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By George Norman - Software Editor

Added on 08 Sep 2009(905 Views)

When it comes to instant messaging (IM) clients and how popular they are with end users from all over the world, Yahoo! Messenger can truly boast about being at the top of the list. Its long list of features and its functionality recommend it as the IM client to download and install on your computer. And the fact that Yahoo! continues to be a significant presence in the online world certainly does not hurt its popularity.

The main function of Yahoo! Messenger is to function as an IM client. You access your Yahoo! Messenger account, select a contact and start typing away. That contact will receive your message in real-time, and his replies will be delivered to your in real time as well. If the contact takes too long to respond, Yahoo! Messenger’s got you covered: you can Buzz him, or you can select an audible and send it to him.


But Yahoo! functionality goes beyond a simple IM client. Just take out your microphone and you can audio chat with any of contacts in your list. Take out your webcam, plug it in, and you can now video chat with your fellow Yahoo! Messenger friends. Assuming that one of your friends does not have access to the internet and you really have to talk to him, you could always phone his landline or mobile phone from within Yahoo! Messenger. Alternatively, when you want to convey your message but don’t feel like talking much, you can send an SMS message via Yahoo! Messenger. It will not cost you a thing, but this function is only available in select countries.

Every now and again you will have to leave your computer and go out for a walk, or go to your workplace. No problem, you can take Yahoo! Messenger with you. iPhone users can take advantage of the dedicated Yahoo! Messenger for iPhone app, with Push Notification (you will be notified when someone contacts you, even though the app is not running at the time; the notification comes in the form of a badge, pop-up alert and sound notification). Other web-enabled smartphones do not have a dedicated app, but as long as you have access to the internet you can take advantage of the Yahoo! Messenger web experience.

This is the great thing about Yahoo! Messenger. On your home computer, your best option is to download the software and install in. When you are away from your computer, all you need is a connection to the internet and you can seamlessly connect to Yahoo! Messenger. There’s Yahoo! Messenger for the web, where you open a Messenger session in your browser’s window, and there’s even the option to log into Yahoo! Messenger from your Yahoo! Mail account (in the browser window as well).

Visually speaking, Yahoo! Messenger looks very good. There are plenty of skins to choose from, you can customize your avatar or select a photo to be used as an avatar, there are nice looking IMVironments to pick, and so on. This is great for the user who likes a lot of eye candy, not so much for the user that likes to keep things simple.

Yahoo Messenger full list of features:
Instant messaging
Chat rooms
Photo Sharing
Pc-to-Pc calls
Pc-to-Phone calls
Phone In, which allows you to receive phone calls on Yahoo! Messenger
Webcam support
IM conferencing
IM support for other networks, like Windows Live Messenger
File transfer support, meaning that you can send your friends any file you want, as long as it does not exceed the maximum size limit of 2GB
Forwards IMs to your mobile phone
Forward incoming Yahoo! Messenger calls to a mobile phone
Contact Search Bar
Yahoo! Search
Yahoo! Address Book
Stealth or privacy settings
Yahoo! Mail alerts for when a new email is available in your inbox
Voicemail
Message archiving
Tabbed IM windows
Buzz alert
Real-time updates about what your friends’ online activities
Plug-ins
Audibles
Emoticons
Avatars
Use an image as your avatar
IMVironments
Yahoo! Games
Custom status
Custom ringtones
Customizable voice call sound effects and soundtracks

Please note that the availability of some features depends on the Yahoo! Messenger version you have installed on your computer.

Yahoo! Messenger provides localized versions for these countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada (English and French), Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, United States, Venezuela, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK & Ireland, Australia, China, Hong Kong, India (English and Hindi), Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.

Pros
Easy to install and easy to use
The emoticons, audibles and IMVironments are very fun
You can send messages to a contact’s mobile phone
You can call landlines and mobile phones
Localized versions

Cons
Includes ads
If you are not careful when installing the software, it will make Yahoo.com your default homepage and it will make Yahoo your default search engine.
Can be sluggish on less powerful computers


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