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Yahoo Messenger Beta Takes On Skype

By Nate Mook | Published May 18, 2005, 2:11 PM

With Microsoft recently adding voice over IP capabilities to MSN Messenger and AOL readying a new AIM client with similar functionality, voice has become the new buzzword of IM. Yahoo has now joined the mix, launching a beta version of Yahoo Messenger 7, which hopes to capture some of the success enjoyed by Skype.

Extremely popular in Europe, Skype recently surpassed 100 million downloads and the company rolled out two premium features for voicemail and dialing standard telephones. Unlike Skype, however, Yahoo Messenger will focus on free PC-to-PC calling among buddy list contacts.

The company did not specify if it planned to add pay features into the VoIP service, but left the possibility open.

Yahoo Messenger 7.0 will offer drag-and-drop photo sharing that enables users to create slideshows in real time. The company said it decided to beef up Messenger's photo capabilities because 80 percent of file transfers made by users were images.

Following a similar approach taken by Microsoft with MSN Spaces, Yahoo Messenger will also keep users apprised of any changes to buddies' Yahoo 360 blogs. Other features include spam and virus protection, as well as an improved address book interface.

Yahoo Messenger 7.0 Beta may be downloaded via FileForum.

Comments

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frankie deckard
May 29, 2005 - 4:55 PM edited

why does my yahoo messenger show a alert and when i permite it and try to sign off of someone screen to click off it shuts my yahoo messenger down plz respond thank u

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kaju_badamz
May 28, 2005 - 10:47 AM edited

Why I am not getting messenger connection?

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jayw8583
May 26, 2005 - 6:46 PM edited

this program seems to work but its got megga bugs and glitches. if i have more than two ims open at the same time it always gives me an error message that says "yahoo messenger has encountered a problem and needs to close" and it closes out of the program. i dont know if this is something that you can fix or if it is just me pc which i dont think it is. If you have ne ideas how to stop this then please send me an email and let me know.

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mainak_sarcar
May 18, 2005 - 11:47 PM

Come on guys... Yahoo!! can never match the superb quality of Skype. And for PC to Phone calls its got to use some third party service.

Skype is the ruler and I have been using it extensively since I came to know about the app. I dumped Yahoo voice coz it was using an intermediate server to transfer voice.. Its not P2P voice chat. The sound quality is POOR..in Yahoo.

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AngeIDust
May 18, 2005 - 3:17 PM edited

*snore*

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Z_Man
May 18, 2005 - 7:52 PM edited

Yahoo can die!! I love skype!

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paps
May 19, 2005 - 11:32 PM

http://www.cuphone.com, it's as close to free pc to phone with Skype as you can get for now.

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