicious worms, which often use URLs containing the filtered text to trick users into downloading viruses or spyware. These ineffective filtering attempts can be side-stepped with redirector services, or reconfiguring web servers to not require file-extensions.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Yahoo and MSN marry IM services, vnunet.com, 2005-10-13
  2. ^ Yahoo Interoperability Arrives
  3. ^ Microsoft Press Release: Yahoo! and Microsoft Bridge Global Instant Messaging Communities

[edit] See also

[edit] External links


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