Yahoo! Messenger

Popular programs in Instant Messaging

What is Yahoo! Messenger

Yahoo Messenger makes staying in touch on the go a little easier. While other messenger systems disappeared over the years, Yahoo remained on top by giving users exactly what they wanted. If you haven't use the program since your high school or college years, now is the perfect time to give it a go. Its new design and added features let you send short messages to anyone on your friends' list and make some new friends as well.

Your friends' list appears on the left-hand side of the screen, and you can send messages using the large chat window on the right. The avatars and icons that your friends use will show on your messenger window, but you can hover your mouse over each icon to identify each user. Double clicking on any of those images will load the chat window, and you can type directly into that window and send along your messages. Users not currently online will receive those messages when they log in later. As with the old versions, you can use emoticons and images in your messages.

Yahoo Messenger 9 gives you more chances to customize your experience. You can choose when the program loads, including when you turn on your computer or only after you open the program manually. Users also have the option of deciding what to do with the program when working online. You can let the program automatically sign you into your Yahoo account when you come across a page that uses Yahoo for posting comments. The program also lets you decide when you want to sign out and close the program. Some users want the program to close only when they manually sign out, while others prefer that the program signs them out when they close the program itself.

Don't let the name fool you into thinking that it only lets you chat with messages. Thanks to new additions to the program, you can now use the Voice Call feature to talk to those on your friends' list. As long as you connect a microphone or headset first and the other user has a similar device, you can chat without using a phone. Another popular feature is the Video Call feature, which lets you use a webcam to share a video call with another user.

While Yahoo Messenger 9 is similar to the older versions of the program, updating to the new program lets you stay on top of any updates or changes in the future.

Pros

• Lets you stay in touch through messages, video calls and voice calls
• Gives you the option of automatically signing into your account when posting online
• Is home to millions of users and lets you make new friends through its search feature

Cons

• Features a large number of distracting ads that pop up when you open the program
• Is fairly similar to the older program you might already have on your computer
• Requires that all users have a Yahoo account before chatting