Msn messenger is probably one of the best messenger services available on the web. It not only keeps you in touch with oyur buddies but allows you the flexibility of phone calls too. MY parents easily talk to me from india out here in US and the clarity of sound is amazing. I can also make long distance calls within US for free!! Its emoticons are lovely and so cute that I cant stop using them.
The only disadvantage with a microsoft product is that its not Linux compatible and so wont work on linux or other operating systems. Microsoft shud also work to make msn into a web based messenger, so that it can be opened on a web browser just like a web site.