In
addition to its basic functionality and general
capability as an instant messaging client, Windows
Live Messenger offers the following features:
[edit]Sharing
folders
The Sharing
Folder feature
is an alternative to the "direct
transfer" method of file distribution. When a
user wants to deliver a file to another person on his
or her contact
list, the "sharing folder" window
appears, which is an individualized representation of
all previously shared items.
When
files are added to the "sharing folder" for
that particular person, the file will automatically be
transferred to the corresponding computer when they
are online. This means that the folder is literally
"shared" between two computers. If a user
deletes a file, for example, the file will also be
deleted from the corresponding computer's shared
folder.
To
minimize risk of virus-infected transfers, the
"sharing folder" feature is bundled with an anti-virus program.
The "sharing folder" feature can only be
used on computers with NTFS-formatted hard
disks, due to the embedded usage of DFS.[citation
needed]
The
Sharing Folder feature has been discontinued in the
latest version of Windows Live Messenger (2009), and
replaced with access to Windows
Live SkyDrive instead.
PC-to-phone
calls
In
addition to PC-to-PC calls that have been supported in
previous versions, Windows Live Messenger now supports
PC-to-phone calls with Windows
Live Call. In the US, this feature is supported by Verizon,
branded as "Verizon Web Calling". Orange France
also has a similar service. This feature is only
available in selected countries, including the US, the
UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Austria,
Ireland, Finland, Belgium, Spain, and Italy. Verizon
ended service in August 2008 and was replaced in the
US with Telefonica, while Orange will offer the
service for the rest of the world.
[edit]Interoperability
On
October 13, 2005, Yahoo! and
Microsoft announced plans to introduce
interoperability between their two messengers,[4] creating
the second largest instant messaging user base
worldwide: 40 percent of all users. The announcement
came after years of third-party interoperability
success (most notably, Trillian, Pidgin)
and criticisms from Google that
the major real time communications services were
locking their networks.[citation
needed]
Interoperability
between Yahoo! and Windows Live Messenger was launched
July 12, 2006.[5][6] This
allows Yahoo! and Windows Live Messenger users to chat
to each other without the need to create an account on
the other service, provided both contacts use the
latest versions of the clients. However, if a user
uses an older or third-party client, they will appear
offline to the users on the other network.
[edit]Offline
messaging
One
can send messages to contacts who are offline; they
will receive the messages once they come online.
Additionally, a user can start conversations even when
his or her status is set to Appear
Offline, similar to behavior in Yahoo!
Messenger and ICQ.
If talking to someone who has an older MSN Messenger
client, they will lose the ability to talk to you
after a short period of no activity, due to their
client thinking you are offline.
[edit]Games
and applications
There
are various games and applications available in
Windows Live Messenger that can be accessed via the
conversation window by clicking on the games icon, and
challenging your friend or contact to a competition in
a game, or inviting them to launch a shared external
application.
[edit]"i知"
initiative
The i知 initiative
is a program Microsoft launched in March 2007, that
connects the user with ten organizations dedicated to
social causes through Windows Live Messenger, only for
conversations sent or received in the USA and Australia.
Every time someone has a conversation using i知,
Microsoft Corp. shares a portion of the program's
advertising revenue with the organization of the
user's choice. There is no set cap on the amount
donated to each organization. The more i知 conversations
the user has, the more money goes to one of the ten
causes. Each participating organization was guaranteed
a minimum donation of $100,000 during the first year
of the program. There is currently no end date for the
program.[7] Thei知 initiative
works with version 8.1 and above.
Screenshot of Windows Live Messenger running on
an
S60
Platformdevice, showing the contacts screen
and tabbed chat windows, features to add voice,
image and other clips, and a range of emoticons
available
[edit]S60
Platform
A
client for Windows Live Messenger was developed by
Microsoft for the Symbian S60
Platform commonly
used in mobile
phones such
asNokia smartphones and
released on August 23, 2007, to selected markets. This
version of Windows Live Messenger includes many of the
features of the Windows Live Messenger client,
including grouped contacts, voice clips, image and
file sending; as well as features unique to S60 such
as tabbed chat windows and integration with contact
list and other features of the S60 platform.[8] Microsoft
installed a prompt at the start of Windows Live
Messenger for S60 at Logon [9] When
the trial expires the cost to users of Messenger for
S60 is ｣1.50/$2.94 for 30 calendar days of use.
