4d0wn: Messenger

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.

Windows Live Messenger (WLM), still commonly referred to by the previous name of MSN Messenger (MSN for short), is an instant messaging client for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, and Windows Mobile, first released on December 13, 2005 by Microsoft. It is part of Microsoft's Windows Live set of online services.

Windows Live Messenger Features:
• 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.

• 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 with Windows Live Call. In the US, this feature is supported by Verizon, branded as "Verizon Web Calling". Orange France also has a similar service. This feature is only available in selected countries, including the US, the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, Finland, Belgium, Spain, and Italy.

• Windows Live Messenger to Yahoo!
This allows Yahoo! and Windows Live Messenger users to chat (using text or voice) 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 or third-party client, they will appear offline to the users on the other network.

• Offline messaging
Unlike previous versions, one can start conversations even when his or her status is set to Appear Offline, similar to behaviour in Yahoo! Messenger. If talking to someone who has an older MSN Messenger client, they will lose the ability to talk to you after a short period of no activity, due to their client thinking you are offline. As Windows Live Messenger has now been made available on several phones, a new trend has appeared where people send messages over Windows Live Messenger to each other as a way to have free SMS text messages.

• Games and applications
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".

• i’m initiative
The i’m initiative is a new program Microsoft launched in March 2007, that connects the user with nine organizations dedicated to social causes through Windows Live Messenger. Every time someone has a conversation using i’m, Microsoft Corp. shares a portion of the program's advertising revenue with the organization of the user's choice. There is no set cap on the amount donated to each organization. The more i’m conversations the user has; the more money goes to one of the nine causes. Each participating organization is guaranteed a minimum donation of $100,000 during the first year of the program. There is currently no end date for the program. The i’m initiative only works with the most recent WLM version 8.1 and 8.5 beta. The i’m initiative is currently only available to those in the United States.

• Xbox 360
Windows Live Messenger support was included in the Xbox 360 Spring 2007 dashboard update released on May 9, 2007. Unofficially, it is known as Windows Live Messenger 360.
Those using Windows Live Messenger are able to see the Gamertags of friends logged into Xbox Live, including the game they are playing. Xbox 360 users can chat in-game (or while watching a movie). Although only text chat is supported, Microsoft has suggested that voice and video chatting may come in a future update.

Supported Operating Systems:
* Windows Vista (32-bit or 64-bit editions)
* Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (32-bit edition only)
* Windows 7 Beta (32-bit or 64-bit editions)
* Windows Server 2008

Homepage - http://windowslive.com/Desktop/Messenger

Size: 24.0 MB

Download Windows Live Messenger 9.0 Offline Setup

Download Windows Live Messenger 9.0 Full Installation Package

Download Windows Live Messenger 8.5 Final setup

Skype is the next phenomenon from the people who brought you KaZaA. Just like KaZaA, Skype uses P2P (peer-to-peer) technology to connect you to other users – not to share files this time, but to talk and chat with your friends. The technology is extremely advanced – but super simple to use... You’ll be making free phone calls to your friends in no time!
Skype was founded in 2003 by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis. Skype created a little piece of software that makes communicating with people around the world easy and fun. With Skype you can say hello or share a laugh with anyone, anywhere. And it’s free. Skype is available in 28 languages and is used in almost every country around the world. Skype generates revenue through its premium offerings such as making and receiving calls to and from landline and mobile phones, as well as voicemail and call forwarding. Skype, based in Luxembourg, has relationships with a growing network of hardware and software providers and is an eBay company.

Features:
• Free unlimited worldwide phone calls to anyone else on Skype, anywhere in the world
• Skype video (webcam), see who you are talking to with free video calls
• Chat with up to 100 people in group chats
• Conference call with up to four people for free
• Call ordinary phones with SkypeOut
• Superior sound quality – better than your regular phone
• Your calls are encrypted “end-to-end” for superior privacy
• Friends list shows you when your Skype friends are online and ready to talk or chat
• Works with all firewall, NAT and routers – nothing to configure!
• Super-simple and easy to use
• Based on cutting edge peer-to-peer technology developed by the creators of Kazaa and Joltid In order to use Skype for Windows software, your computer must meet the following minimum system requirements:
• PC running Windows 2000 or XP
• 400 MHz processor
• 128 MB RAM
• 15 MB free disk space on your hard drive
• Sound Card, speakers and microphone
• Internet Connection (either dial-up: minimum 33.6 Kbps modem, or any broadband: cable, DSL, etc.)