I am using MSN Messenger because I like its simple and clean UI. In China, their's another IM Client named QQ. QQ is a powerful IM Client, but I don't like it because it seems like a toy, not a tool. Howerver, I hope that MSN Messenger could add useful feathers that QQ have quickly. Many users in China have same opnion and hope as me.

The next study needs to find relationships between IQ and IM client used.

and the following study should find the relationship between IQ and the amount of times the person got laid.

And another example on how Microsoft win the market share with a PATHETIC product.
M$N is slow, extremly bloated, unreliable, lack some really usefull features (ex: can't send messages offline) and disconnects clients from time to time (Microsoft me$$enger reconnects automatically without user intervention, other third party clients don't)
Someone asked what happenned to ICQ: AOL bought Miriabilis to improve their deficient client, and then subtly killed ICQ to rise their bloated product. I think AOL failed there, because their client still sucks and invested to kill the better competition for their competition. AOL, you should know: The enemy of my enemy is my friend...

Do some research.

You can send messages offline with Windows Live Messenger.

Wait, wait wait.. You are talking about a PREVIEW software with that feature, an alpha/beta of what, maybe, we'll see released in a *future*, and ICQ had in version 97?
Microsoft sometimes impress me, did they see the light? Wow!

I agree with you Floodland. Microsoft seems to manage to create and puplish products that lack so many features that are useful. Features that one would think was easy to install. Like the MSN messenger is useless without the Messenger plus, and still there are not all the features one would hope (like offline msg). However, as with so many other products from them, you end up using them because it is the standard - something that everyone has and uses. And for that Microsoft should be credited for - standardising so many features of the computer world. Let us just hope that one day they will enhance their products, making people use them because they are the best ones - not only because they are the easiest to use because of their popularity!

Windows Live Messenger has been in beta for a LONG TIME and it's a well known fact the final will be OUT by the end of June.

DUH

Most used client? Not by me - I hate bloated adware ridden s***e.

Does anyone remember the one and only IM that started it all!!! (ICQ) What the hell happened man! I don't know anyone that uses it anymore I still have my old list with about 300 contacts. Not to long ago I logged on and not one contact online, they're all on MSN. But luckily I don't have to use MSN Messenger it's just to damn blotted. As a Linux user aMSN is where it's at. At first it was only available for Linux. But since it came out for windows that's the only client I use. I couldn't live without it.

http://amsn.sourceforge.net

and the point of this was?..

Behold the power of the default application.

No surprise here, MSN is a very entertaining piece of software for the majority of personalities out there. But if you asked me my professional opinion on this product, i would say it's over bloated and its memory/cpu (system resources) over the last 2 versions has jumped significantly and to me, the added features compared to the lose of resources is not jusitified which is the only problem i have with MSN Messenger. But i wouldn't say the program was over hyped. It does what it does and it does it great in the majority of peoples eyes, if it didn't, it wouldn't have the massive userbase it has now. Ahhh i remember the days of MSN v2.0, boy that was a piece of crap compared to Yahoo Messenger v3.0 back then ;)

Yeah, I remember those days too. I also remember having an MSN account (dial-up) and their service used to suck. I still hate MSN because of it. That's why I won't use MSN messenger.

Anyway, those of use that were with the internet from the early days and BBS, we know what it was like. We have opinions based on experience, not just speculation. I don't even want to get into all the reasons why MSN has problems (there is a long history, obviously you know it) and that's that.

If the people like MSN, great. I am happy its working for them. Me? I don't care about IM one way or the other. I spent countless hours on chat, message boards, BBS, IM.. I grow tired of chat, so I don't use it anymore.....

But if I do, its Yahoo! all the way.

Not to put MSN down in any way, but I am also a devote Yahoo! Messenger lover with good reason too (I think it is and always has been (since v2.0) the best coded IM by far).

I don't use it much anymore since all my contacts no longer come online and most of my UK friends migrated over to MSN over the last couple of years, and what's the point of staying with an Instant Messenger if there's no one to instant message? ;)

So I was forced to migrate over (permanently) to MSN along with everyone back in start of 2004.

