Yahoo Messenger is one of the most popular instant-messaging programs andit's easy to see why: a simple-to-use program supported by a massive onlinecommunity, and it's all free.

All you have to do is get yourself a Yahoo ID (by signing up for one at theYahooUK website) and download a very small installation program.

The set-up procedure is slightly confusing, as you are presented with severaldifferent options and it's not always obvious which ones to choose. The offer ofa free Yahoo email address, for example, may be appealing to some, but theset-up procedure also attempts to set your browser's homepage to Yahoo, whichmight annoy some users.

You have to make sure you remove the tick from the appropriate box if youdon't want this to happen. Once installed, you'll find evidence of the programeverywhere - your desktop, taskbar and quick launch bar will be littered withshortcuts and your web browser will have suddenly developed a whole new toolbar.These are all easily dealt with, but it feels a bit invasive.

The Messenger program itself works just like MSN, with the added bonus ofenormous, thriving chat rooms where you can talk to fellow webcam users as wellas your nearest and dearest.

The latest v10 preview ships with enhanced video calling as well as a builtin media player that will enable you to watch web videos and view photographswith friends.

Note that this is free, but supported by adverts.