Everything you missed
- A real contact list with Online, Away, Busy and Appear Offline
- Personal messages next to your name, just like the old days
- Nudges that actually shake the window
- Classic emoticons — :) :P (Y) (L) — rendered the way nature intended
- Separate chat window per conversation, group chats, file sending
- "Contact has just signed in" toasts in the corner of your screen
Get a .NET Passport™ (just kidding — an account)
Download the messenger
Grab the desktop app, sign in with your account, and set this server's address as the Server field. The app keeps itself up to date.
Windows may show a SmartScreen warning (the app isn't SmartScreen-known yet) — choose "More info" → "Run anyway".