It was sad to see this happen as at the time (MSN v5.0), as I believed Yahoo! Messenger v5.0 was a far superior product and it was, it really was.

But MSN caught up with most the features Yahoo v5.0 brought in when it reached v6.0 and along with the well advertised 'Hotmail' e-mail facility, started to win the European race for number 1 used IM client which we see before us today.

My personal opinion is this, I don't care which company brings us the number 1 IM, as long as they give us what we want (Joe public), and continue to provide those services to the public whilst also keeping in line with what other features other products are introducing that people like to the point of making them a standard such as avatars have became in the last couple of years. Then I am just glad that we have a stable well looked after service in the first place.

I for one, have never had any problems with the reliability of MSN Messenger, only its continual bloatedness with each new version.

In my... seven years of IM, I would have to say that AOL would have to be the most technologically-inferior protocol. The warn function has got to be the stupidest function ever (It's abused 99.999% of the time). The same goes for their rate limit (hence the bar you see under the "Send" button) is obsolete. Finally, adding buddies in someone's list without their permission is a big no-no.

Even MSN can beat them... I hope people switch to MSN one day

Wow, ok, so evidently AIM is the Devil.. From what I am reading..

I see it all over the place, so I mistook it for a good product (I personally don't use it - I prefer Yahoo!).

Fine, this is the same as browsers, we are never going to agree. IM, again, is a preference.

Personally, I was sad to see ICQ fall. They use a number for your IM, and later, if you want to masquerade as someone else, you can change your name, not post your true ICQ identity, and you could chat in anonymous.. That is always nice.

Alas, ICQ is basically the red headed step child of the IM world, but even to those Google faithful, I would have to say, google talk is a joke. And it doesn't get used at all. I even invited people to use it, we still fall back to some other messenger.

Google Talk may be rising in popularity, but for now, its very obscure.

I remember when the 1st public beta of ICQ was out. It was pretty damn novel at the time.

I wish they could somehow clean it up and modernize it.

yeah, it was the coolest little program. I loved it.. I guess the programmers though the task was too much, and they moved on to something else..

How unfortunate...

I used to be a big IM user - used virtually all of them, until Skype came along. Why waste all my time *typing* messages at people, when I can talk to them instead?

I only use the chat function for sending web links and the like.

Nice to see people so passionate over their IM client of choice... or is it just the typical product bashing opportunity? You decide... lol.

Anyone with a 1/9th decent a computer can run MSN and Windows live messenger quite effortlessly. MSN/WLM is not bloatware....yeah it's got links to ads and sites etc (c'mon, if you've got half a brain you know nothing in life is truly free), but none of this is pushed on the user - you click and you experience. Who here has ever run a mouse cursor over their AIM and had a freaking ad play out on your PC, sounds and all?
In any case I'm not here to argue, in MY opinion MSN/WLM is a superior messaging client, with yahoo in close second and Google in third place - everything else is optional on my PC. MSN/WLM has all the features I want in a messenger (you get offline messages, a ready to go chatroom, winks, smileys, games, etc) - you call smileys and winks bloat and unnecessary, I call it fun and expressive.
AIM is a part of a dying culture and is held closely by those who embrace AOL so dearly because of chatrooms and the ever so popular online life and alter ego.
Yahoo is stagnant, but trying hard to reestablish its im dominance, and with the introduction of yahoo 360, it may just gain some foothold yet....
Google is the picture of simplicity; if you've ever been one to complain about bloat/etc. Google talk is for you.

All of these clients live on my PC. AIM because I have friends who are stuck living an online life and prefer to stick also with their method of online communication (or simply because their parents use AOL and its 2+2 to use AIM).
Yahoo because I have friends and family who jumped into that bandwagon and choose to stay there.
MSN because lets face it....in the end, everyone uses it, even if they don't admit it. And finally Google Talk because I have friends obsessed with what their idea of bloat is (and ofcourse the traditional anti-ms griefer).

