Instant messaging (IM) on computers is like text messaging on mobile phones, but quicker and faster. You can use your computer keyboard to type messages, and they are usually delivered almost instantly. The drawback is you can only exchange instant messages with people while they are online.

There are several instant messaging programs, including ICQ ("I seek you"), Microsoft Messenger and Yahoo Messenger. The best is the one your friends use, if they do so. If not, choose the one where most of your friends have email addresses -probably Hotmail.

You should be able to find IM software that runs on your hardware. IM systems should support Palm and Windows CE or PocketPC handhelds, as well as Windows PCs and Macs. Even people with more unusual hardware and operating systems may be able to run a generic version written in Java.

I installed Yahoo's IM software, mainly because I use Yahoo's email, calendar, address book and briefcase services. However, all IM services are much the same.

Step by step

1) To install Yahoo messenger, go to the home page at http://im.yahoo.com/

2) Choose a version that will run on your hardware. In this case you can choose Windows, Apple Macintosh (OS 8.5), Unix (FreeBSD, GNU/Linux), Java (other Mac, Unix), Palm or Windows CE.

3) Click the link for Windows and a download screen appears. Read it and click on a button that says Start Download.

4) A standard File Download box appears. Click OK.

5) A standard Save As dialog box appears, to save the file to your hard drive: click Save. The Windows version is 2.26MB and will take a few minutes to arrive. When the download has finished, click Close.

6) Use Windows Explorer to go to the download directory and highlight the file ymsgr.exe, then double-click it. The Yahoo Messenger installation wizard will appear. Click Next and follow the directions. You will have to accept Yahoo's terms and conditions to proceed.

7) The installation wizard offers the option to add Yahoo Companion software, which adds features such as the ability to send messages from your browser. Uncheck the tick-box if you want to decline (I did).

8) The installation wizard puts Yahoo Messenger icons all over Windows, like a rash (see panel, left). When it has stopped, click Finish and the software will start.

9) Yahoo Messenger puts up a Welcome screen with a Getting Started box ("Pick something to do"), and a messaging console. If you do not know anything about instant messaging, read the Welcome screen's Getting Started box (Step 2, first selection). Otherwise, close this box: it is a waste of time.

10) Go to the Yahoo Messenger console. If you do not have a Yahoo mailbox, you will need to click the box marked Get a Yahoo ID. If you already use Yahoo mail, type in your email name and password. Other options let you log in automatically and log in "under Invisible Mode" so Messenger will always be running when you are online.

11) Log on and the messenger console changes to show a directory for your friends and a help system with Yahoo Helper. Double-click on Yahoo Helper and an instant message form will appear. Type Hello (or something) in the lower box and click Send. Congratulations: you have just sent an instant message. And since Yahoo Helper is an automated script, you should have received an instant reply.

That is all there is to instant messaging: you type things in the lower box, and hit Send, and so do your friends. A running log of all the messages appears in the upper box.

Of course, instant messaging is no fun if you have no one to chat with, so go back to the messaging console. This has four icons. Click on Chat if you want to join a chat-room: it will pop up an expanding tree of options from Ally McBeal (Entertainment & Arts, Television) to Voracious Vixens (Romance, Adult, Lesbian). If you find a room you fancy, highlight it and click the button labelled Go to Room.

This is the "light" side of chat. To see the dark side, click the tab marked User Rooms. These are chat rooms set up by individuals. If you do not fancy any of these, you can set up your own (click Create New Room).

The fourth icon on the messaging console is labelled Add, for Add a friend/group. Click this and a box pops up that lets you enter a friend's Yahoo ID or name or search for people you know. Adding them to your list of Friends, or a similar group, will make it easy to chat to them. On AOL, these are called "buddy lists".

Note that the messenger console has some small icons at the bottom. Click the one on the far right - a bell - for an overview of services. These include a calendar, stock prices, news and weather reports. Many IM programs can also be used to make voice calls over the internet, and Yahoo and Microsoft are adding video messaging. Yahoo uses the Net2phone service for voice calls.

Taming the messenger

Yahoo Messenger puts an icon on the desktop. Simply throw it in the bin. It puts a start-up icon in the System Tray: in Windows 98, select Start|Run, type msconfig in the box, and go to the Startup tab to uncheck it. It also puts an icon on the Start menu. To remove this, click Start and select Yahoo Messenger, right-click on it, then select Delete from the drop-down menu. Finally, it puts a Yahoo Messenger folder on the Start|Programs menu. You can put this somewhere rational - in a folder called Online Utilities, for example - by dragging it there. This folder contains an uninstaller if you want to get rid of Yahoo Messenger completely.