Here's what's in MSN Messenger 5.0:
- Block spam
Want to block instant messages from people you don’t know? MSN Messenger detects when a message is from someone who is not on your contact list and asks you if you want to accept the message or not. You decide who to let in and who to keep out. - Meet new friends with the MSN Member Directory
Search for people who share your interests or find long-lost friends in the MSN Member Directory. It is a great way to meet people online and then chat with them via MSN Messenger. - Stay current with MSN Today
MSN Today is a daily report of the latest news and information from MSN, customized for MSN Messenger customers. MSN Today gives you instant access to the My MSN page, Hotmail, MSN Search, and more.
This feature may not be available in all areas. - Browse the Web together
Use MSN Messenger to surf the Web with a friend who is across town or across the country. View the same Web page at the same time while you exchange instant messages or talk to each other.
This feature requires MSN8. - Find all your contacts in a single address book
My Address Book makes it easy to add friends from your MSN or Hotmail address book to your contact list in Messenger, and vice versa. Maintaining several different lists is now a thing of the past. - Help us improve MSN Messenger
You can influence the quality, reliability, and performance of MSN Messenger by joining the Customer Experience Improvement Program. Think of it as your chance to help design the next version of Messenger. - Help decide who your child talks to online
Parental Controls help you feel good about your child's online experience. A weekly e-mail report tells you how much time your child spent using MSN Messenger and who your child talked to.
This feature requires MSN8.
Windows Messenger 4.7 is very similar, but doesn't provide the newer MSN 8 features (which aren't free anyway).
Also, since you are an XP user, you can run both--even at the same time--if you use two .NET passports.
