How to use Windows Messenger in Windows XP: I'm Retiring My Telephone
Published: July 9, 2001
By Barb Bowman, Windows XP Expert Zone Community Columnist
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My telephone is about to enter retirement.
My friends and family are going to stop calling me on the phone. No, I haven't angered everyone on the planet. I'm a convert to the Windows Messenger communications and application sharing platform that is debuting in Windows XP. It offers multimedia audio, video, and data real-time communications over the Internet, and it comes packaged in an easy to use, convenient, and consolidated control center.
Picture this: You're on an emergency business trip and it's your daughter's 3rd birthday and you don't have to totally miss the party. You can show up online to sing Happy Birthday. Do you want to introduce Mom and Dad to your new college roommate? Or do you just want to see your grandson and say hi because it's Tuesday night and you're thinking about him? This technology is for both special occasions and every day and it's one of the most exciting new features included in Windows XP. I'm certain Windows Messenger will change the way we communicate with friends, family, and co-workers.
Not Just a Pretty Face
There's a lot more to Windows Messenger than just the stunning video and the robust, crystal clear audio transmission. In addition to text-based instant messaging, Windows Messenger includes real-time application sharing, and file transfer. It is likely that this platform also will serve as a launch pad for online gaming that I can only begin to imagine. I'll discuss these other remarkable features in the near future. In this column, I'd like to share my excitement about the audio/video instant messaging technology that is astounding everyone who has the opportunity to use it.
 | Plug in your Web cam, microphone, and a headset if you have one, and get ready for a multimedia communications explosion. |  | |
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You'll want to open Windows Messenger and run the audio and video tuning wizard found on the Tools menu before starting your first audio/video chat. (If you forget, Windows Messenger will run it for you before initializing the first session.)
Getting Connected
First, you'll need a .NET Passport. (If you created one using a HotmailŪ account or MSN Messenger, you've got your Passport already.) And for now, you'll need a direct connection (including dial-up) to the Internet. If you don't have a direct connection, you can expect the following:
| • | If you're using Windows XP Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) to share a single connection to the Internet, with or without the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), Windows Messenger audio/video and file transfer should work transparently with no configuration needed. |
| • | If you're using a third-party firewall, you'll need to manually open ports and tweak your settings. |
Windows Messenger by default loads automatically in Windows XP, and displays an icon in the system tray near the clock. Just double click the icon to start the program and sign in. Once you've signed in with your Passport account, you can add friends and family to your contact list. (Be sure to encourage friends and family to sign up for a Passport account so they'll be ready for Windows Messenger.)
You can easily change the default behavior of Windows Messenger by selecting Tools, clicking Options, and then clicking the Preferences tab. From the Privacy tab, you can specify who can see your online status, who has added you to their contacts list, and who to block.
A Personal Phone and Connection tab let you fine tune other program settings.
Absolutely Incredible Video and Audio Real Time Messaging
Plug in your Web cam, microphone, and a headset if you have one, and get ready for a multimedia communications explosion. Windows Messenger has smart auto-detection. That means while you're online, it automatically controls the transmission of audio and video to suit the type of connection you are using. You won't have to worry about feedback from speakers if you don't have a headset because Windows Messenger's adaptive technology fixes this behind the scenes.
If you intend to make Windows Messenger your preferred and primary method of communications, you'll want to think about a headset. I made a $20 investment in a Labtec Clear Voice headset. While I could have spent more, I'm delighted with its performance on my ThinkPad laptop.
Getting started with your session is as easy as double clicking the contact name of the person you want to communicate with, and then clicking the Start camera button. (Both parties will need to be using Windows Messenger and have audio/video enabled on their computers.)
The person you invite to communicate can accept or decline, or you can cancel the invitation yourself. If you need to end the audio/video portion, click on Stop camera (or Stop microphone in an audio only session).
The sound quality in Windows Messenger is far better to me than ordinary copper wire telephone service, and the video quality is smooth and sharp. Gone are the days of stuttering, out of sync sound and herky-jerky video. In the screenshot above, my friend and fellow Windows XP beta tester Jerry is showing me his brand new Clear Voice desk microphone. In addition to my Labtec headset, I'm using an older Intel Create and Share USB Web cam and the picture clarity and video quality are incredible and smooth.
This is really a lot of fun!
I've been having a blast meeting fellow Microsoft beta testers, who have been just names in e-mail messages in the past, using video and audio messaging. And I can't wait to communicate with my friends and relatives using Windows Messenger. This feature will delight children and adults alike.
A Brave and Wonderful New World
We've come a long way in a short time. At the 1939 World's Fair, AT&T's first demonstration of long-distance telephone calls enchanted visitors. Fair-goers were awestruck and couldn't wait to use this new technology to keep in touch with distant family. At the 1964 World's Fair, IBM showcased a typewriter bar stocked with the first IBM Selectric typewriters and visitors stood in long lines to use these magical machines to type out postcards provided by IBM that were mailed to places very far away. And now, in 2001, Windows Messenger will arrive on the scene and be hailed as probably the most exciting new communications tool since the invention of the telephone.
In a future column, I'll showcase real-time application sharing that enables two people separated by multiple time zones and several continents to collaborate on projects easily. I will discuss how Windows Messenger empowers Remote Assistance users to get instant and immediate help. I'll also explain how the technology suite in Windows Messenger will soon be transparently usable behind residential Internet sharing NAT (Network Address Translation) devices thanks to the Universal Plug and Play standard and what Microsoft calls “NAT Transversal.”
Barb Bowman enjoys sharing her own experiences and insights into today's leading edge technologies. She is a product development manager for AT&T Broadband Internet Services, but her views here are strictly personal.
