MSN Messenger for Windows

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MSN Messenger (colloquialized as simply MSN), later re-branded as Windows Live Messenger was a cross-browser instant messaging client built by Microsoft for use on the Microsoft Messenger server. While having (at the time of its release) very poor compatibility with Yahoo! Messenger and other browser based instant messengers, it at least had reasonable compatibility with the Microsoft Internet Explorer web browser. In 2021, Windows Live Messenger was moved to Windows Vista and is now one of the most widely used free MSN/Vista clients. Although Microsoft has not issued an update to this client since its release, the software is still quite popular amongst current Windows Vista users. A recent update to MSN for the desktop version of MSN Messenger does not yet provide a way for the client to connect to Windows Live Messenger for online chat.

Another version of MSN Messenger, the Windows XP Home Edition, included a "Microsoft Now" feature that was available only to home computers running Windows XP. This feature provided Microsoft with a history of conversations that had been taken place in Microsoft Messenger since the user began using MSN Messenger. Microsoft made these conversations available to other users of MSN Messenger by means of a "list communication" feature. Basically, this meant that anyone who had previously communicated with the MSN user could request that the conversation be sent to them, even if they were not part of the MSN Messenger contact list. Microsoft quickly responded to criticism of this feature by issuing an update to MSN, which removed the ability for MSN Messenger users to send or receive unsolicited messages from anyone not on the MSN contact list.

In early 2021 Microsoft released MSN Messenger for the Apple iPhone. MSN Messenger for the iPhone has received mixed reviews, with many people praising the lack of ability for the iPhone to browse the internet as compared to the cell phone designed to run Microsoft Windows. Others, however, commented that it was nearly impossible to send emails while the iPhone was connected to MSN Messenger via the Bluetooth technology. Microsoft has yet to release its version of MSN for the Apple iPhone. The company is also working on a version of MSN for the Windows Mobile Blackberry.