Yahoo! Messsenger 6.0

Introduction

Yahoo! Messenger 6.0 was the first "All new" Yahoo! Messenger to be released, with fancy new skins and audibles, which have set the standard for the new releases. Below is the original review I wrote after it had completed beta testing. Most of the features apply to the latest version too.

Yahoo! Messenger 7.0

Yahoo! Messenger 7.0 is the latest stable release of Yahoo! Messenger. You can find the review of Yahoo! Messenger 7.0 on the Yahoo! Messenger 7.0 Page.

Yahoo! Messenger 7.5

Yahoo! Messenger 7.5 is the latest beta version, with more complete VoIP features!

The Test Platform

Yahoo! Messenger 6.0 was tested on the following:
Windows XP Professional
768MB Ram
AMD Athlon XP 1600+(1.4ghz) Processor
56KBits (46.666 actual) internet connection

The Requirements

Before you wonder why a feature isn't working:
You MUST have Internet Explorer 5.0 or greated installed.
For Avatars & Audibles you must have the Macromedia Flash player installed.
For Games you must have a Java Virtual Machine installed.

Download

Yahoo! Messenger 6.0 is obtained by clicking the "Download Now" button at http://messenger.yahoo.com
. Depending on customisations (see below) the installation will be about 5MB, which according to the install is 12 minutes on a dial-up connection. This is Very optimistic, and I would recommend setting at least 30 minutes aside for the download.
    
With this version, Yahoo! Toolbar is automatically selected under the "Typical" installation. I highly recommend people use the custom as in the third image above, because the Yahoo! Toolbar causes people many problems, but it is up to you.
The downloader is, in my opinion, very very bad. They've improved the installation in terms of information, and the graphics you see, but don't expect to follow it! As soon as the installation starts, it will appear to freeze, it wont show on your task bar, and attempts to bring it to the front of you windows will result in a windows "Not Responding" message. Ignore this message, it's not responding, but it is still downloading. I would say this happens on medium range graphics cards with generous amounts of RAM, you'd probably need the latest Graphics card to follow this installer!
It's worth noting too, the installer itsself takes about an extra 2 minutes to download.

What the new Messenger boasts

A brief look at what Yahoo! boast in this messenger:
Integrated Launch Cast radio - Listen to Yahoo! Launch Cast while chatting to friends, even let them know what you're listening to via your status message!
Inegrated Yahoo! Games - Play your favourite Yahoo! games vs your buddies!
Avatars - Create a personal avatar - share your mood, style and personality with your buddies!
Audibles - Characters that talk, further agument your ability to express yourself.
Integrated Address Book - combine all your IM Buddies, Phone Numbers and Email Addresses into Messenger.
Stealth - Choose who sees you online, and who doesn't! If you want to avoid someone, but talk to another person, the perfect feature.
And as always, More smileys!
For the technical among us: New version of the protocol, YMSG12.

Improved Interface

The Main Screen

As can be seen to the left, the structure has changed a little, the interface looks nicer. Less of the square buttons and the old dodgy smiley faces representing online/offline!
The two tabs at the top of the screen permit to switch between the Buddy list (shown left) and the address book. The address book will appear in place of the buddy list when selected.
The tabs at the bottom open up in a small window at the bottom of the messenger screen.
One thing I have noticed is that the Buddy list cannot be minimised from the size it appears (left). It will grow but not shrink. What this means is to any 800*600 resolution users, it's going to use most of the screen height!

Integrated Launchcast

This feature allows you to listen to a Yahoo! LaunchCast station whilst carrying out your normal messaging tasks. As can be seen to the left, the volume controls are present at the bottom, you simply select a station, your internet connection speed will be tested, you will be connected to the station and you can be listening within minutes!
A point worth noting here is when choosing a station, if you've never used LaunchCast before, is that stations with a + image to the left are part of the "plus" service for LaunchCast, and require you to pay!
Your Yahoo! Messenger status is automatically changed to the name of the artist and the song currently being played. This is of course optional, simply click options to change how or if its displayed.
See below for noted problems with LaunchCast.

