RSSCan Yahoo! Messenger 9 Topple AIM?
By Nate Mook | Published October 30, 2007, 10:31 PM
Yahoo on Tuesday rolled out a beta version of Yahoo! Messenger 9.0, cleaning up the client's user interface and making it easier to call contacts and send text messages. But more interesting is news that Yahoo! Messenger saw its user base grow 19% over the past year, which pulls it closer to overtaking AOL in the US.
AOL, which owns both AIM and ICQ, has dominated instant messaging for a decade, but both Yahoo and Microsoft have chipped away at AOL's lead, taking advantage of the company's dial-up business collapse that left AIM largely stagnant. MSN -- now Windows Live Messenger -- counts the most users worldwide, but AIM still reigns supreme in the United States.
However, in the past year AOL only saw a 2% growth in IM, bringing its user base to 30.2 million, according to comScore. Yahoo's reach in the United States topped 27.7 million users in September. Worldwide, Yahoo saw 30% growth to 94.3 million users, which can be attributed to new languages of its software.
The release of Yahoo! Messenger 9 could put the company on top in the United States if the new interface is well received. Yahoo has added new emoticons and skinnable backgrounds, while at the same time reducing the "bloat" found in previous versions. Hovering over a contact now offers three options: IM, Call and SMS.
Beneath the surface are a number of attractive changes as well. Media sharing capabilities have been expanded, and Yahoo has raised the file transfer limit to 2GB per file. Objects can now also be embedded directly in the message window, include videos, photo slideshows from Flickr and even online maps. The company has dubbed this a "media player" directly in the chat window.
Like in recent offerings from AOL and Microsoft, calling features play a bigger role in Yahoo! Messenger 9. Users can forward incoming calls made via Messenger to a standard phone number, forward incoming IM's to a mobile device and send text messages to contacts. But consumer adoption of such features has been slow; more users care about new emoticons.
With Yahoo phasing out its 360 social network, it's likely that Messenger will play a central role in linking up the company's various Web services. Microsoft relies heavily on Windows Live Messenger for the same purpose, pointing users to Spaces, search and more. This is pushing Yahoo to release more frequent updates to its client, and expand its market reach. Version 9.0 comes in six additional languages, numbering 25 in total.
Still, AOL isn't backing away from the fight and has renewed its focus on AIM after a couple years of testing the waters with its Triton client. AIM version 6.5 -- released earlier this month -- introduced a modern user interface, tabbed message windows, text messaging and buddy status messages. While it has failed to expand much internationally, AOL has been able to retain the lead at home, which gives it a leg up against competitors - even if AIM's a little late to the party.
I'M ADDICTED TO VILLE VALO!
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|I use Pidgin, so Yahoo Messenger 9 doesn't really matter to me. The thing that does matter is that their network is over run by f***ing bots.
I use those services to find people to interact with, but I have to wade through all of the bogus accounts which is really tedious.
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|http://wwwl.meebo.com/
There ya go fellas, now stop FIGHTING!!, ah and for FIREFOX users, there's a plugin of this too =)
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|Whoever bundles voip with their IM will win the war.
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|Dissapointed with Yahoo Messenger 9, it only provides a slick new GUI apart from that its still the same crapware, i think its only going to benefit Vista users, the startup dialog of it was a huge dissapointment why they had to stick with the dumb yahoo smiley i dont know, Yahoo needs to start listening to its Users
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|I tried this version 9, and wasn't really impressed. While it looks 'pretty' I didn't see any huge improvement. They say its smaller, but not being a power user type, I didn't see much advantage. I went back to version 8.1, and will probably stay with it. I didn't like the greyed out names, for friends that don't have pictures. Other than that it functions pretty much the same.
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|I use MSN, because most people I know is on MSN and AIM, again because I know a few people on AIM, but since I can message people on YAhoo using MSN, no need to use Yahoo messenger,, which to be honest is not very good.
As much as I hate to say it, but Windows live messenger leaves the rest far far behind, as works well on voice and video, the others don't
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|Miranda IM Uses them all, and no ads in the way. Thats all I meant. so why would it matter either way whos IM client you use, when you can use 1 that has all of them in it... It just makes since to me.. I guess others like seeing advertisements and popups in their IMs. I don't Thats why Miranda IM is for me. sorry if that offends. I was just saying.
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|I haven't used Miranda IM in a while, but the problem with the do-it-all messengers is you cut the audio/video features with all of them. So yeah, you can do basic stuff like chatting, file transfer, and MAYBE direct connect (on AIM), but you lose out on the more advanced features. Also, Miranda IM (as it comes) is the ugliest, plainest piece of software I've seen since the Windows 3.1 era.
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|Are you kidding? On the contrary, with Custom Skin, Miranda IM is the BEST looking IM client. Please check Miranda Theme page: http://addons.miranda-im...ction=display&id=82 or Mirandat Skin on DeviantArt: http://browse.deviantart...zation/skins/im/miranda/
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|Pretty slick looking client, especially if you switch from the default lavendel or what that is to blue.
