Why two different messengers, MSN and Windows Messenger?

[Peter Sale]

I'm running Windows Messenger Version 4.7 (4.7.2009) under Windows XP Professional. A couple of days ago I was suffering a problem while attempting to request Remote Assistance, something you can do either via Windows Messenger or email. I searched through the appropriate Microsoft newsgroups, and it looked like the solution to my problem was to "upgrade" to Messenger v5. Well it turns out that was MSN Messenger v5, not Windows Messenger v5.

Well, I may or may not have resolved my problem with Remote Assistance (without installing MSN Messenger v5), but now I'm very curious why Microsoft has two different Messengers?

--
Regards,

Peter Sale
Santa Monica, CA USA
To email me, just pull 'my-leg.'

 

[Jonathan Kay [MVP]]

Greetings Peter,

Well, they both perform different functions. 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 if you're simply using the most basic functionality, connecting to the public .NET
Messegner service) and a matter of personal choice. 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.).
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - Windows Messenger/MSN Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
All posts unless otherwise specified are (c) 2004 Jonathan Kay.
You *must* contact me for redistribution rights.

I'm running Windows Messenger Version 4.7 (4.7.2009) under Windows XP Professional. A couple
of days ago I was suffering a problem while attempting to request Remote Assistance,
something you can do either via Windows Messenger or email. I searched through the
appropriate Microsoft newsgroups, and it looked like the solution to my problem was to
"upgrade" to Messenger v5. Well it turns out that was MSN Messenger v5, not Windows
Messenger v5.

Well, I may or may not have resolved my problem with Remote Assistance (without installing
MSN Messenger v5), but now I'm very curious why Microsoft has two different Messengers?

--
Regards,

Peter Sale
Santa Monica, CA USA
To email me, just pull 'my-leg.'

 

[Lindsay]

Windows Messenger is just for XP. If you want to talk to some one using
Windows 98 you need MSN messenger.

I'm running Windows Messenger Version 4.7 (4.7.2009) under Windows XP
Professional. A couple of days ago I was suffering a problem while
attempting to request Remote Assistance, something you can do either via
Windows Messenger or email. I searched through the appropriate Microsoft
newsgroups, and it looked like the solution to my problem was to "upgrade"
to Messenger v5. Well it turns out that was MSN Messenger v5, not Windows
Messenger v5.

Well, I may or may not have resolved my problem with Remote Assistance
(without installing MSN Messenger v5), but now I'm very curious why
Microsoft has two different Messengers?

--
Regards,

Peter Sale
Santa Monica, CA USA
To email me, just pull 'my-leg.'

 

[Peter Sale]

Hi Jonathan,
Thanks for the quick reply.

So, which Messenger, MSN version 6 (or v5) or Windows Messenger version 4.7,
will give me the most reliable connections for Remote Assistance sessions,
especially if my PC is behind a NAT Wireless Broadband Router? And yes, I
know that I need to forward port 3389 on my router.

--
Regards,

Peter Sale
Santa Monica, CA USA
To email me, just pull 'my-leg.'

 

[Phil]

There is a windows messenger version 5 as well as 4.7 and also msn messenger version 6. MSN is "prettier" and fancier, more used by people who IM alot(kids for instance). Windows messenger 5 lets you connect to exchange servers or sip users. Windows messenger 4.7 does not. Windows messenger only works on xp, msn messenger works on other windows os's.

 

[Jonathan Kay [MVP]]

Hi Peter,

As long as the router supports Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), you shouldn't have to forward
anything. But regardless, the functionality for this feature is basically the same
regardless of what client you're using with the exception that Windows Messenger must be at
least installed for the feature in MSN Messenger to work.
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - Windows Messenger/MSN Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
All posts unless otherwise specified are (c) 2004 Jonathan Kay.
You *must* contact me for redistribution rights.

 

[Andrew McDonald]

Windows Messenger is just for XP. If you want to talk to some one using
Windows 98 you need MSN messenger.

That's not true. AFAIK WM 5 can be installed on Windows 2000. And either way you can talk to people
on Windows 98 using WM - MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger both connect to the same network.

Andrew

 

[Alex Nichol]

I'm running Windows Messenger Version 4.7 (4.7.2009) under Windows XP Professional. A couple of days ago I was suffering a problem while attempting to request Remote Assistance, something you can do either via Windows Messenger or email. I searched through the appropriate Microsoft newsgroups, and it looked like the solution to my problem was to "upgrade" to Messenger v5. Well it turns out that was MSN Messenger v5, not Windows Messenger v5.

