from
www.steampowered.com (this is where you should have gone first)
Once you've installed Steam, all of the following features are available on your desktop and while you're playing Steam games.
EASY AND FAST ACCESS TO GAMES
After installing Steam, you'll have instant access to Valve's full library of games. And when you choose one to play, you don't have to wait for the whole thing to download -- you can start playing in a matter of minutes.
AUTOMATIC UPDATES
Say goodbye to game patches forever--they're a thing of the past. Steam will keep all of its games up-to-date for as long as you want to keep playing them. No more hunting for download sites just to get up and running!
INSTANT MESSAGING, EVEN IN GAME
Keep in touch with your buddies through "Friends," Steam's instant-messenger. It even works while you or your friends are playing games -- you don't have to stop playing to communicate.
SERVER BROWSER - FIND YOUR FRIENDS' GAMES
Now it's incredibly easy to find a quality game server -- one that's fast, that's running your favorite game, and even one that has your friends already playing on it.
