Labs

You'll also need a .NET Passport to use MSN Messenger. Most other services insist on collecting your email address and other personal details, though, so if you are put off by this aspect you'll face the same dilemma with Yahoo! or Google. Although you can use an existing email address to obtain a .NET Passport, a free Hotmail address is needed for some of Messenger's services.

MSN Messenger is clearly a development on Windows Messenger (opposite), which it supports, so you can send messages and have conversations with Windows Messenger users. It is free but includes advertising, although this tends not to be too obtrusive. The tabs at the left give instant access to related services such as MSN Alerts and MSN Music, and external websites including the National Lottery site and eBay. There's also a tab for getting help, and if you can't find the answers you need there's more help on the MSN customer care website. As a last

The other reason for the rating is the range of extra facilities. On the fun side, there are games, including chess, minesweeper and tic-tac-toe, or you can swap photos with other users. For more functional tasks, as well as the Remote Assistance and Application Sharing, you can use MSN Calendar sharing for organising your work and social life.

MSN Messenger has an attractive, customisable interface. A range of pictures are supplied for you to identify yourself to others, and you can add your own photos. You can add a Personal Message that others will see, in addition to the status options. You can add a background to the message window, which can be shared so your contact also sees it, but some of the backgrounds on the menu require a purchase to be made. Similarly the optional emoticon packs require payment.

MSN Messenger supports mobile phones, so you don't necessarily need your contacts to be at their computers to send them messages. It has other extra features that users might not necessarily be aware of. For example, as well as the long-standing whiteboard facility, the latest version supports handwriting input. You can also store your message history (although not handwritten items). A final feature that many will welcome is the way it integrates with blogs on MSN Spaces and enables you to alert people to them