Yahoo! Messenger

Yahoo! Messenger (YIM) is an advertisement-supported instant messaging client provided by Yahoo!. Yahoo! Messenger is free and can be downloaded and used with a "Yahoo! ID" which also allows access to other Yahoo! services, such as Yahoo! Mail. Yahoo! also offers PC-PC, PC-Phone and Phone-to-PC service, file transfers, webcam hosting, text messaging service, and chat rooms in various categories.

Yahoo! Messenger was originally launched under the name Yahoo! Pager on March 9, 1998.

In addition to instant messaging features similar to those offered by ICQ, address-book integration and Custom Status Messages. It was also the first major IM client to feature BUZZing and music-status. Another recently added feature is customized avatars. Yahoo! Messenger also allows users to access Yahoo! Chat Rooms.

So, with Yahoo! Messenger, you can: 

• Instant message friends in real time, including your Windows Live Messenger friends.
• Add a Pingbox to your personal Web page so that you can instant message the people who visit your page.
• Call and talk with your friends. You can call a friend’s computer, mobile phone, and even the old-fashioned home phone.
• Share your favorite photos.
• Send text (SMS) messages to a friend’s mobile phone.
• Forward your instant messages to your mobile phone when you’re away from your computer.
• Save friends’ contact details in your Yahoo! Address Book and access the information in Messenger.
• See and be seen with webcam.
• Add plug-ins to do such things as listen to music through LAUNCHcast Radio, check your mail, and play games with your friends.
• Check out what your friends are up to by viewing their updates.
• Add color and graphics to your conversations and change the look of the application.