[edit]Xbox
integration
Windows
Live Messenger support was included in the Xbox
360 spring
2007 dashboard update released on May 9, 2007.[10] Unofficially,
it is known as "Windows Live Messenger 360."
Those
using Windows Live Messenger are able to see the Gamertags of friends logged
into Xbox
Live, including the game they
are playing. Xbox 360 users can chat in-game (or while
watching a movie). Although only text chat is
supported, Microsoft has
suggested that voice and video chatting may come in a
future update. Support for child accounts was added in
December 2007.
Also
to coincide with the arrival of the integration of
Windows Live Messenger with Xbox Live, Microsoft
released a new Xbox 360 keyboard adapter called Xbox
360 Chatpad for
easier text input. The keyboard device attaches to the
standard Xbox 360 controller through the headphone
jack and features a QWERTY-style key
layout with 47 backlit keys, although any USB keyboard
will work just as well with an Xbox 360.
[edit]History
[edit]MSN
Messenger
MSN Messenger logo, 2000-2005
Before the product was renamed Windows Live Messenger,
it was known as "MSN Messenger Service" from
1999 to 2001 and "MSN Messenger" from 2001
to 2005. During that time, Microsoft released seven
major versions as follows.
The
first version of MSN Messenger Service, version 1.0
(1.0.0863), was released July 22, 1999. It included
only basic features, such as plain text messaging and
a simplistic contact list.[11] When
it was first released, it featured support for access
to America
Online's AIM network.
America Online continually tried to block Microsoft
from having access to their service until eventually
the feature was removed, and it has not re-surfaced in
any later versions of the software.[12] Since
then, the software has only allowed connections to its
own service, requiring a Windows
Live ID account
to connect.
Microsoft
released the first major update, version 2.0
(2.0.0083), on November 16, 1999. It included a
rotating advertising banner and the ability to
customize the appearance of the chat window. It came
as an install option for Windows
Me. This version was followed the next year by
version 3.0 (3.0.0080), which was released May 29,
2000. It included file transfers and PC-to-PC and
PC-to-phone audio capabilities with Net2Phone,
one of the first VOIP providers.[13]
Along
with the release of Windows
XP came
version 4.6 of MSN Messenger, on October 23, 2001. It
included major changes to the user interface, the
ability to group contacts, and support for voice
conversations.[14] In
this version, the client software was renamed from
"MSN Messenger Service" to just "MSN
Messenger," while the underlying service became
known as ".NET
Messenger Service," the name it has kept ever
since. This version was only compatible with Windows 95, 98, Me, NT
4.0, and 2000,
because Microsoft provided a scaled-down new program
for Windows
XP, called Windows
Messenger, that it originally intended to replace
MSN Messenger with on Windows XP.
That
strategy changed when version 5.0 of MSN Messenger was
released on October 24, 2002. It was the first version
that was allowed to be installed along with Windows
Messenger on Windows XP.[15] It
included UPnP (Universal
Plug and Play) based file transfers, minor changes to
the user
interface artwork,
and a Windows
Media Player interface
plug-in.[16]
The
next year, version 6.0 of MSN Messenger was released
July 17, 2003. MSN Messenger 6.0 was a major overhaul
of the whole platform, upgrading its simple text-based
interface to include customizable elements such as
emoticons, personalized avatars, and backgrounds. An
update, version 6.1, focused on improvements to the
conversation window, enabling users to hide the window
frame and menu bar, and also the ability to change the
theme color. The theme color could be set differently
for each user. Another update, version 6.2, was
released April 22, 2004, and it was the last version
of the MSN Messenger 6 series. The most notable
changes were a dedicated Mobile group
for mobile contacts, a connection troubleshooter, and
the Launch
Site feature
was renamed to Fun
& Games.
MSN
Messenger received a major upgrade to version 7.0 on
April 7, 2005. This version brought wink features
that were previously only available in threedegrees.
This version also advertised items to sell to you
including animated display
pictures, emoticons and
backgrounds. The contact list window style was also
updated to match instant message windows. This version
also introduced the Xbox
Live Integration
feature. This is the last version of MSN Messenger
that runs on Windows
98 and Windows
Me. This version also introduced digital ink and
handwriting recognition support.