Integrated Yahoo! Games

By clicking the games (Die) Icon, you can choose to play either a single player or multiplayer game.
Single player games will launch in a browser window, multiplayer selection launches as an Instant Message with an extension for the game. This allows you to IM with the buddy you are playing, whilst playing the game. (Similar to MSN Messenger :-p ).
Right now, there are currently 5 multiplayer games available: Dominoes, PearlHunter, Checkers, Chess and Word Racer.
These games are Java powered, and hence require a Java Virtual Machine to operate.
See Here for this in action.

Stealth

So you have a 100 buddies, but some of them just nag and nag, and you don't want to remove them or ignore them, but you wish they would give you a break.
You could just tell them, but the Stealth mode allows you to appear offline to selected buddies.
If you right click on a buddies ID, and select "Stealth Options" you may choose how that user sees you. Don't want them to talk to you? Simply choose "Permanently Offline"! You can reverse this just as easy, and appear online! You may still talk to your buddy, but you will be warned that you are blowing your cover.

The Instant Messange Window. ROFL smiley and Avatar

Avatars

The bottom right of the Instant Message box is now reserved for showing a display image. This can be an image from your PC, or alterntiavely an Avatar.
Avatars allow you to create your own little image of yourself to express current mood and expression.
To create an avatar is simple, simply choose that option, and you will be taken to a browser with Yahoo!'s avatar builder. Try on a few things, choose what to wear, choose your skin colour, hair style, eye colour and save!
This can be observed in the IM window to the right.
Your avatar will also be shown to other users in place of the smiley face on the buddy list! (Messenger>>Change My Display Image...>>"Show My Yahoo! Avatar in Other people's Messenger Lists").
If you don't want to play with Avatars, or if you don't have the Flash Player, you can use a display image instead.

Audibles

Audibles in action.

New Smileys

	=((
	#:-S
	=))
	L-)
	<:-P
	:-SS
	:-w
	:-<
	>:P
	>:/
	;))
	:-@
	^:)^
	:-j
	(*)

Add-Ons - No Ads, Y!Tunnel, Smileys, Emotion Creator

NoAds works perfectly.
Y!Tunnel made changes during the Beta stage and should work.
Replacement smileys will need to be edited for the release of Messenger 6.0 because file names have changed.
Smiley Utility works.
Emotion Creator works perfectly.

Some How-Tos

From the LaunchCast box, click the "options" link. Now simply select how, or not to display the LaunchCast information.

You can only play games, share avatars etc... with those on Yahoo! Messenger 6.0. Click Contacts, Search Yahoo! Member Directoy. And tick the box "Only users who use Yahoo! Messenger".

Click on your avatar/display image, and untick the share box.

Click the little Blue head icon. If deselected, the avatar wont show on YOUR screen. It will still show on theirs.

Lost your emotions? They've taken away the button, use View>>Emotions List.

Zone Alarm's ad blocker will block Animated gifs. You need to disable this option.
Open Zone Alarm, Select Privacy. On the main tab under ad blocking, click custom.
On the ad blocking tab, untick the box "ads to block" under animation.

Norton will block Launchcast over a string used in the scripts. To attempt to unblock this, for both the akamai.net and yahoo.com entries in the Norton Advanced Ad Blocker settings, you will need to add, and select the permit option for the string: /ad.
Open your Norton Product, click the options/tools menus if you see one. Then click the Ad blocker. Select Configure. Then select Advanced. On the left, you see a list of URLs. Select the akamai.net one first. On the right, click the "Ad Blocking" tab. Now click Add... In the box, type /ad. and click the permit option. Click OK. Repeat for Yahoo.com. Alternatively, disable the ad blocker while you wish to use LaunchCast.

See OUR skinning basics page!

Some Conclusions

This is by no means a complete test of Messenger 6.0, but a short review for people who may be wondering.
It would appear much work has gone into this Messenger, it looks different than all previous versions(although the classic skin is available) and like MSN Messenger, you can play games while IMing, you can have custom avatars or display images by your IM and Integrating the LaunchCast is ideal for those who frequently use it.

Yahoo! have really become image happy with this version, and this can be noted in slow response times, and sometimes when using the fancy new skins such as Indigo, the odd button or status bar will appear in the classic grey style.