MSN is no More - oh emm eff geez!

[RobW]

I had this submitted to my site recently:


"Yes, you did not misread the title, MSN Messenger is no more! The next version of MSN Messenger will no longer be called MSN Messenger 8 but will go under the name Windows Live Messenger 8.

Read on...

This report is from Mess.be:

timothy Says:

Now the first question that probably will rise to your mind is why?!?!:

To make a very long story short, Microsoft is re-branding its major sections. On one side you will have the MSN section, and the other hand you will have the Live section, consisting out of Office Live, Mail (previously hotmail) and Windows Live Messenger.

And your next question will probably be what ?!?:

Apart from the name change the butterfly will retire, and the new client is going to be even more integrated with Mail, Search, Media Player and Office. The user interface is also getting a make-over and is going to be much like the new mail look."



BLEH? Really? Is this official?

From the little browsing I've done on msn.com I'd say no, but why the fark would they need to change the name?



Bill: "You going on Windows Live Messenger tonight?"
Jim: "omtfg h4x't?"


Is this true, discuss, I am not the most sure of folk.

edit shmeddit:
Here's a picture of how crap it'll look:
http://downloads.mess.be/timothy/8/convo.jpg

Yet again it looks like they've grabbed the colour scheme by the neck and beat it about some with a butcher knife :\


Delete this if a thread on this has already been made plzthx.

[ozzy]

Terrible name, just dosnt have the flow that 'msn' has. I bet it is more commercial, and with more ads too. :\

[RobW]

Yeah, there's advertisements on the bottom of the window.

Silly.

Surely people will just use the eye-destroying huge search option anyway?

[JonathanEx]

Jonathan: oh ma laud msn is changing to have a lame name, and look worse n stuff!
Bacon: wtf? we're on google talk!
Jonathan: oh ok

Therefore, all I really think, is "hahah" to those who use it.

[Bisyss]

I wouldn't mind knowing what those icons next to the Minimize button are. But true, it does look incredibly ugly. :(

[Lewiji]

I wouldn't mind knowing what those icons next to the Minimize button are. But true, it does look incredibly ugly. :(

I believe they're nview options (nvidia driver features), dunno exactly what those specific buttons do but you can add buttons such as minimize to system tray, swap to second screen, that kind of thing.

[lostinabox]

ah man it looks lame and ive never actually used the search button

[Tiggs]

I thought the Microsoft live things were basically online versions of standard programs, which work alongside the standard versions but don't replace them.

e.g. You will have your standard version of office that will be just like it was, and you would have access to office live that is an online version which has adverts built in of a paid subscription to pay for it.


edit: This (http://news.com.com/Gates+Were+entering+live+era+of+software/2100-1016_3-5926237.html?tag=nl) article is where I read about it. Office live won't be replacing standard office, bit it doesn't say weather the standard parts of windows live will stay. I hope they do.

[argh]

This only matters if you actually update it right?

[TX_101]

Doesn't surprise me, they give these things a makeover every once in a while, but they may choose not to change it yet...

...I remember a few months back when microsoft said they were changing the name of DirectX to "Windows Graphics Foundation", then they changed their minds and decided just to call the next version DirectX 10 anyways ...

but whatever, Trillian ftw :D

[Nocashvalue]

May have something to do with team up avec yahoo.

[moovok]

So glad I use MSN version *stone age* and everyone else seems to have an upto date version :) It's easier and to be honest, I don't really want all the sparkly lights and gadgets I rarely use and it takes up space :)

So I won't be downloading this one, if this is true or whatnot..

[weeblizzle]

If that's the final look of the new "MSN", that's not cool...I love MSN messenger, and probably won't upgrade to that if they decide to release it. Looks pretty messy, heh.

[eleanor]

That's the fattest chat window EVAR.

[Quack]

So glad I use MSN version *stone age* and everyone else seems to have an upto date version :) It's easier and to be honest, I don't really want all the sparkly lights and gadgets I rarely use and it takes up space :)

So I won't be downloading this one, if this is true or whatnot..
The newer versions of MSN mess don't have to be complicated... If you patch the shit out of it you can have something as plain and simple as this;
http://img342.imageshack.us/img342/4490/msn1wr.png
http://img367.imageshack.us/img367/37/convo4mx.png

Which imo is far better than the proper msn 7.5 and a trillion times better than that shite one up there...

