For younger people, who grew up with instant-messaging programs, e-mail will often lead to an instant-message exchange (or several), followed by a meeting; those over 30 tend to prefer the phone.

Audiovox has included Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser, Outlook and instant-messaging programs for surfing the Web or sending messages.

Odigo produces an instant-messaging program, and the partnership will allow them to package their software and market them to corporate clients.

Software for sending voice is plugged into text-based instant-messaging programs like Yahoo Messenger.

Hackers can also trick the user and exploit security holes in instant-messaging programs.

An antivirus program can check for infected documents passed along by the file transfer feature in many instant-messaging programs.

The program has become a must-have accessory, as essential at some high schools as AIM, the instant-messaging program, or iTunes, the digital music program.

Q. Can the instant-messaging program with the new Macintosh system connect with America Online's user network?

The interface, for PC's only, mimics e-mail and instant-messaging programs; the reader opens and reads each character's messages in sequence.

Some users hold out ICQ, one of the earliest instant-messaging programs, as an example: The service, they say, has become plagued with unsolicited and often pornographic messages.