To keep your software something which is seen as modern and ground breaking, companies and often individuals radically change a huge aspect of their program. This is often in terms of design, or more simply a name change. These ideas work, and have brought millions of new users to old programs.

Take Windows Live for example, it's a new line of products, which integrate together from Microsoft, mainly replacing good old MSN. Has it worked? Yes, these products have been heavily followed, and comparing MSN to Windows Live, you can see where MSN has become outdated.

The main point of my story is that a simple change can make a huge difference. Yahoo! Messenger is getting outdated, like MSN Messenger was. New ideas and features don't always gain new users, in fact they can bloat a program and scare them away. Yahoo! Messenger is getting a new design, just for Windows Vista, and well, it's making me want to use it.

The design is a cross between the Yahoo! Widget engine and Windows Vista, taking full advantage of the new visuals the operating system has to offer. I think we can say it's going to get Yahoo! a few extra users when this comes out, probably including myself, for I often hop on the new age program bandwagon.

Check out Yahoo! Messenger's new upcoming design
View the preview website (including a video)