[Nicodemus]

Strange... I just updated to MSN Version 7.5 like two days ago. It looks the same as it always has, though for some reason there a bug that won't let you scroll up in your chat window. It's like the other person keeps talking and bumping you back down to the bottom, but they're not. If you try to scroll up, it just bounces. Other than that, it's the same, and I WON'T be "updating" to the new version. Yuck.

[Bewildebeast]

The paint bucket in the top right of the convo window in that shot suggests that the colours will be chanagable (guess confirmed - screenshot (http://downloads.mess.be/timothy/8/color.jpg)), so you'll be able to de-uglify it a bit. Those icons are hideous though, and whoever thought MASSIVE 60x60 buttons (I measured) for Send and Search would be a great idea should be taken outside and shot. Or given a good slapping, at the least.

That said, bear in mind it is a beta and things are likely to change. But if Google has taught them anything (and they should have), it should be to keep it simple, at least in terms of the interface. Make it as powerful as you want behind the scenes, that's great, just don't force a garish, overcrowded interface on the user.

[Sorcha]

@ everyone

And because they release Windows Live Messenger you're not going to continue using MSN 7.5? How?!

[Nicodemus]

Huh? I said I am going to continue to use MSN 7.5...

[argh]

I'm going to keep using 6.2......

[da-geezer]

I'm going to keep using 6.2......

3.6 was the best. No flanging around, just a nice lightweight chat client.

However, if you want to chat without all the fannying about with big boxes and windows and pictures and stuff, try IRC :p

[AngryPaul]

Strange... I just updated to MSN Version 7.5 like two days ago. It looks the same as it always has, though for some reason there a bug that won't let you scroll up in your chat window. It's like the other person keeps talking and bumping you back down to the bottom, but they're not. If you try to scroll up, it just bounces. Yuck.Yup. Annoying the fudge out of me that one - I keep having to Maximise the window and if it doesnt reach there its gone, I aint seeing it. So annoying. ¬_¬

I'll stick with MSN Mess instead thxuplz

[Angel@heart]

Strange... I just updated to MSN Version 7.5 like two days ago. It looks the same as it always has, though for some reason there a bug that won't let you scroll up in your chat window. It's like the other person keeps talking and bumping you back down to the bottom, but they're not. If you try to scroll up, it just bounces. Yuck.
That is sooo shitty. I get so annoyed when that happens and i end up closing the whole window which means i wouldn't be able to read what they wrote anyway!!! :rolleyes:
I like MSN as it is. Windows messenger is a crappy stupid version and i say boo to you! \o/

[Chavvy]

Who cares what happens to MSN?

Jeez go out and TALK to people once in a while :rolleyes:

[Angel@heart]

Who cares what happens to MSN?

Jeez go out and TALK to people once in a while :rolleyes:

I do! :ninja: no seriously i do..... :)

[da-geezer]

Windows messenger is a crappy stupid version and i say boo to you! \o/
hell no, that's probably the best incarnation of the chat client. No messing about, no fancy shiznit which don't work properly, and everyone's a winner.

These new Windows Live and Office Live things are starting to get annoying though.

btw chavvy, what are... people?? :nana:

[Chavvy]

Those things that point and laugh at you in the street Geez.

:D

[da-geezer]

oh them, I'm with you.

And there was me thinking they were jealous of my pink latex angel suit.

[Aquarium]

Who cares what happens to MSN?

Jeez go out and TALK to people once in a while :rolleyes:


Chavvy, you asked me to remind you when your chat meeting at Friendsforever.com was. About 15 minutes, might want to grab your toilet break now.

¬_¬

[Chavvy]

k, see you there.

[Aquarium]

i've been waiting for 20 mins ffs. hurry up, i have a game scheduled in 30 minutes!
[/joke backfired, attempt at making said backfire seem intentional by playing along further, somewhat ruined by this disclaimer. Kindly discard disclaimer]

pub lunch for me, rawr!

i win by default.

[Smartie]

Well, i guess i'm glad I stopped using MSN (about 2 years ago). I always did find it quite rubbish, and prefer yahoo messenger (and the games!)

