The most used computer mediated communication tools most likely include Skype and Windows Live Messenger. Both of these rely heavily on textual communication, and are therefore well suited for more detailed comparison.
Windows Live Messenger, formerly known as MSN Messenger, has more than 300 million users, and its first version was released in 1999. Messenger is mostly used to have private two-person conversations, though a feature to add more people to the same conversation is included. Messenger has many features, people can, for example, send files to each other and view pictures and videos, and have webcam conversations.
Skype was first released in 2003. Unlike Messenger, Skype was a voice call application at heart. People could make free phone calls to each other using Skype, and calling to traditional telephones was also possible via a debit-based account system. Skype has evolved into a multi-use application over the years, and has rivaled Messenger as an instant messaging system. Most features in Messenger are included in Skype as well.
However, technical solutions separate these two applications. Apparently Skype does not store conversations online, but in the users’ computers. This sometimes results in a problem: let’s take a conversation involving three people. One of them is offline, and the other two are having a text chat via Skype. These two people then go offline, and the third one comes online. Now, this person cannot see what the others have written, as she/he has no access to the conversation. It is updated only when someone involved in the conversation comes back online. On the other hand, Skype is better at storing conversations than Messenger and is therefore better suited for certain situations.
A feature in Messenger allows you to set yourself to be seen as being offline by every user, a particular user or a group of users. This is an interesting feature because it has some social aspects that should not be expected in these types of social contexts. It is clear that the feature is used to avoid having to chat with certain people, and I have to admit using it regularly.
All in all, Skype and Messenger are both well suited for textual communication, both having certain strengths and weaknesses. I use both of them daily, Messenger mainly for uninformal chatting with friends, and Skype for more important group conversations.
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Live_Messenger
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype
I have used Messenger for years but never the official client. I've mostly used Pidgin and Adium and in those the group chat hasn't been to most intuitive to initiate. I struggle almost every time I try to start a chat with more than one person but that could be partially explained by the fact that I have the need to do so pretty rarely. Nevertheless it seems to me that Messenger is mainly designed for one to one instead of group conversations.
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