All in all....to each his own. I don't dispute that alot of people use MSN more than other IM programs....it's built in and it's easy to use; if you have a hotmail or msn account (and who doesn't?) then you'll be able to use it when you try. Who can beat that?

i agree with you 100%
still you can use trillian/miranda

Say goodbye to every other clients when MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger combined later this year. The behemoth that resulted from that merger will easily takes 90%+ worldwide. Even EU will not know who to sue, Microsoft or Yahoo!.

funny!

Heres a number for you all:

100% of my friends are on AIM. Therefore I will use AIM.

u can use trillian/miranda.
both have small footprint

I think trillian is better but I have issues losing connections to MSN Messenger sometimes. Miranda can be clumsy to work with sometimes although it does have a _really_ small footprint

I understand that.

I dont think that the numbers they are citing in the article refer to someone using MSN Messenger versus Trillian or such. I think these numbers relate to the number of people on the network. Therefore those numbers would reflect those using MSN Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, Trillian, GAIM, Miranda, etc. All same network.

Im just saying I only use AIM network. No need for MSN or Yahoo really.

Courtesy of bad coding and closed source - way to go MSN protocol. Your problems are uncommon, but have been seen by a number of people. One of the reasons I hate the MSN protocol, despite it becoming my primary one. :P

i really like what they are doing with live.com, at least they are coming up with stuff on their own rather than buying companies and calling that innovation (google).

as far as im's are concerned , having all the friends and family member on one client is almost impossible that is why trillian and miranda are the best im client out there, i love the fact they hav small mem. footprint.

i would love to see the reactions of google fan-boys once everything in live is out for public.

I agree, trillian is awesome. I do however have problems transfering files to people who aren't using trillian (say to someone using Yahoo). I haven't really researched this, so there might be a remedy, but I don't do a whole lot of file transfers anyway. Still it's awesome to be able to have aol, yahoo, msn, and iqc all connected and together in one window (and to be able to distinguish which people are on which network). Also there are tons of skins for trillian.

Proving the theory that people are stupid, and/or that people are sheep. MSN is just as bloated as ICQ, AIM, etc - it's only gained popularity through Windows Messenger's integration with XP (thus everyone recently joining the online population has signed up for an account).

As some have mentioned already, there are some far better clients out there - Trillian is one, although I prefer the minimalist Miranda instead.

If I want ads while I'm chatting, I'll turn on the damn TV.

i will disagree on that , i actually found yahoo lot more mem. hungry compared to msn, i don't use aol/icq so i hav no idea if they are bloated or not , but i have used other aol products and because of that i feel that it may be a resource hog.

Pay very close attention to these words: 6 months after release of Windows Live Messenger FINAL and more importantly Messenger Plus! Live FINAL (the very end of 2006 most likely), the gap between AIM and WLM (successor of MSNM) will be AT LEAST 10%. Together, WLM&MPL will kick the s*** out of AIM/Yahoo... Google Talk? Will never get off the ground. Let's wait and see now.

true true

I'm glad.

AIM ruined their client with boatloads of junk additional software and ads. AIM got just what was coming to them. That's what you get when you use hokey software and adware.

Nobody I know uses Yahoo! and even though Google and Skype are pretty good nobody I know uses them either.

ICQ used to be good but now they suck too.

There is really only one good IM client left. Windows Live Messenger. Trillian if you want a multi-IM client.

MSN is just as bloated as AIM, just not with the adware. MSN, AIM, Yahoo!, and all the other default IM clients sucks. That's why you use Miranda, or Trillian, etc.

everyone uses yahoo, some use msn...and the rest all use AIM...i speak for the united states of america

peace

LOL....

Nobody uses Yahoo bro.

I disagree.

Yahoo just recently got ads, they never had them before.

AIM is a huge turd bloat app.

At least with Windows Live Messenger you can have a video carousel, instead of ads.

Yahoo!, WLM, and ICQ have offline messaging. AIM does not (at least last time I checked).

ICQ was great until they were bought by AOL. When they were Mirabilis they kicked butt.