[Beef Magic]

try IRC :p

I'd rather get cancer. IRC's like a chat room, only stuck in the dark ages! I can't believe people use that.

[Ouch!]

i just realised that as long as we don't download it, whats the problem?

MSN 4eva!!!!!!! (sorry about the text ness there, it was needed to make a point)

[Destrukto]

I'd rather get cancer. IRC's like a chat room, only stuck in the dark ages! I can't believe people use that.

Dark Ages are cool as any RPG player will attest to :)

[Arkwright]

*Arkright gains +12 chat exp. points.

126 more points and I'll go up a level and will be able to mine irony.

[Dyakson]

What the heck is MSN?

Viva le text message et le pub. Et le forum. (No, not this forum, I mean the various fora from the university societies I'm in.)

I haven't used MSN (or any other IM service) for approximately one year, and I didn't use it very much before then either.

I don't like the way Micro$oft is going, in the direction of online programs that you lease rather than purchase. Bill Gates predicts the demise of the DVD in favour of online pay-per-view movies, piped direct to your HDTV via the PC built into your house, or something equally unnerving. I like having my films on a piece of permanent media that belongs to me, with no recurring costs, no registration, no organisation tracking how much I watch each one and what trends I follow. Down with Microsoft, when people make enough useful stuff for Linux I'll go that way I think.

[Beef Magic]

Dark Ages are cool as any RPG player will attest to :)

I'm down with RPG's, but this is the REAL world, with kilograms and cigerettes.

[Jay]

Erm...yeah I don't really think its that bad...

[lostinabox]

I'm down with RPG's, but this is the REAL world, with kilograms and cigerettes.

pah i spit on your cigarettes when i have dwarven ale and gold pieces the world is mine

[Lewiji]

I'm not sure if you'll be able to use standard MSN anymore...If they're teaming up with Yahoo, chances are they're gonna have a server re-jig, and maybe even a protocol change, meaning current versions of MSN messenger won't be able to connect to the servers, and even if you hacked it to do so, wouldn't be able to communicate with them.

Besides, it's actually MSNM, MSN just means Microsoft Network which is their server complex ;) [/pedant]

[Cerberus]

Meh whatever, I don't like MSN anymore anyway, now I find it boring, but the live thing looks strange.

[LeoZ]

I'm sure everyone will still call it msn...

edit: besides, I do not plan on installing it anyway.

[Mozzer]

It's Microsoft. It's a chat program. It looks similar.

LeoZ wins.

[Alien O]

www.msgshit.com for anybody that actually wants it

http://img451.imageshack.us/img451/7140/msn83jc.th.png (http://img451.imageshack.us/my.php?image=msn83jc.png)

It's very cluttered :(

[Jay]

Werent you band a while back? Under the name of Jack Barber (or something like that) for begging for money to be a ninja?

[Alien O]

Nope, apparently my notes say something like that though XD

[Mozzer]

You can only sign in when you e-mail is verified by Microsofts Beta testing programm!
Typos aside, how did you get on that Beta list? :p

Oh and shouldn't this be in Techy Bollocks?

[Alien O]

Ah well I'm not on the beta but I got on using some nice, legal methods

[Lewiji]

Nope, apparently my notes say something like that though XD

(yes he's jackS)

[Jay]

Yeah I guessed as hes still on my msn list blocked...due to begging for money...*le sigh*

[StupidCatOfDoom]

This is why I use GAIM...it might be complicated and look so snazzy, but at least I can sign in on Yahoo, AIM (I know, I shuddered when I typed it too), GMail, various IRC servers AND MSN...and it uses less memory than MSNM does, too. So what if I don't have webcam? They'll probably make a plugin for webcams somewhere.

MSN Messenger = Resource-eating bastad (at least, for people with only 512mb of memory like me, who run source dedicated servers)

[RobW]

Typos aside, how did you get on that Beta list? :p

Oh and shouldn't this be in Techy Bollocks?


I personally don't like it there because people will think there's something wrong with that stupid Rob's computer again and ignore it. Plus most people tend to go here more.

I'm going to get it, most people will anyway. As Quack said you can customize it to that.


