Yahoo! Messenger

Yahoo Messenger 9 lets you send instant messages to family and friends from your computer and helps you recreate the fun you once had playing online.

If you grew up in the late 1990s and early 2000s, you probably remember using similar messaging systems. These systems let you set an away message, share emoticons, and chat with people from around the world. As more people started using cell phones, the popularity of these programs faded away. Yahoo users still love messaging with others which is why the company continues releasing new versions of its classic messaging system.

Yahoo Messenger 9 is easy to use. If you have a Yahoo email account, the program will automatically use your saved contacts and make a list of people you can chat with online. You also have the option of searching for users by location or by a specific user name. With a web cam connected to your computer, you can video chat with your contacts and with others you meet online, but you can also send standard instant messages back and forth.

It also comes with lots of features you can customize. You can let the program come on automatically when you turn on your computer or only when you click the icon on your desktop, and you can decide whether you want the program to save your user name and password or if you enter that information each time you launch it.

Yahoo Messenger 9 also comes with an activities manager that lets you play games and do other activities online. You can play chess, dominoes, checkers, or even backgammon with people from all around the world. If you have a microphone attached to your computer, you can even make voice calls online.

Some of the problems you remember about older editions still exist today. Installing the program can take up to an hour or more, and it comes with a lot of added programs that can slow down your computer. Once you launch Yahoo Messenger 9, you'll also notice ads running in the background that you cannot turn off. There are also ads that pop up as soon as you launch the program that you'll need to turn off to see the messaging screen. Yahoo Messenger 9 is a solid chat program though, and it might reduce the number of text messages you send every day.

Pros:

• Syncs your email contacts to your messenger contacts
• Lets you make phone calls with an attached microphone
• Allows web cam users to video chat
• Provides easy access to popular Yahoo games like checkers and chess
• Helps you stay connected with others and make new friends

Cons:

• Installation takes too long
• Comes with both background and pop up ads
• Requires you to have an existing Yahoo account before using it
• May contain adware or unwanted toolbars
• Not as many people use the program today