I don't IM anymore though. Either I mail, use a cell phone or Skype.
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|The only time I have ever known anyone who used Yahoo Messenger was when I interned at Yahoo.
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|I love some of the idiots below who mock the people that are still using AIM. I'll give you one great reason that fits me and millions of others out there.... I have close to 200 people on my buddy list. If I were to switch to yahoo messenger or windows live, I'd probably have 0 people on my buddy list. But hey, lemme switch to the other messenger clients because they're nicer... then I can sit there and send IMs to myself.
I also must imagine that these numbers might be completely skewed by the fact that anyone who has a yahoo email account is now also considered a yahoo messenger user. I have a yahoo account for email, but you'll never see me using the messenger feature (even though it annoyingly logs me in everytime I try to check my mail).
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|The rest of us have fewer friends/contacts, but they are very, very good friends.
gtalk FTW!
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|in the 90' everyone was AOL. now if you use AOL, you like a alien or something. some people don't even know what AOL. When I think of AOL I think of spyware/ad-ware and dial-up.
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|are you confused? AOL does not equal AIM. Yes, AIM is made by AOL, but it is not the AOL client from the 90s. N o one uses AOL anymore, but AIM is BY FAR the dominant IM client.
Again, I highly suggest checking out AIM Ad Hack. It's the full AIM client, but with all bloat/crapware removed.
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|I want this messenger that Yahoo promised..
http://messenger.yahoo.com/windowsvista.php
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|Probably still on the drawing board. They usually bring out the more popular os first and then work on lesser ones. The yahoo you are referring to is vista exclusive.
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|Crashes on startup in Vista.
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|AIM Ad Hack is the best AIM around. It is updated as often as AIM itself is updated. No ads, no "AIM Today", no WildTangent, etc... It also has a ton of 3rd party options available for install but deselected by default for super-clean installation.
Every AIM user should try AIM Ad Hack. It actually kept me from dumping AIM.
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|Actually I just left yahoo for good since my account got compromised and I can no longer access it or remember my secret question/answer crap. Moving towards Jabber anyhow.
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|When will Windows IMs rival iChat features?
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|I would love iChat for Windows, especially now that I have iChat 4 as part of Leopard on my MacBook.
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|Any IM client is better than AIM, as far as software goes. Unfortunately, people these days are mindless idiots who blindly follow anything that's popular instead of anything of quality (i.e. Mac Users, AIM Users, and people who actually think that "more government" is the perfect way to solve the "government sucks" issue).
I have an AIM account, but I use Trillian as my client. I only use it to appease some family and friends who insist on AIM, and I assure you I hate every moment of using it.
Otherwise, I'm on Yahoo and Windows Live all the time, both of which are pretty fantastic clients and networks.
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|Does it matter? Doesn't most people use Miranda IM anyway? So why should it matter what IM system is the leader if Miranda links them all together the way they should be anyway? I will never understand this You got one so i got to get one too to compete, when both are the same GD thing... Except MSN decided to make a FEATURE of slowing down file transfers direct IP to a crawl for whatever Dumb a** logic reason they had. So instead of sending a 2 mb file to a buddy in a matter of secs, it take 20 mins?? DUMB!
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|"Doesn't most people use Miranda IM anyway?"
No, most people don't use Miranda IM. Most people use the IM clients from AOL, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo. Then the next most popular is probably Trillian and Pidgin (Gaim).
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|For "most people" Miranda, Trillian, and Pidgin aren't even a blip on the radar.
For myself, I couldn't use Miranda even if I wanted to since it only works with Windows. Well, unless I could get it to run on Wine. So my pick is Pidgin or Kopete.
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|AIM is the ONLY thing AOL has. Seriously, for you AO-H(ELL) users, other then the email and AIM what do you use on AOL?
Enough Said!
Instant messaging is a way of life now, weather it's on a PC or sending a Text on your Cell. IM Program / Devices will always be used, you just have to pick the medium.
Overall, there is no winner or loser here, they will all get used. Some simply more than others.
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|Every single last person I use uses AIM and then uses Yahoo! just for than one random friend that wants to be different. Honestly I'll never use Yahoo! unless all my friends start thinking radically differently. I don't blame them, either... changing IM stinks (plus I can't stand having yahoo annoy me every time I get an e-mail that is spam. Horrible on that service!
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|The only thing aim has going for it is AIM lite. http://x.aim.com/laim/
I prefer lite clients like that and Google talk. The interfaces aren't bad either. Things need to be simple and clean, with pretty effects...kinda like Apple's stuff.
You know what ever happened to Yahoo Messenger Vista edition?
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|At least AIM can more easily display a greater number of built-in webcams that Yahoo can. If Yahoo can overcome this disparity, it could be the death knell for AIM. My brand-new HP Pavilion notebook webcam is not supported by Yahoo, and still not in the newest beta. AIM has supported it flawlessly, as does Skype.
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