I dont think it was so much the ads as it was the following:

Adding those annoying WildTangent games.
Adding extra software like their fair-at-best AOL Toolbar, the unnecessary AOL Explorer and crappy WeatherBug (if the developer is reading this program is crap, enough said).
Adding that stupid security button.
Hiring JDennis (sellout who made DeadAIM)...

And most importantly:
Introducing Triton...a horribly interfaced bloated POS.

you find a few here and there who do.

I have 100% of my friends on AIM. But I use Yahoo with one or two of my friends on AIM to do stuff when it doesnt work on AIM due to firewalls and stuff.

YahooIM is big in Eastern Europe.

and asia

Windows® Messenger vs. MSN® Messenger: What is the difference?

Both Microsoft® Windows® Messenger and MSN® Messenger are client applications that are designed for use with Microsoft real-time communication servers and services.
The primary differences between them are the following:
Windows® Messenger is designed for use in a business environment. With a single application, you can communicate with contacts via your organization’s Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005 server, as well as with contacts that use MSN Messenger.
MSN® Messenger is designed for use in a consumer environment. It only connects to contacts, such as friends and family, who use the publicly available MSN .NET Messenger Service. Communications are not encrypted, as they are with Windows Messenger.
Windows Messenger and MSN Messenger have similar features such as whiteboard, file transfer, voice and video. However, in a business environment powered by Live Communications Server, Windows Messenger provides many important additional features to support security, cost savings and collaboration. Some of the additional end-user benefits of using Windows Messenger 5.1 at work include:
Easily adding a contact to your Contacts List by searching your e-mail’s Global Address Book, as well as by directly entering an e-mail alias.
Securely communicating with coworkers, with all IM text encrypted.
Securely sharing IM and presence information with someone in another company or organization, using the standard naming conventions of your corporate address book (using Live Communications Server 2005*).

Viewing coworker “presence”** information from within familiar Microsoft Office applications and Windows SharePoint Services. For example, by clicking on the pawn in an e-mail or on a SharePoint site you can:
Check a coworker’s office location and phone number
Create a meeting request
See the next free time on their calendar
Send them an instant message
If necessary, both client applications can co-exist on the same desktop computer without any application conflict issues. Thus you can use Windows Messenger to communicate with contacts at work, and MSN Messenger to communicate with friends and family

P.S. I didn't write this article, google (or yahoo search) for this document: WM vs MSN Messenger.doc

You can see for yourself. ITs on the MS website.

what does this have to do with this article? just curious

If you have to ask this question, is obvious you didn't read the rest of the posts. Maybe it wasn't intended for you, did you every think of that?

I personally don't use MSN but I do like how it is not weighed down by ads. (hint, hint.. AIM Triton, the 30 MB ad with bonus IM features)

the problem with this kind of survey is how it's conducted. My guess is that it will scan the internet for the protocols used and make a gestimate from that. What about people who use a single IM client like say Trillian or Miranda, Gaim and the likes. All these can use MSN protocls but are not using MSN. But I do agree with the Jabber mentioned by yokozuna as Jabber is a fully open source protcol. Google talk uses it.

Use MSN and google, more and more I'm using Google. I don't trust either, but oh well, I like their chat clients.

I wonder why the article doesn't even mention Jabber/XMPP. Believe me that there are some European countries (like Poland, where Jabber's popularity is huge and advocacy is strong, partially due to wp.pl - one of the most popular portals in the country and France, due to France Telecom-Orange-Wanadoo) where Jabber networks have very strong position. Google Talk also utililizes Jabber, and most users don't even know about it. I presume the poll discriminates the decentralised network.

icq rules!!!!!!
and trillian ofcorse

We all know why MSN Messenger became so popular.. as soon as girls found out about fancy stuff, colors, emoticons, they all started using it. Now, you know all the story. Guys started using it to keep in touch with girls..

I hate MSN Messenger. It's heavy, it's slow and it's quite limited. File transferts have improved a *bit*, but hey, we still don't have shell support for xferts. We don't even have a simple INFO box to keep an eye on file transferts. MSN Messenger doesn't even remember the last folder used, so you have to browse all the way back again.. There are so many basic functions that should be part of it but they don't care, they don't have to.

