Chapter 25: Internet Conferencing with Windows Messenger and NetMeeting

Chapter Introduction

Windows XP comes with two programs for chatting and conferencing over the Internet:

• Windows Messenger lets you instantly communicate with anyone else online who is also using Windows Messenger. Microsoft has included audio and video features to its basic text chat capabilities, so Windows Messenger completely replaces Microsoft Chat and largely replaces NetMeeting.
• Microsoft NetMeeting lets you use the Internet as a long-distance phone service, including videoconferencing, typed chat, and even sharing programs over the Internet. Microsoft isn't updating NetMeeting any more, so the main reason to use it is to converse with other people who have NetMeeting but not Windows Messenger.

This chapter describes how to use both programs. You can download other Internet chat and conferencing programs from the Internet itself; Chapter 26 tells you how.