Cash for some users of MSN Messenger

[bobbi]

REDMOND, Washington (AP) -- Microsoft has a secret weapon in helping it gain more users of its new MSN instant-messaging service: Cold, hard cash.

MSN, which is expected to release the finalized version of its MSN Messenger 6.0 program on Thursday, will run a promotion offering $1,000 in cash to 10 users each Friday, starting July 25.

The lottery will award $1,000 an hour from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT to randomly selected users. The weekly $10,000 giveaways will run for four Fridays, ending August 15.

Must be logged in to win
To qualify, people must fill out contest entries and upgrade to MSN Messenger 6.0. They also must be logged in to the service. MSN will notify the winners by instant messaging them.

This is not the first time MSN has run a cash giveaway promotion, but it is one of its largest, the company said.

MSN's newest version of Messenger supports video and allows users to send photos or play games against one another.

More customization
It also lets users personalize their messages and their screen backgrounds more by adding animated emoticons or "smileys," creating their own images and sending photos to friends.

According to figures submitted by competitor America Online to the Federal Communications Commission, Microsoft's service is the second most popular instant-message service, behind AOL's program and ahead of Yahoo!'s service.

 

[DarkDevil]

Naaah MSN is wayyy ahead of AIM... the only reason so many use AIM is because it is automatically installed with all AOL accounts. Although i guess its the same for MSN and Windows.

 

[bobbi]

I wouldn't mind winning $1,000 bucks for using MSN's program.[= I have downloaded the newest version of msn and I have to say that so far, I like it alot better than previous versions of it. You can change the background so that it's not just plain ole white, because after so long the white tends to give me headaches.
As for AIM, I never have used that program, I never could get it to install on my computer which I'm thankful for. I'm sure if I had used the AOL free internet cd's that they send in the mail, AIM would have installed it's self because it's on their free internet disk.

 

[deadserious]

I upgraded to MSN 6 is too and it's cool. :D I think msn messenger is the best one out there. I didn't even fill out the 1,000 dollar entry thing though.

 

[Alpha]

Yeah MSN Messenger is cool. I like the user pictures better than AOL.

 

[bobbi]

I don't know if those of you who have downloaded the newest version of MSN have noticed this or not, but now there is a game feature so that if you want to play a game with the person you are talking to, such as checkers you can. [= I just noticed this myself lol.

 

[DarkDevil]

yea, i've played the odd game of multiplayer minesweaper.

 

[T.Ferguson]

its ok i suppose if you are actualy 6

big divvie buttons ..and looks my first book of ABC's

 

[bobbi]

well it gives users something to do if they get bored, and myself I think it's pretty cool that they have fixed this version the way that they have.

 

[deadserious]

Cool, I didn't even notice the game features lol. That's a nice option to have. :D