The
last version of MSN Messenger before the name change,
version 7.5, was released August 23, 2005. New
features included the Dynamic Backgrounds feature and
the "msnim" protocol handler, which allowed
Web sites to provide links which automatically add a
contact or start conversations. Additionally, a new
Voice Clips feature allowed users to hold down F2 and
record a message for a maximum of 15 seconds and send
it to the recipient. The window for conversations was
changed slightly with an added video button. This
version also introduced the Windows
Installer for
its auto-update feature.[17] You
still can run MSN Messenger 7.5 by changing the
compatibility settings to Windows
2000.
[edit]Windows
Live Messenger 8.0
Windows Live Messenger 8.1
As
part of Microsoft's Windows
Live effort,
which rebranded many existing MSN services and
programs, MSN Messenger was renamed "Windows Live
Messenger" beginning with version 8.0.
The
first beta of the newly renamed Windows Live
Messenger, Beta 1, was released on December 13, 2005.[2] It
remained online and usable for around a month until an
auto-update feature forced one to install Beta 2,
rendering this version obsolete. Known bugs within
this version include the offline conversation feature:
although still advertised in the yellow bar at the top
of the conversation box, it was useless to anyone who
had not received an invitation (i.e., downloaded it
from another site).[18] Major
changes and additions included offline messaging, an
option to change the color theme of the windows,
separated send and search boxes, a word wheel search
box in the main window, and additional details for
contacts when hovering over their names in the contact
list window.
The
second beta of version 8.0, Beta 2, was released on
February 26, 2006.[2] The
overall theme of this version was improved, fixing and
improving several smaller places in the program. This
version has become obsolete, forcing users to update
the program. Major changes and additions included the
introduction of Windows
Live Contacts, the reintroduction of single file
transfer, improvements to the "Add a
Contact" dialog box, improved color themes, minor
changes in the conversation window, and revert of the
"Busy" status icon back to the normal dash
icon.[19]
The
final beta version, Beta 3, was released on May 2,
2006, was nearly identical to the final.[2] Major
changes and additions included new icons for the
program, PC-to-phone calling, an updated look for the Windows
Live Call window,
a new default display picture, the Windows Live Today
window, improvements to the grouping of sequential
messages from each contact, Rhapsody integration
in the U.S., and an option for sounds to be edited
and/or turned off.[20]
The
final and official release of Windows Live Messenger
version 8.0 was on June 19, 2006.[2] Although
no notable changes were made between Beta 3 and the
final version,[21] the
change from MSN Messenger to Windows Live Messenger
brought some additional changes, such as, the status
"On the phone" from the previous version was
renamed to "In a call" due to the addition
of Windows
Live Call, customization for the nicknames of
individual contacts, timestamps on messages, the
ability to see a contact's name only once if the same
person writes multiple messages in a row, and color
schemesfor the entire application. Also when
Windows Live Messenger was officially released, the
main authentication system, Microsoft
Passport Network, was replaced with Windows
Live ID.
An
update, labeled the Refresh to version 8.0, was
released on August 10, 2006.[2] It
included audio and video improvements and fixed up
minor bugs.[22]
[edit]Windows
Live Messenger 8.1
The
first update to Windows Live Messenger was previewed
on October 30, 2006, with the release of Beta 1 of
version 8.1.[2] No
major changes were made, but several minor changes
were included. The changes and additions included the
addition of the roaming identity feature (so that a
user's display name and picture would appear on any
computer), a new contact card appearance, a
"recently used" list for the emoticon, wink,
display picture and background menus, an SMS phone
book in the main menu allowing the association and
editing of a phone number to the contact and allowing
text messaging to a contact, a "sign out"
button the status menu, a "report abuse"
option in the help menu, the ability to chat with
Yahoo users introduced with 8.1, and improvements to
user status on Windows
Vista, so that Windows Live Messenger
automatically changes to "Busy" when in
presentation mode.[23] A
minor update, the Windows Live Messenger 8.1 Beta 1
Refresh, was released on December 13, 2006,[2] and
fixed bugs that were causing some people to be unable
to sign in and others unable to see their contact
list.[24] The
final version 8.1 was released on January 29, 2007.[2] No
changes were made from the Beta 1 Refresh.[25] All
versions of Windows Live Messenger below version 8.1
were rendered obsolete on September 12, 2007, due to a
security issue identified when a user accepts a webcam
or video chat invitation from an attacker.[26]
On
September 12, 2007, the Windows Live Messenger blog
posted a fix that resolved a security problem. It
reported of a security vulnerability in versions of
Messenger older than 8.1, that the released fix would
resolve. This led to an auto-update being released to
all older versions. Versions running on Windows
2000 and
below were required to update to a new version of MSN
Messenger 7.0, and versions running on Windows
XP and
above were required to update to Windows Live
Messenger 8.1.[26]
On
August 27, 2009, the Windows Live Messenger blog
posted that due to a security problem, all users of
versions 8.1 and newer need to update to the latest
version, 14.0.8089. The mandatory upgrade requirement
will be fully phased in by late October 2009 and
begins on September 15th 2009.
