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Windows Messenger vs. MSN Messenger

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by Greg Shultz 2 views

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Does anyone have a viewpoint they'd like to share on this topic?

Windows XP's Windows Messenger is now up to version 4.7 and is basically the same as the version that originally came with operationg system .

The stand-alone product, MSN Messenger, is at version 6.0 and is literally packed with awesome features not present in Windows Messenger.

Why is it that the messenger service that comes with Microsoft's flagship operating system product is so bland when compared to the stand-alone product that can be installed in Windows 98?

Is there some fundamental difference in Windows Messenger that prevents it from supporting the same features found in MSN Messenger?

It appears that you can download and install MSN Messenger 6.0 in Windows XP, but what effect does that have on Windows Messenger? What effect does it have on the operating system?

Would you recommend ditching Windows Messenger in favor of MSN Messenger?

4 replies

by nebit

I personally think the reason the two are different is because Microsoft intended for the Windows Messenger client to interact with Exchange 2000 for messaging tasks. These deployments are usually done in large organizations who do not want to have the added features which come in MSN Messenger 6.0 . For example the easy access to games through the application.

by suresh sitaula

I have been using MSN Messenger 6.2 with Windows XP with great success. I first installed it forgetting that it was the setup I kept for Win98 installation.

By the time I remembered that the MSN Messenger I installed was meant for Win9x/Me, I had been using it for quite sometime, without any effects on the system (OS or Windows Messenger).

Furthermore, I have found that these two Messengers can very much coexist in peace and harmony (yeah, without rivalry of any sort). The benefit of installing both messengers is that one can log onto two Passport accounts at once, a task which normally requires third-party executables known as Multi-Messengers.

So, if one has a system running WinXP, there should be no problem installing and using MSN Messenger 6.2 made for Win9x/Me, and I indeed recommend it for signing in to two passport accounts at a time.

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