They are two different products, produced by separate groups in
Microsoft, MSN having extra bells, whistles and eye candy aimed at the
user of MSN. It is too easy to get the wrong upgrade. Uninstall the
MSN one (in Add/Remove programs) and get the Windows Messenger upgrade
at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/messenger/

 

[Licantrop0]

Jonathan Kay [MVP] wrote:

[cut]

And why microsoft do not collapse all the features in a single
application?
It is very irritating to have TWO messenger in the tray icon.
(ok, ok... you can disable windows messenger, but...)

 

[Jonathan Kay [MVP]]

Hi,

Quite simply because different product teams own the separate products and there is no
specific "Messenger" group which produces all the Messenger versions. In fact, there's more
than just MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger.. you have MSN Messenger team within MSN (for
the public .NET Messenger network), then the Windows Messenger team primarily for the Office
Live Communications Server, then the Mac group doing their own Messenger client, the Mobile
group doing a client for the PocketPC, and the list goes on..
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - MSN Messenger/Windows Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
All posts unless otherwise specified are (c) 2004 Jonathan Kay.
You *must* contact me for redistribution rights.

 

[Licantrop0]

Quite simply because different product teams own the separate
products and there is no specific "Messenger" group which produces
all the Messenger versions.

Ok, i understand.
So: why the MSN Messenger Team do not disable (or hide)
automatically Windows Messenger?

 

[Jonathan Kay [MVP]]

Hi,

Well Windows Messenger's ability to function is required for the Whiteboard, Application
Sharing and Remote Assistance capability in MSN Messenger (simply because of how the
individual components were written), so disabling it is somewhat out of the question.

Some people also like to use both...
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - MSN Messenger/Windows Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
All posts unless otherwise specified are (c) 2004 Jonathan Kay.
You *must* contact me for redistribution rights.

 

[Licantrop0]

Well Windows Messenger's ability to function is required for the
Whiteboard, Application Sharing and Remote Assistance capability in
MSN Messenger (simply because of how the individual components were
written), so disabling it is somewhat out of the question.

Infact I suggested (also) to hide it from the tray icon and the start menu
or to prevent the startup-load and outlook-load automatically during
MSN Messenger Install.

Some people also like to use both...

What kind of... MSN Messenger is all that is Windows Messenger and
a lot more, you may know better than me!

 

[Jonathan Kay [MVP]]

Hi,

MSN Messenger is not a replacement for Windows Messenger; Windows Messenger can do lots of
things that MSN Messenger cannot including it's main feature of connecting to Live
Communications Server (it's primary purpose).

I'm not going to say that the current Messenger situation isn't a mess, because it is but it
will be cleaned up in the future.
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - MSN Messenger/Windows Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
All posts unless otherwise specified are (c) 2004 Jonathan Kay.
You *must* contact me for redistribution rights.

 

[Licantrop0]

MSN Messenger is not a replacement for Windows Messenger; Windows
Messenger can do lots of things that MSN Messenger cannot including
it's main feature of connecting to Live Communications Server (it's
primary purpose).

ahhh... live communication!
ok, I had not made attention of that thing, I'm sorry!

I'm not going to say that the current Messenger situation isn't a
mess, because it is but it will be cleaned up in the future.

oh, ok! I wanted to know only this

 

[Jonathan Kay [MVP]]

No problem =)
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - MSN Messenger/Windows Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
All posts unless otherwise specified are (c) 2004 Jonathan Kay.
You *must* contact me for redistribution rights.

 

[Peter Sale]

So which Messenger is most likely to provide reliable Remote Assistance
connections?
--
Regards,

Peter Sale
Santa Monica, CA USA
To email me, just pull 'my-leg.'

...

 

[Peter Sale]

Hi Alex,
I surfed on over to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/messenger/. I
downloaded WM, but it was only WM 4.7 (4.7.2009 to be precise). There was
no WM v5.0.

--
Regards,

Peter Sale
Santa Monica, CA USA
To email me, just pull 'my-leg.'

Professional. A couple of days ago I was suffering a problem while
attempting to request Remote Assistance, something you can do either via
Windows Messenger or email. I searched through the appropriate Microsoft
newsgroups, and it looked like the solution to my problem was to "upgrade"
to Messenger v5. Well it turns out that was MSN Messenger v5, not Windows
Messenger v5.

 

[Jonathan Kay [MVP]]

Hi Peter,

Remote Assistance in both applications are identical with the notable exception being that
you must have Windows Messenger installed in order for the feature to work in MSN Messenger.
____________________________________________
Jonathan Kay
Microsoft MVP - MSN Messenger/Windows Messenger
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/
Messenger Resources - http://messenger.jonathankay.com
All posts unless otherwise specified are (c) 2004 Jonathan Kay.
You *must* contact me for redistribution rights.

 

[Kelly]

Nice tip, Jonathan. I didn't realize that. )