[edit]Windows
Live Messenger 8.5
The
news web site, LiveSide, reported a leaked build of
Windows Live Messenger 8.5 on May 27, 2007, available
in Spanish.[27] The
first English beta of Windows Live Messenger 8.5, Beta
1, was later released on May 31, 2007[2] to
the U.S., the UK, Canada, Ireland, India, France,
Japan, Germany, China, and Spain. An update was
released on June 21, 2007, to test updates being
installed by Microsoft
Update. This version required Windows
XP SP2,
compared to previous versions requiring Windows XP
SP1. It was the first version to be installed in a
"Windows Live" folder under "Program
Files," with the shortcuts placed in a
"Windows Live" folder in the Start
Menu.
Major
changes and additions in Beta 1 included a new
installation program in conjunction with the release
of Windows
Live 2.0, a new look for all of its windows that
matches the aesthetic styles of Windows Vista,[28] a
new "bunny" emoticon,[29] and
integration with Windows
Live OneCare Family Safety.[30] Beginning
with this version, updates could be downloaded and
installed through Microsoft
Update.
The
second beta of Windows Live Messenger 8.5, Beta 2, was
released on September 5, 2007.[31] Several
issues were fixed in Beta 2, but no significant
changes were applied. Compared with the first beta,
the build does not say "Beta" on the top of
the window, although developers had noted that it was
not the final release. The new Windows
Live Installer, which is used to install Windows
Live Messenger 8.5 Beta 2, does not run on Windows
Server 2003.
The
final release of Windows Live Messenger version 8.5
was released on November 6, 2007, and it introduced no
major changes.[32]
[edit]Windows
Live Messenger 2009
Windows
Live Messenger 2009 was originally designated version
9.0, it was later assigned the technical version
number 14.0, in order to be unified with the other Windows
Liveprograms and Microsoft
Office programs.
In
a presentation to the Georgia Institute of
Technology's IEEE Student Branch, Microsoft employee
Andrew Jenks reported that the Messenger team had been
working on multi-person audio/video chat, and they are
also attempting to create interoperability with AIM/XMPP/ICQ.
There is a basic internal version that works with XMPP
already.[33] However,
these features were not seen in any of the beta
versions of Windows Live Messenger 2009 as of
Milestone 3.
Microsoft
sent an invitation to participate in the Windows Live
Messenger "9" beta
program to
Microsoft Connect members on November 20, 2007; a week
later, Microsoft began sending out emails welcoming
them to the Windows Live Messenger "9" beta
program for the first release, known as Beta 0.
A
fan site for Windows Live Messenger, Mess.be, claimed
to have a new build of Windows Live Messenger
"9" on August 11, 2008, and published
screenshots along with a brief summary of new
features. The screenshots featured a new user
interface design matching the "Wave
3" design in development by Microsoft. The
images were later removed by the site after a DMCA notice
was received.[34] The
installer for the same build was leaked through
private forums on August 23, 2008. It would later be
discovered this build was a preview of Milestone 2, or
M2.
