Facebook Messenger app now supports Windows XP and Vista

Facebook has launched the Facebook Messenger application for older version of Windows. The social networking service had officially unveiled the Facebook Messenger app for Windows early in March this year, but in a stinker to older Windows users, the messenger application was launched only for Windows 7. While Microsoft said that a version of the app for Windows Vista was in the works, there was absolutely no support for Windows XP users.

This means avid Facebook users still using the popular Windows XP and not-so-popular Windows Vista can now begin using the Facebook Messenger app on the desktop. The Facebook Messenger app allows Facebook users to chat with each other without needing to sign in to the Facebook website. The app allows you to accept new friend requests, and you can view when they are tagged in photos.

Now supports Windows XP and Vista

The messenger app is easy to use, sits in the system tray and lists all your friends; it pops up chat messages from your friends on the screen. Some other features include the ability to dock the window to sides of the Windows desktop. It appears that every major social networking site wants to have some presence on all major platforms - desktops and mobiles.

A couple of months back, Facebook Messenger for iOS and Android had integrated features to show you whether your message has been read, when someone is typing and where they might be typing from. The 'read receipts' that the Messenger app provides also specifies which people have read a group message. This feature was implemented so that when the user talks to someone in real life, they are able to give visual clues that they have received your message and are in the process of responding. The read receipts let you know if the recipient actually got your message, whether they missed them or whether they have just chosen not to respond.

In the last two years, Facebook users have been growing in India. The popular social network has been successfully attracting Indian users. Facebook also revealed that its user base in India has increased from 8 million in 2010 to 50 million now. Moreover, most of these Indian users access the social site from their mobile phones, which is compelling Facebook to rethink its business model for India. While in countries like the U.S., people started using the social site on their desktop and then moved to mobile phones, and users in India (including first time users) have been accessing the social site on their mobile phones. Facebook only recently launched its App Center in India. The launch came after the social networking giant's announcement about the App Center going global. App Center makes it easy to find apps through your friends, and gives apps another way to grow.