I have had Windows Vista since the launch and although I adore the visual interface and many of the new tweaks and enhancements, I am desperately searching for true Vista applications that take advantage of this new 3D design. It seems that the possibilities are quite immense, yet the willingness for developers to embrace it running at a snails pace.

Yahoo! however are in the fast lane as they have now released a new beta version of their messenger application exclusively for the Windows Vista operating system. This is not the first beta version, but it now features voice functionality.

Every step of the way, Yahoo! Messenger beta for Windows Vista has a fresh distinctive design. There will be those who say this is more of a gimmick, however I would respond to any critique by just personally experiencing the delight of the entire process from logging in, having a conversation and logging off.

Just like Windows Vista, it is the little things that impress you the most. The easy colour changing, tabbed conversations and voice conversations that make your avatar react as you speak, which makes the whole messaging process a joy once more. Skype has really taken over my life with voice conversations and I hardly ever get into a text chat situation, however Yahoo! Messenger has at least perked up my interest again in this almost forgotten area of communication in my life.

For those who use Windows Live Messenger (MSN), you can of course continue to add contacts within Yahoo! Messenger from this friends list. There appears to be no easy import option (get in touch if you know how!), however you can add a contact one by one if you require a larger list of friends.

It is no wonder Microsoft are so interested in Yahoo! if they continue to bring out applications like this especially when Windows Live Messenger plods along with very little interface enhancements designed for Vista. Although progress is fairly slow with Yahoo! Messenger, the transformation visually is huge and functionality robust enough to enjoy some truly fascinating developments.