Instant Messaging With A Difference

As far as methods of communication go, instant messaging falls somewhere in between actually picking up the phone to speak to someone and sending them an email. Options such as the Windows Live Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger allow people to log on to their computers and chat live with anyone on their list who is also showing as being online.

It’s a system that has been embraced by friends, relatives, business clients and many other people alike, but the one disadvantage it has is that it requires you to be sitting at your computer. There hasn’t been any other way to use this technology – up until now.

You probably use your mobile phone for sending plenty of texts to your friends as well as to actually phone them, but there are handsets available now that allow you to indulge in some instant messaging as well.

Some of these phones – such as the Skypephone for example – allow you to enjoy the benefits of instant messaging for free, if the person you are talking to has the same phone or other Skype-enabled mobile device.

You might be wondering why instant messages are more appealing than texts. The fact is, when you send a text you have no way of knowing what the person you sent it to is doing, much less when or if they have picked it up. You simply have to wait for a reply.

Using an instant messaging system is very different. When you use the system on your computer you can instantly see who is online and available to read an instant message, who is offline, and who is showing as ‘away’ or ‘back soon’. This will give you an idea of whether you can send a message or not.

If you know the person you want to speak to is online, you will be far more likely to send them an instant message than try to text them as it will appear virtually straightaway on their phone. Texts can sometimes be delayed in getting through – and if the recipient’s inbox is full, that text may not even be received at all.

In this sense, a mobile phone which is capable of sending and receiving instant messages is more intelligent than a standard mobile. Although this kind of mobile messaging is still fairly new and unusual to us, as time goes by and they become more widespread, they will become more familiar to us and a bigger part of our everyday lives.

The possibilities of this kind of phone are promising. Business owners can now be more available to their clients at all times, even when they are not at their computer. Parents can get in touch with their children and chat even when they are out and about.

Families keep in touch via the internet

Moving abroad away from family and friends can be traumatic, leaving everything you’ve known and dealing with isolation from the rest of the family. Well, that’s how it used to be, but in this modern, globally orientated, technology-filled world, moving abroad is almost as easy as moving next door when it comes to keeping in touch.

Many will remember the moment in Star Trek when Captain Kirk stood on the Bridge of the Enterprise in front of a giant screen filled with the image of an alien on a nearby spaceship or planet, and spoke to them directly through the screen. Well, now you can do the same, simply using your computer and a webcam. Well, not exactly communicating with nearby extra-terrestrials, but at least you can talk to friends and family totally free of charge if you use the latest technology available on your PC.

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology combined with fast broadband has enabled, not only an internet revolution, but also a communication one. Now, computers can be used for so many more things than merely processing information, playing music, DVDs, and acting as a TV; it is also an effective and cheap communication tool and fast replacing the telephone as the primary means of communication in many households.

Indeed, thanks to the widespread roll-out of mega-fast broadband, it is possible to place video calls to just about anywhere in the world while sitting in front of your computer. Anyone who has moved abroad can easily be contacted via instant messenger and VoIP software; very handy if you or your folks have upped sticks and moved overseas. Leaving your family behind no longer means losing touch, so there is absolutely no reason to miss birthdays, anniversaries or other special occasions. Although a few years ago this form of communication could have been frustrating due to the number of calls dropped or that suffered from delay, the technology is now so much better it is instant; just like talking to someone over the garden fence!

So, if you live a long way from your family and you want a cheaper option to expensive phone calls, or even if you tried using messenger communication a couple of years ago and thought it wasn’t worth the effort, give it another go. You’ll be surprised at the quality of the calls and the images, especially if you link up to a professional quality webcam.