IM is a realtime chatting system, not an email system.
An IM chat is typed on the keyboard and looks like this:
Quote:
Mark: Hello!
Smith: hey back
Mark: Did you hear about the new BlackBerry model?
Smith: What model?
Mark: The new model 7290.
Mark: That one has a much better screen!
Smith: Wow, is that the model with 32 megs?
Mark: Yep
Smith: I think I'll ditch my 6210 next month
Smith: I was unable to roam internationally with it
Mark: I agree, get rid of 6210. You'll also get Bluetooth too, and a 2-step backlight too
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If you are not into realtime chatting, then IM is not for you, and VeriChat is not for you.
VeriChat is simply a wireless version of Microsoft's own MSN Messenger / Windows Messenger / AOL's own AOL Instant Messenger / ICQ Messenger / Yahoo Instant Messenger.
Yes, the person must be connected to the IM network to get your message. But if they're connected, they see your message instantly -- like a text version of a telephone conversation! Can save money if you're roaming data.
But if you've never used IM before, you may want to get familiar with Microsoft Windows Messenger first. Click Start Menu, Windows Messenger, and set up an MSN account. Chat to your sister or coworker. If you like it, then get Verichat for the wireless version of the same experience.
You have to be familiar with how IM works.
Example: Many kids like to run IM all the time while they're doing homework. So if you see them signed on (you can often find out by running Microsoft Windows Messenger under Windows, or by running Verichat on BlackBerry), send a hello. If they respond within 3 seconds, that means they are at their computer.
Treat IM like a phone call.
- An IM contact being offline is the same thing as "no answer"
- An IM contact not responding to your "hello" is the same thing as "away from computer, I'll read your message later"
- An IM contact responding to your hello is the same thing as a live telephone conversation.
Use email when you they must read the message eventually.
Use IM when you want immediate realtime 2-way chat talk via keyboard.
Sometimes people prefer to chat by IM because it's easier to
talk to 3 people simultaneously at the same time. (Yes, you heard me right. People like me do that -- just by having 3 separate windows -- side-by-side) Or that it is easier to multitask or listen to music while chatting by keyboard. And because you can have 100 people logged onto your IM Buddy List, it becomes easier to co-ordiate events between friends if they are all logged on at the same time.
However, if you are not used to IM -- you might not like it. I use IM for business, for friends, for family, and for meeting new people online, including talking to forum members.
It's also a more anonymous way of making a phone call. For example, people often ask someone for their help, but don't want to give a phone number. Instead, they give an IM address and start a chat immediately. The IM address is easily disposable and blockable on one click, if something goes wrong. You can even create 100 IM addresses, and use them like disposable phone numbers if you want.
And roaming voice is usually more expensive than roaming data, so chatting by IM is usually cheaper than talking by telephone.
IM is very popular among the young generation rather than the older generation; however, I do use it a lot to talk to family members.
As a related note, also because I am hearing impaired, IM revolutionized deaf communications in North America during the late 1990s, and has made TDD/TTY's almost extinct except for calling businesses. Many deaf people no longer own TDD/TTY's (text telephones) because of Microsoft Messenger and because of places like AT&T
www.relaycall.com .... Just an interesting factoid!
