Not only is it an instant messenger, but now MSN Messenger can be used to make phone calls for free. This service, offered through Net2Phone, makes MSN Messenger a serious contender in the IM world. If you are expecting the usual bloatware/buggy software from Microsoft, then you will be disappointed.

Easy As Pie
Messenger 3.0 sports a easy to use interface that is very similar to AOL Instant Messenger. You can easily send the user an instant message, a file, an email, or a message to their mobile device, just with a click of the mouse. You can set up a cellular phone to receive instant messages in version 3.0. This is a truly unique feature that could be very valuable to some users.

For people like me, who aren't sporting the newest and fastest computers around, you will be very pleased with MSN Messenger's memory usage. On my PC, Messenger only takes up around 5 MB of RAM (compared to ICQ's 12 MB).

Although MSN Messenger 3.0 is a simple to use messenger, it does fall short in a few areas. There is no ability to categorize your contacts like most of the other messengers. So, if you have a large number of people on your buddy list, you may find this a bit disappointing. Another problem with this program, is the only way you can add someone to your buddy list is to enter their email address or name. So, if you are looking to chat with random people on the internet to make new friends, it can be difficult to find them. Another area that Messenger lacks is it does not have the ability to send offline messages. Being a longtime ICQ user, I was accustomed to doing this regularly.

Phone Home
One area where this messenger leads is its support for PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone calls within the US through Net2Phone. These features are also supported by AOL Instant Messenger, and ICQ, but MSN's has the advantage of its PC-to-phone calls being free. With Messenger, you can call anywhere in the US, and users can publish their phone number to their contacts so you will have the ability of just right clicking the contacts name and selecting call to call them automatically.

Of course, if you are looking for high quality internet phone calls, you may have come to the wrong place. I use MSN to call family and friends, and their is regularly a jumbled sound that comes through that can make it hard to hear at times. But, this is to be expected. Unless you need to make important calls with high sound quality MSN is a fine alternative.

We've Got Files
Another new feature with MSN Messenger 3.0 is the ability to send files to contacts. This was a much lacking feature that caused me not to use 2.x. Some features that are still on my with list for this feature are: 1) ability to drag and drop files from the desktop to the IM, 2) right-click integration in the Explorer Shell, so you can select multiple files to send, 3) automatically put files in a sub directory of the download directory so it is easier to manage, and 4) easier ability to download (currently, you have to click on a hyperlink for each file sent). All of the above features make ICQ a clear leader in this area.

I'm a Contender
Although Microsoft was late to the game with its instant messenger, MSN Messenger has come a long way and is surely a contender in the IM wars.



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