I call BS. Who uses MSN messenger anymore. i havent known anyone to use it in years, so i have a hard time beliveing this. MSN is more dated than yahoo or AIM.

You're kidding right?

I suppose it depends on your circle... If you use Yahoo!, chances are the folks you do most of your chatting with *gasp* use Yahoo! as well.

*shrug*

I work in support/administration and see a wide variety of IM apps. MSN IM seems to be the most commonly used in this area. Windows Messenger hardly at all, and AIM a very close second to MSN. Yahoo! is actually fighting hard with AIM here, lately...seeing more and more of them.

The others are hardly worth mentioning in terms of numbers. they're out there, they may or may not be better, but virtually no-one outside the tech crowd uses them.

I call ignorance. I use MSN Messenger for two separate accounts. My family uses it, my friends use it.

We gave up on AIM back on 5.2 when it began including crapware like Weatherbug and WildTangent.

You say it's "dated" and yet it offers all the same features and then some compared to AIM or YIM. It offers high quality audio and video conversations with the right hardware. It has less intrusion on your system and does not require special connectivity services and 3rd party software to operate. It offers MSN Search features, but it does not require them... AOL despite it's offer, installs them anyway (although some builds cooperatively do not activate them). All services offer games, but MSN does so natively without the use of a special program (as WildTangent's presence in AOL does).

I would argue that Yahoo's YIM is gaining quickly. It is favored by many people I know that use all three. But for now, I see AIM used heavily only because people's friends use it... and MSN is preferred from ease of use.

You are entitled to your opinion that it is inferior. However, you are entitled by your opinion to be wrong overall and still be right in your own little world, as am I.

I believe it is appropriate to use the service of preference and convenience, and refrain from simply bashing another product because of your own bias against a company.

Not by me. I hate the bloody thing.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

rijp, what have you said?. It's me who don't belive...what you're saying.YOU HAVE INSULTED US!. There're 300mill of Europeans (very clever Europeans) and about 40% of us have internet at home, and many more use it at work etc (I wonder what is the USA data,umm...probably 5?, being so elitist/capitalist!). That is a big amount of people. You will not find a single person using AIM here. I don't use MSN because I think Microsoft smells but everybody here does (figure out why...). I use Miranda IM to comunicate with my MSM buddy, but that is not common here, so AIM wins no battle here, despite it may does at USA. Outside EU or USA there is few IM users (basically money and developmental reasons) and most of them use MSM for the same reason EUs does. So, AIM doesn't win the battle.

rijp, what have you said?. It's me who don't belive...what you're saying.YOU HAVE INSULTED US!. There're 300mill of Europeans (very clever Europeans) and about 40% of us have internet at home, and many more use it at work etc (I wonder what is the USA data,umm...probably 5?, being so elitist/capitalist!). That is a big amount of people. You will not find a single person using AIM here. I don't use MSN because I think Microsoft smells but everybody here does (figure out why...). I use Miranda IM to comunicate with my MSM buddy, but that is not common here, so AIM wins no battle here, despite it may does at USA. Outside EU or USA there is few IM users (basically money and developmental reasons) and most of them use MSM for the same reason EUs does. So, AIM doesn't win the battle.

Are you trying to imply that only 5% of US homes have internet connections? Are you being serious? The US is the country with the highest amount of internet users in the world. Not only do more homes here have internet connections than Europe, our percentage of homes with broadband connections is higher than your percentage of homes with *any* type of internet connection.(45% vs. 40%).

YOYO. MSN rocks.

Actually, Yahoo! rocks..

Lies. Damned Lies.

*grinning*

Google Rocks.

Oh I forgot.. yes, Google Rocks. How can I be so blinded!

Google is the devil. ;)

Nate - I'm a little confused about how they differentiated between IM clients and users. Is it a correct statement that MSN Messenger is the most used client? I know a lot of people use the MSN Messenger network using third party clients, do they count as MSN Messenger client users?

If you are talking about Trillian, yes that counts. Its using the MSN/Windows IM network. that counts as a CLIENT.

The network (and its people) is all they care about, but I contend, MSN is NOT the most popular, I don't see how.

