Barely a week after Microsoft introduced its beta of the updated Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! launches his bid.
Yahoo on Tuesday released Yahoo! Messenger 9.0, instant messaging application for Windows XP and Windows Vista system. Yahoo! Messenger 9.0 is an update to its instant messaging program like the beta of Windows Live is Windows Live Messenger 8.5, which introduced some enjoyable improvements that will appeal to those loyal to Yahoo. These include a redesigned interface with more skins, more space and an excellent ability to view images and videos in the conversation window.
Those who are familiar with the beta version of Yahoo Messenger 9.0, this final build contributes more conspicuous spam alerts and the ability to chat with friends directly from their Web site or online profile page.
A bolder, more spread-out display decorates Yahoo Messenger 9.0, complete with larger avatar thumbnails and room to read a contact’s status message. Also new, Yahoo now updates your status with your recent activity on Yahoo’s Buzz, Avatars, 360, or MyBlogLog — for example, when you change your avatar’s outfit. Those who cannot get used to the new spacing can revert to the familiar compact view.
Import Contacts in large quantities is another important feature launched on Yahoo! Messenger 9.0. The service, controlled by third-party operator TrueSwitch, searches your other IM, e-mail, and social networking accounts — including Outlook and Facebook — for friends that are also signed up on Yahoo IM. TrueSwitch will send requests on your behalf for friends to add you to their Messenger accounts, and you will have the option of inviting your unaffiliated contacts to join up with Yahoo.
As Windows Live Messenger beta, search bar to Yahoo! Messenger is faster while checking your list of instant messages and your address book from Yahoo! Another similarity is that the status field of Yahoo! Messenger supports links and emoticons.
Finally, Yahoo Messenger 9.0 highlights power users with an icon of a medal or crown placed next to their name (your choice) and rewards them with more avatar accessories and priority customer care.
Other modification includes new skins, including a dark theme, which you will find by selecting the button to the right of the Messenger logo. Windows Live Messenger beta took skins a step further with themes that incorporate background images; while some Windows Live scenes are very nice, Yahoo’s visual picker saves you an extra step when choosing a new look.
Undoubtedly, the main difference from the Yahoo Messenger 9.0 chat window looks a little more airbrushed than in version 8.1, but the biggest difference is also the best — is that it now can include maps, images, video players and public photos when a user or a friend drag a file ending in. Jpg, Gif, Png or. Bmp. It also allows you to comment on a photo or watch a video on YouTube without having to leave the IM window is a treat, and something no other instant messaging client currently offers.
While Windows Live Messenger beta can touts about its fun feature for mapping certain profile pictures to common emoticons (like happy, sad, and winking), being able to reference your IM window when you are chatting about a photo or video is more useful overall.
If you are a fan of emoticons, Yahoo’s new Messenger 9.0 adds six new expressions to version 8.1’s gallery, including a smiling head giving a thumbs-up and a little guy rocking out.
Yahoo! has taken note of the fact that spam has invaded the IM clients to make some alterations in Messenger 9.0; the company has added a button in the message window offline which allows the user to check the spam message without having to enter the site of Yahoo!
Pingbox is a brand-new feature in Yahoo Messenger that lets Web site owners and Yahoo visitors chat in real time. The administrator’s of a site, bloggers, eBay sellers or social networking buffs and so on for instance — can embed a Pingbox chat window in their site that communicates with your Yahoo Messenger application so you can chat in real time.
At the owner’s end, Pingboxes are highly customizable, with controls for controlling the message window’s look, for broadcasting a welcome message, and for shutting off any or all communication features if visitors’ pings grow too overwhelming. While chatting with site a visitor who is new, Yahoo has definitely brought weight to the service with their online Pingbox creation wizard.
That said — Yahoo Messenger 9.0 beta is not the only chat application making inroads. You might also want to compare it with Windows Live Messenger beta, the biggest IM network threat to Yahoo’s desktop messenger, or to Trillian, Digsby beta, or Pidgin — all competing desktop apps that also let you chat with friends on other networks.