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Chat Software
| Software links below: |
Chat software allows Internet users to communicate via private, personalised text messages. If your friends, family members, and business colleagues use the same messenging system, that software will show you when they are online, and likewise they will see when you are online. Double click on a users name opens a small messenging window ready for you to start typing your text message.
Even if you are not interested in chat software, chances are that if you have these programs on your computer, they will constantly start up when Windows starts, whether you like it or not. If you want to reign in their ability to start up when windows loads, and to generally push themselves forward at every opportunity, then read on.
AOL, MSN and Yahoo all provide a small web browser window when they go online, be it "MSN Today", "Yahoo Insider" or "AOL Today". They're all little more than advertising mediums eating up your time and bandwidth, and can be stopped from automatically loading by going to the preferences setting for each program.
To alter the AOL preferences, go to "My AIM" on the menu bar, and select "Edit Options". For Yahoo, go to "Messenger" on the menu bar and select "preferences". For Windows Messenger and MSN Messenger go to "Tools", "Options" and select the "General" tab (in Windows Messenger, this is the "preferences" tab).
Similarly, in the preferences of each you can deselect the option to have that program start when windows starts. This is the only means of preventing these programs starting as none of them simply place an icon in the start-up menu. Yahoo Messenger alone requires you to be online and logged-in before you have access to the preferences settings. The others allow you to reign them back while off-line.
AOL Instant Messenger This program carries a large advert square in its "who is online" box, unless you are using it as part of AOL's proprietory internet access software. You can sign up for this Messenger with your existing email address - you will be asked to select an aol user name not already in use. Requires MS Internet Explorer 5.0 or later to be installed on your system. MSN Messenger Windows XP comes with Windows Messenger as standard, which is a cut down version of MSN Messenger, connecting to and providing the same basic communications service. MSN Messenger has additional features, aligned to MSN's other services. You can sign up for these Microsoft Messengers with your existing email address - you do not need to sign up for their hotmail system simply to use the messenger. Avatars and additional smilies are available, but both at a cost. The tabs that run down the left hand side of the "who is online" box can be hidden by indicating that you are using a shared computer via the security preference setting. The box carrying a small advert bar at the bottom cannot be hidden and does make this messenger's slick appearance begin to look more cluttered than the Windows Messenger alternative. XP users can upgrade to the rebranded Windows Live Messenger, which takes the software effectively to version 8. Yahoo! Messenger Yahoo's service comes with free avatars, a raft of smilies and no advertising in the main "who is online" box. It also comes with ready access to Yahoo's free Launch radio services, but this can be hidden easily with either a minimise button, or via unticking a box in the preferences menu option. Yahoo's Messenger also comes linked to BT's internet to landline phone service, which can be used through the Messenger software. It offers a number of functions that the others do not, including offline messenging of contacts. You are asked to create a free Yahoo account which will come with a web-based Yahoo email account. Requires MS Internet Explorer 5.01 or later to be installed on your system, but also supports Mozilla Firefox if that is set as your default Internet browser. |
W98/ME/NT4/2000/XP
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