Everyone complains MS sucks, they are evil, Bill Gate$, M$, make up your mind. Either you people don't like MS or you do. You can't use their software, if you think they suck.

LOL, you're funny... don't you know by now that most people are hypocrites that whine about everything even though they continue to follow along anyway? :)

As it should be. Afterall, it comes preinstalled on ALL new computers and those sold in the last 4 years.

That statement is wrong Windows Messenger is installed on all XP machines not MSN Messenger. 2 very different programs.

You are splitting hairs. Its the same product..

It may not be MSN branded, but Windows Messenger/MSN Messenger, same thing. If you update with windows update, it will even upgrade the Windows messenger, and it will become MSN messenger..

They are both the same. The only difference is one has bloat, the other does not.
One is aimed at corporate users, the other is aimed at home users.

That's not true either.. This where lies start, you guys are just making stuff up.

Windows messenger is Windows. MSN messenger, you download from hotmail/msn site. THERE is *NO* difference between the 2.

One is branded MSN one is Branded as Windows, because its the default software. If you run Windows update, you will end up with MSN messenger, (if you choose to upgrade it).

One is not meant for home/corporate. There is no such thing. There is *1* messenger from Microsoft, it depends on WHEN you install windows, that dictates which version you are installing by default.

windows update, will upgrade them ALL to MSN Messenger.

*edit* 4/11 20.55

I was wrong. I publicly acknowledge I was wrong. There is a difference, they are not the same. I apologize. One is for Business, the other is for Consumer.

That is incorrect. It is impossible to upgrade Windows Messenger to MSN as they are two different pieces of software. Windows Update or Microsoft Update will NOT upgrade or even install MSN Messenger. The only way to get MSN is to download it from the web site. And even after you install MSN, you will still also have Windows Messenger on your computer. So you can run Windows Messenger and MSN Messenger at the same time on one computer if you have two different accounts.

Thanks, It is amazing how dumb people are.

It does not. MSN Messenger does not even do remote assistance it depends on Windows Messenger. So if they are both the same why does MSN Messenger depend on Windows Messenger? Can Windows Messenger send winks? All of you are most likely confusing Windows Live Messenger.

They are NOT the same from a client standpoint. It's like comparing Outlook Express and Outlook 2003. Windows Messenger is intended to be a lightweight client for introductory use. MSN Messenger is meant to be a fully-featured client. You are free to use either, or you are free to use neither. Neither is intended for home versus corporate use over the other.

You are correct about which is installed and how... however, as an FYI to those reading this, you can only run them both if you do not save your passwords, and do not auto-login. I believe there is a registry setting for the latest versions of each that allows them to use separate settings to overcome this limitation, but I don't have it documented, so I'd have to look it up.

I have the answer! MSN messenger is basically Windows Messenger. HOWEVER, the Messenger Service (go to Start -> Run... -> "services.msc" and click ok. Look for "Messenger") is something Admins have used since Windows NT 4.0 (perhaps earlier NT versions?) to send Administrative alerts to end-users, certain workstations, etc. This service, when enabled, is best demonstrated by the old "net send" command at a DOS prompt.

See my reply above--Windows Messenger in reality is a non-existant term used commonly to refer to the "Messenger" service I explain above.

I have been running both for a while no autologin, no reg hacks, both are run by them selfs.

So is Windows Messenger utitlizing the same libraries and functions as MSN messenger, or is it completely different?

OK, so you were correct. I was wrong.

Windows Messenger is for business, and MSN messenger is used for home users.

They are the same, however. Just different features.

Windows messenger is NOT introductory, its actually the other way around, MSN is the simplified version of WM. WM is way more powerful for business use. MSN isn't encrypted, and it can only be used to send to friends/family no integration with Office apps.

And as the WM vs MSN Messenger.doc shows, WM *IS* for Business MSN *IS* for Consumer/Home users.

He was right.

You are da man!

OK, I am probably one of the biggest MS fans, but even *I* have to question this one.

