Greetings Dennis,
There are several differences, Most notably, MSN Messenger 6 has support for display
pictures, custom emoticons, has a different interface, etc. whereas Windows Messenger
supports SIP-based communications services, Exchange IM Server, etc. Which one you use is up
to you, and a matter of personal choice (and based upon your needs and likes), however one
thing to keep in mind, Windows Messenger must still be installed on Windows XP in order for
MSN Messenger to retain full functionality (Remote Assistance, Whiteboard, Application
Sharing, etc.).
MSN Messenger is centered around MSN technologies (Hotmail, MSN Member Profiles, MSN
Mobile, etc.) whereas Windows Messenger is centered around Windows technologies (Exchange
Server, Office Live Communications Server, Windows Netmeeting, etc.).
Both clients however can make use of Microsoft technologies, like the .NET Messenger service,
..NET Passport and .NET Alerts.
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - Windows Messenger/MSN Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources -
http://messenger.jonathankay.com