Although there are a lot of instant messengers out there, possibilities are still limited, since it all comes down to just a few big names such as Microsoft (and its MSN Messenger), Yahoo!, Skype and a few others. Yahoo!, for instance, has one of the most popular instant messaging applications out there, with millions of people now using Yahoo! Messenger in every corner of the world.

Basically, Yahoo! Messenger is a software solution that allows users to send and receive messages via an Internet connection, but the application has evolved so much lately that it is now a lot more than that. It comes with built-in photo sharing, file transfer capability, video calling support, online gaming, skins and many others.

The setup process should not be too difficult when choosing the offline installer. If one goes for the file downloader provided by Yahoo, they need to remember to double check their options, because it might offer some changes to the browser and the default search engines.

Once the installation is complete, one simply needs to input their Yahoo! username and password, and they can start chatting. Those who get annoyed by the Yahoo! Insider window that pops out every time they log in can disable it using the Preferences menu.

Yahoo! Messenger’s interface relies on the same elements as all the other instant messaging apps out there. There is a contact list for viewing who is online, along with a few options for picking a status message or a user image (commonly referred to as an avatar).

Yahoo! Messenger 11.5.0.192

When opening a chat window, one can easily type messages, send files just by dragging them in the conversation window, share photos, start a video call, play a game and many other activities just with a single click. Furthermore, the latest versions also come with Facebook integration to track your contacts’ activity on the popular social network service.

All in all, Yahoo! Messenger remains a top choice in the instant messaging category and it is seriously worth a try for those looking for a free way to chat on the Internet.

Office is one of the best products ever released by Microsoft and it can even be considered as a must-have for millions of users out there. The Redmond-based software giant has continuously improved its Office suite, so it currently comes with a very attractive interface that keeps features a bit more organized, so that users can now benefit easier from its innovative functions.

Installing Microsoft Office might seem a little tricky, since there are a lot of tools bundled into the installation kit, so computer knowledge can come in handy when trying to deploy a fresh copy of the software. Also, copying all files usually takes a while, even in the case of fast computers, since there are a lot of files that need to be transferred on the hard disks.

Those who have not used an office suite before, be it Microsoft Office, Open Office or any other similar software, need to take the time to adjust to the interface. At the first glance, due to the well-known ribbon interface, the app might seem familiar.

However, upon further analysis, one can find components or functions with every mouse click, and this might seem confusing if users do not know exactly the tool they require. Experimenting with the suite is necessary to ensure smooth operation in the future.

Microsoft Office comes with several tools, as it follows: Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, Access, InfoPath, OneNote, Project, SharePoint Designer and Visio. Each of these can be installed separately or together with some other utilities that can make ease office work.

Microsoft Office 2010 14.0.6023.1000 Service Pack 1 / 2007 12.0.6612.1000 Service Pack 3

Excel is ideal for creating spreadsheets and keeping track of one"s finance, Outlook is the right tool to manage email, PowerPoint generates high-quality presentations, Word can be used to format and organize texts, Access is a database management system, InfoPath facilitates creation and distribution of electronic forms, whereas OneNote supports multi-user collaboration and Project, SharePoint Designer and Visio come in handy to developers.

All the functions of Microsoft Office can be tested through the 60-day trial period, and if the results are satisfactory, a license needs to be purchased.

Samsung is one of the top 5 mobile phone manufactures in the world. It sold 235 million handsets in 2009 and 280 million in 2010. Rest assured that not all of these mobile phones are smartphones and, as any respectable manufacturer, Samsung has developed management applications for users owning GSM mobile phones.

No matter if you want to synchronize contacts, calendar items or emails, transfer files or back up your data and even create and send text messages, Samsung PC Studio is the official program to use. It supports synchronization with most email clients out there, including Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Lotus Notes and Lotus Organizer, so it allows you to easily transfer your contacts between mobile phone and computer.

Samsung PC Studio is also a great and handy tool if you intend to install Java or Symbian apps on your phone. Just drag and drop the file you wish to copy on your handset and you’re ready to go. You can also rip audio CDs, create music files and copy music files directly on your mobile phone within a few clicks.

Unfortunately, the interface lacks the ease-of-use by laying icons in front of your eyes with no deive text. That expands the time span needed to get familiar with the application and this brings nothing but frustration from the user"s point of view. All functions are also listed under the “File” menu, but still, this isn’t the best interface a phone manager could receive.

Just like many other mobile phone suites out there, Samsung’s lets you connect the device to your PC using an USB cable, an infrared port, Bluetooth or a serial cable. You can easily create backups of your phone"s data for safe keeping or to transfer it to another phone, connect your PC to the Internet using your handset, play and convert multimedia files and also create wallpapers for your Samsung phone.

Samsung PC Studio"s Settings window refer to `Automatic conversion options` and Audio / Video conversion formats. You can choose from AAC and M4A as the default audio format and High / Medium or Low quality MP4 container files for the video side.

While not being the perfect app overall, Samsung PC Studio takes the edge off its competitors by providing the complete set of tools needed for the job. Nonetheless, if you are the owner of a Samsung GSM mobile phone, then this is a must-have.

Nokia PC Suite is an application designed to enable Nokia phone owners to transfer important files from the mobile phone to the computer and vice versa, but also to control some of the handheld"s features straight from the desktop.

The tool is supposed to provide some new functions to those who purchased a Nokia phone, including editing, backing up and synchronizing the files. Nokia PC Suite pretty much does that, as it is an easy to use application with a very pleasant and intuitive interface you should become accustomed with in a matter of minutes. 

All functions can be accessed from the main interface, as soon as the phone is successfully connected to the computer. There are four connectivity options available: Bluetooth, infrared, serial cable (CA-42) and USB cable, with the last one being the fastest.

At times, some connection problems may occur while trying to pair the mobile phone and the computer. Also file transfer or other functions of the application could become unavailable. If this occurs, your should disconnect the devices and try to establish a new connection.

The messaging function of Nokia PC Suite comes in quite handy since it allows you to write an SMS message on you computer and send it to someone in the address book. However, note that the message is not automatically transferred to the phone"s “Sent” menu.

The synchronization and backup features enable you to keep the important content stored on your Nokia phone safe and ready for a quick restore. You can sync notes, contacts and calendar and thus keep them up to date on both computer and mobile device.

Another very useful function you will find in Nokia PC Suite is the video viewing and conversion. You can use it to turn any movie into the video format supported by your Nokia phone.

Bundling a lot of powerful functions that allow you to effortlessly control and manage the content on your mobile phone, Nokia PC Suite offers a pleasant experience overall.