This MUST be BS. I think its AOL. There is *NO* way MSN Messenger is bigger than AOL. AOL has what, like 40 million maybe 60 million PAYING customers, and there are literally millions more than just download AIM? This is TOTAL BS.

I see many hundred, maybe thousands of client machines a week, I see 2 maybe 3 times more AIM than MSN..

All of Europe uses MSN. I mentioned AIM to my European friends and they don't know what I'm talking about.

Just proves my earlier point.. Europeans arent' exactly the sharpest knives in the drawer . . .

Did you say "AIM" or AOL Instant Messenger?

I still don't believe its the biggest messenger..

Besides, Europe still encompasses less than half of the world's IM crowd, and in the USA, I can pretty much GUARANTEE AIM is 75% of the market..

Add to that, my South American and Asian friends don't have a clue about AIM, but they do know what MSN messenger is and using it. In China, most everyone use QQ (similar to ICQ).

First off, Microsoft has more paying customers than AOL, and every copy of the Microsoft OS has Windows Messenger built-in. That is one of the reasons why Internet Explorer holds around 90% of the browser market.

It's good to see AOL is no longer king of the hill. Years ago, when all of the messenger companies were trying to make all messaging clients universal (communicate with each other), AOL kept that from happening. That is one of the reasons why I hate AOL.

How do you see thousands of client machines a week, anyway? Are you Superman? And if those client machines have Windows on them, then just about all of them have Windows Messenger on them, the only question is, are they using it.

BTW, it can be hard to detect Windows Messenger on a computer as there is only a tray icon which may be hidden, but if you have AOL or AIM installed, there is all kind of AOL crap spammed all over the computer making it impossible not to notice AOL/AIM is installed.

That hurt soooo much I am crying :'(
And why would we care about AMERICA ONLINE INSTANT MESSENGER!!! >;(

On EVERY new install, the first thing I do is KILL MSN/Windows messenger. I hate it.

LOL. AOL has no where near 60 milllion customers. They didn't even have half that at their peak. Right now they have somewhere between 18 and 21 million customers. AIM has an estimated 60 to 70 million customers, however. I personally don't know a single person who even has an MSN account...

I guess you don't.

AIM would have us believe they are taking over the world. Evidently I fell for the hype.

MSN messenger rules! (In Europe).

ripj:
just wondering ... do you HAVE A PASSPORT? Ever did? y'know ... those little blue books that allow to visit OTHER COUNTRIES APPART FROM YOUR OWN ?????
juuuuuust wondering .....

All of Europe uses MSN. I mentioned AIM to my European friends and they don't know what I'm talking about.

--------------------------------------
Gee, that's funny...I have friends in Dresden, Ulm, Berlin, Cologne and Munich and they use AIM to communicate with me.

I'd like to see the cross-tabulated results. I.e. those who use more than one client... Geez, I've got everything expect Yahoo! Messenger on my box... but even then I have it covered with Trillian if I ever need it.

No link to the article? C'mon, how was the measurement taken? Of the 100 MSN Users surveyed 100 of them used MSN?

Seriously guys why has gaim not been mentioned more. Generally America use AIM. Europe MSN. Eastern Europe Yahoo. Google is a rising star.
I use gaim because i have a couple of people that i meet on websites etc. that are on AIM or yahoo but the majority are on MSN. Seriously download gaim and cut all this Trillian crap. Seriously you have to pay for the full version.

Thats because 100 of them have Windowz installed. If you have XP it will constantly bug you to add your account to it.

I am an MSN (now Windows Live) Messenger user. Sure its got a lot of features, and sure it will slow down your computer if you have a really old computer, but i like the UI, i like the games, i like the winks and emoticons, and so on. All my friends used it in Canada, but when i moved to the US for college, all of my US friends used AIM. So now I have both on my computer. I still prefer MSN.

The new AIM Triton is just a copy of MSN, and it makes things run much slower than MSN. I am now stuck with an old non-triton version of AIM, because they don't offer the basic software anymore.

Yahoo just made a deal with Microsoft to be able to send messages between clients. Hopefully AIM does the same, so I can completely remove it from my computer and do everything from MSN!