Well, if you haven't upgraded your existing MSN/Windows Live Messenger to the latest version, you're missing out!

MSN, or also known as Windows Live Messenger is back again with it's version 8.5. It has all the previous features of 7.5 as well as cool, new features like:

• Windows Live OneCare Family Safety

         
This feature allows you (the admin) to define user access to others, for example, your children. This way you are able to track your child's movements i.e. YOU approve or disapprove each new contact that they make, or whether they're allowed to use the messenger.

• Even talk to your Yahoo contacts!
  

         
The new Windows Live Messenger now enables you to talk to your contacts on Yahoo too! All you have to do is to add their e-mail addresses and you can see if they're online or offline and even share emoticons. The best part is that you can even send and receive messages while you appear to be offline. And if you really are offline, your contacts can still send you messages—you'll get them next time you log in.

There can be many more cool and useful features if you integrate it with the Messenger Plus! Live. You can alter your messenger skin to your preferred look or feel,  keep an organized history of your chat logs, custom emoticons and chat sounds and much more! 

Just one tip though. If you do decide to make the upgrade, BEFORE you do the upgrade, run and login to your MSN account. Then, visit this installation page and download the installer. Launch it and the process will automatically do everything for you – It'll detect your messenger, and upgrade it automatically on the fly. It might take some time though for the installation to complete, so just be patient!

And if you're really the nerdy, geeky type who wants to get inside Windows Messenger Live and its development, visit this site!