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IM - Instant Messaging.

What is instant messaging?

While researching for my reviews, I came across this "What is instant messaging?" and it said this -

Instant messaging is the ability to exchange messages in real time with other people over the Internet. To send and receive instant messages, you need a connection to the Internet and instant messaging software.

The instant messaging software enables you to set up a list of contacts that also use the program. Once you set up this list, you can see who is online at a particular moment. If the person you want to talk to is online, you can begin a text, voice, or video conversation with them quickly and easily. If they are not online, you can still send a text message that they will receive when they login or leave them a voicemail.

I, personally, only use Windows Live Messenger. But I've been asked to write this article as a review of Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger and Skype. So I downloaded them all and signed up. All were easy enough to download I suppose, and it didn't take long at all. But when it came to signing up with Yahoo! Messenger, I had to be an American with an American zip code.. which I of course am not and do not have. Apparently you can go to their web site and sign up a different way, but I was told it's a dodgy way and so I decided not to bother with it. I do have a number of friends who I know use and enjoy Yahoo! Messenger, I don't know how much trouble they had getting an account but I guess the point is - It is do-able!

But for writing this review, in my opinion, downloading them and adding a contact to each of them, doesn't give me enough information about them to write a review. And seeming as well I've gotta write the review today, I don't have the time to use the other IM's over a period of time and get my own opinion on them all. So, I've Googled for other people's opinions and reviews.

The following is a list of applications I installed on Vista business 64 bit in the last 2 days (my must install list). These were all successful (after in some cases downloading the latest version).

• Office 2007
• Dreamweaver MX
• CuteFTP
• Firefox
• Windows Live - messenger, writer, live photo gallery
• Adobe Photoshop v7
• Adobe Reader
• Adobe Air
• MS Sync Toy 2
• Twhirl
• Yahoo Messenger
• Skype
• Winamp
• Streamripper for winamp
• DoPDF
• Azureus
• Batch Renamer
• Daemon tools
• DVD Fab HD Decryptor
• Java
• Irfanview
• Klite Codecs
• Lansafe (UPS monitoring software)
• Office live
• Picasa2
• Quickbooks
• Rescue Time
• VLC
• Winrar
• Nokia PC Suite

The following software would not install or doesn't work properly on Vista 64 bit.

• Power ISO 3
• Adobe pdf previewer in Outlook 2007
• Send to One Note doesn't work in Vista 64 (known issue)
• Clone CD

I am really enjoying coaching the kids. I have been coaching them now since February this year. We had been playing together on and off since December, and they asked me to be their coach.

It has been great researching the coaching skills for the drills and the skills I have been using for 20 years, and even more fun putting it together in a package for these kids.

I have between 10 and 15 kids turn up once a week for a full training session in a gym, and 5-6 of them come running with me on Monday night and then to a local half court for skills drills and some 3 on 3.

The really exhilarating thing is seeing them start to pick up skills. They are all nearly shooting correctly now (when none of them did before) and they can all attempt a layup with most of them making it around 30% of the time. Their field shooting is increasing slightly, to close to 20%. I want to get it closer to 40% if I can.