- GETTING ON LINE -

One of the hottest free "on-line" services available today is `video conferencing'.  All you need to get it working is a $2 mike, a PC Cam (saw a good one the other day at Circuit City for $4 - after rebate of course) and a free membership in a service that makes it possible.  What the services do for you is provide a free `pipe' through their message center to a friend that has access to the same service - and allows you to communicate by typed messages, voice, or video. 

The best known service that does this is Microsoft "NetMeeting" (actual `conference-in-progress' picture above) and the software program that does it comes in your "Windows" operating system.    However, I tried NetMeeting and found it pretty "user-unfriendly".  After several days of frustration, I contacted a couple of friends who recommended "Yahoo Messenger"!   I signed on as a Yahoo member, downloaded "YM" (both from www.yahoo.com), logged on, and night became day!  Their hookup is a "no-brainer" and their send/receive transmission quality (over a simple telephone line) is amazing.  The only setup problem I had was configuring my microphone (which you do from their "help" menu?) but after that, it's `talk to your friends in person" and have fun!!!!  Try it - you'll like it!