A new feature list is out, is Messenger stealing Plus! ideas?



A new feature list is out, is Messenger stealing Plus! ideas?
Posted by the andyman on Mon 23 Oct 2006 (20:42 GMT)
It would appear that the Windows Live Messenger team has already started planning new features etc for Windows Live Messenger 9. Although the list does have some good bits it does, however, include stealing ideas from Messenger Plus! Live.

Some things to think about include:
  • Theme of the client
  • Adding features that Messenger Plus! Live offers as an addition to the original client
  • Family Safety features - making sure your children and those younger are safe
  • Windows Vista and Windows Aero (previously known as Aero Glass) enhancements
  • Audio/video features
  • Virus and malware protection
  • File sharing and modifications to Sharing Folders
  • Video sharing
  • Windows Live Spaces within the main window (eg: blog directly from Messenger)
  • Windows Live Mail within the main window (eg: send mail directly from Messenger)
  • Added plug-ins and sharing activities
  • Colour functionality in names by default

This was posted by Zack Whittaker, an intern at Microsoft, at MSBLOG. He then went on to say:

There is no such thing as a 'suggestion database', and most of the ideas have already been finalised. This was purely a way of getting the public's ideas on what they would like to see - so then I can pass them on, or it viewed by an employee.

So it looks like one of the main features of Plus!, adding colours to names, will definitely be included in the next main/milestone version along with "Adding features that Messenger Plus! Live offers as an addition to the original client".

This is a real disappointment; it seems that Plus! is too good for its own sake and will have no features left by the time version 10 of Messenger comes out. I wonder if any of this was discussed with Patchou when he went to Redmond - surely they wouldn't actually tell him that they are going to ruin his program.

Comment by absorbation: The feature list itself looks very nice, although I would target improving current features to get to their very best. I like the 'Theme of the client' part, may be a full skinning system will arrive for Messenger. Let's hope my file transfer criticisms got noticed to.

>> View the discussion thread at the Messenger Plus! forums
>> View the full blog post
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Comments:

Comment by hh
Posted on Mon 28 Apr 2008 (02:18 GMT)
Few Yosemite visitors ever see snow avalanches and fewer still know the exhilaration of riding on them


Comment by Tim
Posted on Tue 31 Oct 2006 (09:52 GMT)
That list is just a user compiled list of ideas. there is no way microsoft would release a todo feature list that has 'Adding features that Messenger Plus! Live offers as an addition to the original client'.

upon further observation, the whole post there is just a hype generator, it's all for speculation -- and he's using his intern title to his advantage.


Comment by Salem
Posted on Tue 24 Oct 2006 (08:54 GMT)
Sorry to say this John, but Zack Whittaker is a Microsoft employee.

On the other hand. These suggested features look good. I just hope the improve 8.1 first before starting work on 9.0


Comment by John
Posted on Mon 23 Oct 2006 (22:37 GMT)
"This was posted by Zack Whittaker, a Microsoft employee, at MSBLOG."

Oh, he is so not a Microsoft Employee. Hell, I find it hard to believe he's a beta tester saying crap like "There is no such thing as a 'suggestion database'" since anyone who has used connect knows how to file suggestions. What, do you think they are all bit-bucketed?


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