From my site:
The feature list :

* Change of Messenger Skins
* Real-time Emotions
* Messenger Built Internal Windows Media Player 10 * Pause/Resumed File Transfers (File Blocked Extension Applied)
* Detailed File Transfer (Download/Upload Speed)
* Animated Display Pictures (.gif .jpg .png (File Support under Consideration))
* Mood Status
* Faster Contact List Loading and scrolling
* Public Profile and MSN Spaces Combined
* More MSN Space features
* New Hotmail and MSN Messenger Integration
* Downloadable MSN Messenger on Mobile
* News Updates according to Location
* Top 10 MSN Music Radio
* New Stylish Notifier Pop-up
* Downloadable Skins for MSN (Contact Window & Conversation Window)
* Complete Integration with Windows XP® & Windows Vista® Codename: Longhorn®
* Offline Voice/Message Machine
* Animated Buddy Icon Helper
* Display Picture Ratings


Pretty cool stuff they're doing to it and you don't have to use it so I don't know why everyone's not getting it.

[Lewiji]

I don't know why everyone's not getting it.

Could it be because it just incorporates more useless, CPU hogging crap that noone wants to use except 12 year old girls that annoys the crap out of everyone who's half sensible and forces them to use a 3rd party client to use their shoddy protocol because most of the contacts on your list have the brain of 12 year old girls?

Just me? Okay.

[the architect]

I wouldn't mind knowing what those icons next to the Minimize button are. But true, it does look incredibly ugly. :(

I believe they're nview options (nvidia driver features), dunno exactly what those specific buttons do but you can add buttons such as minimize to system tray, swap to second screen, that kind of thing.

Nope... that just shows that whoever took the screenshot is using dual monitors. there's a program out called UltraMon which allows the taskbar to be extended across both monitors... it also adds in the buttons. the left one will maximize the window across both monitors. the right one will switch the window in it's current size to the same location on the other monitor

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/4365/wordup1vu.th.png (http://img14.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wordup1vu.png)

This is my PC as of typing

[RobW]

True but I'm sure a very professional, at times that is, company like Microsoft would make it so some people can disable these options.

If I don't find it as customizable as I want it's going but I'm downloading it anyway and the annoying preteens probably won't find out until a week after its release but I'd like a mood-changing option thing. Hopefully there's an option that makes it say "if you think yourself as a rather small or non existant importance to robdubya[at]gmail.com then please do not talk to him, go outside and build a treehouse instead".

[Lewiji]

Well...nview does exactly the same thing, and since it's a process already takes up less system resources :p

[Jay]

So, is it downloadable yet?

[DangerMouse]

It's only a bleeding name lads, get a grip

[Tiggs]

Does anyone feel like sending me the patch for messenger 8? It's not letting me sign on and I seem to keep on getting a corrupted file off the site

[Thomp]

So "MSN 8" is available now?

Ok... just after MSN 7 came out too... stupid idea

[Tiggs]

Its not actually available, its not even in public beta yet. It's just a leaked version that is wondering around at the moment.

After talking to some of my friends who have gotten it working, I think I'm going to give it a miss. MSN 8 managed to loose 170 contacts form one of my friends contact lists, and people have been having loads of other problems.

I think I'll wait for a proper version at least.

[esquilax]

I think I'll wait for a proper version at least.

Wise decision. The point of beta is to search out problems and put them right for the final version. Anyone who has downloaded it and has problems only has themselves to blame

[Drattigan]

I probably would get Windows Live. May turn out to be really something.

But the thing is. I'm using a shared computer... and I don't want it to start messing about with Microsoft Office, saying things about my MSN account. I'm just a bit paranoid is all.

[RobW]

I'm not getting it until it's through the BETA stages and is trustworthy and reliable, I'm not losing all my contacts or anything.

[esquilax]

You could always save them if you're worried about it....but you have the better idea

[Perks]

Hmm, I'm certainly glad I'm now using Trillian...

[redheat]

I suspect the name change is more than just a coincidence with Microsoft bringing the messenger client in line with their vision of the future regarding it's Xbox Live service and the impending release of it's Xbox 360, as that boasts massivly about online community stuff, including interoperability with MSN. :)