~ An instant messaging program sends messages in real time. That is, you carry on a live text conversation with one or more people.

~ Instant messages are temporary. Unless you deliberately save them, they are gone when you close the conversation window.

~ Beyond sending and receiving messages, you might also be able to use Windows Messenger to call someone from your computer or to set up an online meeting—if you use Windows XP, you can also use Windows Messenger to share a program or use Whiteboard together. If you are in a corporation, the availability of these features might be controlled by your network administrator.