News
web site LiveSide published an article on September 4,
2008, with screenshots of M2 of the newly minted
"Windows Live Messenger 2009," which had
become version 14.0 instead of 9.0 as previously
expected. LiveSide summarized its new features,
including protection against messaging
spam, the ability to stay signed into the
application from several computers (referred to as
"Multiple Points of Presence Support"), animated
GIF files
in the photo area, per-contact customized sounds for
various user actions, and clickable URLs in
the status area.[35]
Microsoft
began the official beta program for Windows Live
Messenger 2009 on September 17, 2008, when it released
a new beta officially known as Windows Live Messenger
2009 Beta (Milestone 3, Build 14.0.5027.908), which
was made available to the general public as a free
download. The ability to submit feedback, however, was
restricted to select participants of the Microsoft
Connect closed beta program.
Notable
changes in Milestone 3 include a new revamped and
refined user interface to follow suit with the rest of
the Windows Live "Wave 3" design, the
ability to set a "Scene" by customizing the
background image and color of the contact list, and
the display of these scenes in conversation windows
for improved contact identification and window
management.
Milestone
3 also brings a new "Groups"
feature that allows users to create a continuous group
conversation between select contacts, newly redesigned
status icons which now resemble small gems rather than
the previous "Messenger Buddy" icons, a new
default "Favorites" category in which you
can place your favorite contacts for easy access to
them, a new Photo Sharing utility that allows contacts
to quickly and easily browse photos together, and a
"What's New" section at the bottom of the
contact list to outline recent contact updates.
Display pictures have been moved over to the left side
of conversation windows, and new colorful borders
appear around display pictures to display the current
status of that contact. Milestone 3 is the first
version of Windows Live Messenger to use the standard
window frame on Windows
Vista in
accordance with the user experience guidelines.
Several
features were removed in version 9.0 however, such as
the ability to use add-ins, the ability to transfer
files when the recipient is signed in as offline, the
"Be right back," "Out to lunch,"
and "In a call" status options,[36] the Go
to my space button,
the ability to adjust webcam settings during a video
call, the Send button,[37] some
games (depending on your localization) and integration
with Windows
Contacts.[38] Other
features were replaced, such as Sharing
Folders[39] (replaced
by integration with Windows Live SkyDrive) and
background sharing (replaced by the "Scene"
feature).
On
December 15, 2008, Windows Live Messenger 2009 RC
(Build 14.0.8050.1202) was released together with the
other Windows Live Wave 3 software applications, now
renamed asWindows
Live Essentials.[40] This
version saw a removal of the custom sign-in sound
feature however it is still possible to select a sound
for other individuals, as well as changes to how the
background image chosen is applied to the conversation
windows. This build also included over 200 bug fixes
including the "Custom Emoticon Bug" and
saving of pictures when using the Photo sharing
feature. On January 7, 2009, the same build was
released as the final version of Windows Live
Messenger 2009.[41]
[edit]Windows
Live Messenger 2010
The
first beta of Windows Live Messenger 2010 has
appeared. Microsoft has announced that the new version
of Ribbon interface is to be included. The public beta
version is expected to be released in the first
quarter of 2010.
[edit]File
scanning
People
can set up Windows Live Messenger to use their own PC
anti-virus software to scan all the files they receive
through IM and File Sharing by using the File Transfer
Options.[42]Alternatively, Windows
Live OneCare Safety Scanner, a free online virus
scanner from Microsoft, is a well-integrated virus
scanner for use with Windows Live Messenger.
[edit]Protocol
Windows
Live Messenger uses the Microsoft
Notification Protocol (MSNP)
over TCP (and
optionally over HTTP to
deal with proxies)
to connect to the .NET
Messenger Service預 service offered on port 1863
of "messenger.hotmail.com." The current
version is 15 (MSNP15), used by Windows Live Messenger
and other third-party clients. MSNP15 introduces a
different authentication mechanism.
The
protocol is not completely secret; Microsoft disclosed
version 2 (MSNP2) to developers in 1999 in an Internet
Draft, but never released versions 8 or higher to
the public. The .NET Messenger Service servers
currently only accept protocol versions from 8 and
higher, so the syntax of new commands sent from
versions 8 and higher is only known by using packet
sniffers like Wireshark.
This has been an easy task because - in comparison to
many other modern instant messaging protocols, such as XMPP -
the Microsoft Notification Protocol does not provide
any encryption.
The lack of proper encryption also makes wiretapping
friend lists and personal conversations a trivial
task, especially in unencrypted public Wi-Finetworks.