There are many Instant Messenging Services today. We will demonstrate three greatly used ones, today. They all have chat in common and share most features, Some work better than others. URL’s can be sent so that the receiver can look them up and comment in real time. IM services do not conflict with one another. Download several of them if your friends are not on one. A headset is needed for voice and webcam for video. These 3 can be left on and run on your desktop.
AOL Instant Messenger
Free You do not have to subscribe to AOL Latest version is 5.9
Download from: http://www.aim.com/
-Chat features; allows online play of some games only with someone else on chat. AIM Weatherbug (live local weather, forecasts and storm warnings) adds a Spybot and lots of SPAM. Transfer of files and pictures easy. -200+ radio stations that can be heard, free; A nice feature as you work.- MY PHOTOS: Store and edit digital images on AIM. Easily send them to friends in email or display them within your IM conversation. -GREETINGS: Send greetings through email or IM; and FIND A BUDDY: Find other AIM users by common interest, email address or their real names and regular email address. There is easy access to Mobile IM message forwarding, Buddy List Linking, Video IM and Personals.
-Personalize with a picture, of you or anything else you might choose.
-You can indicate whether you are available or not and can lock people out if you choose not to let them know you are online. -Help screen is online and offers a good New User Wizard. The toolbar lets you change fonts and colors.
-Audio didn’t work for us. Video didn’t show but on, it made audio work.
Yahoo Instant
Messenger
Free from: http://messenger.yahoo.com/ Latest version is 6.0.0.1750
-Also offers Yahoo free mail and Toolbar.
-On the screen bottom is an icon of headphones. It offers music of several genres.
-Games option is also available. A friend must play with you. Pool, Chess, etc..
-Audibles are fun and many to choose from. Click on one, a little bubble shows above,
click ‘send’. Person on chat hears the call. Some categories are,: Hellos, the Contender, Goodbyes, Happy Tree Friends, Flirts, Insults and more, You must have a chat screen up to see and hear them.
-Personalize with a picture.
-There are tools, like Doodle which you and a friend must both load; Smiley faces as emoticons to illustrate feelings; .
File and photo transfers are easy to do.
Check Tools. Doodle Board is fun, you can write or scribble or draw on it.
Yahoo offers ‘gmail’ which is also free with similar features to yahoo mail. It allows transfer of files, pictures and documents, very easily.
-Talk must be set on ‘hands free’ to be able to avoid button pressing to send.
-Webcam, slow and choppy, 1 frame per second.
-Picture and files sent were fast.
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MSN Messenger
Version 7,current highest release. You can check it out at: http://messenger.msn.com/
-MSN offers free hotmail accounts.
- Create a ‘space’ of your own on the Internet. You must type in a URL that is not taken by someone else. It seems to have some drawbacks for seniors but may have some advantages for younger people looking for social contacts. Space lists on its toolbar, HOME; BLOG; PHOTOS; LISTS; and MUSIC.
-Frame rate on webcam was better than AOL or Yahoo.