Well we know that signing into Messenger has yet again been improved, however I want to know what it is like when I actually use it. I use Messenger half the time for talking and half the time it is just on, in the background while I surf the net or do some work. For this reason I want Messenger to run, or preferably jog without effecting my computer's performance.

Windows Live Messenger has a high system memory usage. It is a fact, some tales are worse than others, but essentially it's a hog of RAM. The public beta of 8.1 was simply awful in this field, I had to convert back to 8.0, it was simply ridiculous.

When using the new build today I think the issue may have been resolved. The new Windows Live Messenger uses more system memory than usual when you are chatting, but in the background, it's virtually non-existent. This small change of only firing Messenger up when it is needed now allows me to run more powerful programs without the risking of knowing my computer will become unbearably slow. I'm typically finding a 2MB RAM usage when Messenger is humming in the background.

I think I will look into this a bit more closely and see if what is happening to me is not just a coincidence. Please leave a comment if you are experiencing something similar.