Windows Live Messenger

[Silas]

I have just downloaded the latest version of Windows Live Messenger.  Being new to this, don't understand Hotmail.  Is it free, also is it necessary and, if so, why.  I get my mail via Outlook Express.

Silas

[perth tiger]

hotmail is free.  a lot of people use hotmail instead of their main email provider as an address to use on the web. it saves a lot of junk mail coming in to your main email address

perth

[Silas]

Thanks for that explanation Perth - glad it's free at least.  Cheers.

[jksdelver]

If you wanted a Google mail address then that is easy to set up and it can be accessed from OE which is also easy to set up.

[Silas]

Thanks jksdelver.  Think I'll leave things as they are - I get in enough muddles as it is, being a bit of a computer nerd. Thank you anyway.

Silas

[silvery]

Isn't windows live messenger like a sort of chat room affair?

[Silas]

No Silvery, it isn't a chatroom as such.  It is a way of 'speaking' to your own friends and relatives on a one-to-one basis.  You can add people to your list and see when they are on-line and then 'speak' to them.  It definitely isn't a chatroom.

[Zeb]

Windows Live Messenger (aka Messenger, MSN) is a FREE way of chatting with others over the internet for free.

Chatting is done via typing and is on a one-to-one basis with only those you invite into your list of contacts. You can see when they're online and when they come online by the way of a little notification window popping up.

You can talk with many at the same time but they have to be invited into the conversation.

It's also got the ability to transfer files. Because of the way the files transfer (directly and not via email) there is no limit to the size of file you can send.

[Comosus]

Isn't windows live messenger like a sort of chat room affair?

No, you choose who you talk to like you do when emailing.  A conversation box pops up on their screen and you can have a conversation; much faster than emailing.  Chatrooms are rooms on the internet where people can join and talk (often strangers).

Andrew