MSN/ Windows Live Messenger ranks top in the UK, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Italy, Mexico, The Netherlands, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey. It is the 3rd most popular client in the US, after AIM and Yahoo! Messenger respectively. You can see a breakdown of all the results, plus a world map showing which IM client is the most popular in each country.
Despite the fact MSN/ Windows Live Messenger did not come top in every country on the list, it ranks well everywhere, showing a wide user base. In fact its lowest ranking was in the Russia and Saudi Arabia, with just over 10% of the market share.
Source: Global Instant Messaging Market Share - Open Data View the PDF containing all the data
on Tue 12 Aug 2008 (15:49 GMT) (8474 views)
The screenshots that are being circulated at this time do not show the WPF features because the build being shown is M1. We can confirm that M2 has been released internally and is currently being tested by internal dogfood testers. By the time we enter beta phase (which should be less than a month away), we will see some nifty WPF features. So if you haven't made the transition to Windows Vista, now would be the time to because Messenger is not the only thing we're going to see taking advantage of Vista only technology. Wave 3 of Windows Live is going to be the best wave we've seen, so keep checking back for more information!
Oh, and if you don't have a Microsoft Zune, we'd highly suggest you get one because there's been some awesome new features added to Windows Live Messenger that will make your Zune experience 10x better. One feature we've been told we're going to see in the next build of Windows Live Messenger is complete synchronization with your display status and your Zune Social status.
As always we've more to come. Check back with Messenger Stuff frequently for the latest information on Windows Live Messenger 9.0 and subscribe to our RSS feed for more exclusive news as we get it (or are allowed to publish it!).
In the feature department quite a few things have been added and changed as well. The biggest of which is the new Groups feature (while the old groups are renamed to Categories). A Group is a special chat room to which you can invite your buddies, and which stays on your contact list until you delete it (making it an instant multi-party conversation). The group will appear to be online when a another buddy in the group is also online. With a group, you can share files, photos, chat history, etc. (More coverage on Liveside). Aside from groups, there's another new entry in the contact list: the Favorites category. This category is always shown at the top, and when contacts are added to them their full details are shown in your contact list (similar to the "Show all contact details" feature in v8.5). The favorites category is also shown on older clients, where it will display as a regular category.
Along with the new UI of the conversation window (most noticeably the display pictures appearing at the left side of the conversation), a new feature has also been added: photo sharing. You can add or remove photos from the current session, and browse through them while you and your buddy discuss the currently displayed photo. Although we couldn't try it out in detail yet, this promises to make it much easier to show all those holiday and party photos to your buddies.
The build in question is the first milestone after the questionable BETA period which was closed at the end of June, with a new second milestone already coming up. We can't wait to see what turns up in the next few months... Seeing as the most-requested features haven't been added yet (Messenger Team, we're looking at you!). We will keep you posted.
Well, it appears Microsoft haven't really integrated the WPF effects very well, if at all, in these leaked screenshots. However I make one thing clear: it will be coming, and we have seen it. I guess now we will have to wait to see how things develop.
Edit: Apparently the screenshots shown are not of the latest build and are believed to be old. Our inside source claims the design has been tweaked and changed again in the latest version, using the WPF effects we talked about this week.
Screenshot: Contact list Screenshot: Conversation Screenshot: Sharing photos Screenshot: About box Source: mess.beUpdate: See this newer post for more exclusive information regarding the next version of Windows Live Messenger, its new interface, and these leaked screenshots.
After being tipped off by an unaffiliated yet trustworthy source who – naturally – doesn't want to be identified, Messenger Stuff can now reveal that the new interface will use the graphics effects available through WPF [Windows Presentation Foundation] where supported (i.e. with a decent graphics card and .NET 3.0 framework installed).
In other version 9 news, the Messenger team – as with nearly everyone else inside Microsoft – are still keeping their cards close to their chest. Whilst we do know about the knew interface and that they have moved on from a milestone 1 build to a beta 2 build (seemingly counting this an an alpha build, not beta 1), we do not yet know as much about the new features.
Presumably some, if not all, of the new features will be different to those in the aforementioned alpha version if they are not being publicly disclosed. Also, since all the other Windows Live software and services seem to be getting better integration with one another Messenger might get more integration as well, including with the mysterious "Groups" and "People".
The actual beta program was designed to gather feedback on the totally new features (animated display pictures, signature sounds, multiple points of presence, etc) and suggestions about what people want from the new version. Releasing a build like they did at the early stage they were at in the development cycle meant that they could get good user input and feedback and actually have time to implement changes and improvements to the software.
This is unlike most of the betas we have been seeing recently (e.g. Windows Live wave 2 beta) where the changes to the software are already mapped out and beta testing only appears to be to check that it doesn't crash on "real-world" PCs and that there are no major bugs. This beta seemed to show a real shift in the way Messenger is developed, which could be attributed to the Sinofsky effect.
Microsoft need to improve their Messenger client to stay on top of the game and what better way of attracting new users (and persuading current ones to keep using it) that including new features that people actually want and not just their own ideas. Despite lots of criticism of the way this Messenger beta was handled, we are being led to believe that big changes have been happening to the software behind the scenes during all this time of unusual inactivity and silence from the development team.
They don't want these major changes and additions to the software leaked to the public and hence weren't too bothered when the things that the public knew about anyway were leaked through news and the leaking of the beta software itself. The leaking of the beta (which could easily have been prevented by Microsoft but surprisingly wasn't) also meant that they could see how the servers coped with the new features - all of which are fairly server intensive - which is one of the purposes of dogfood releases.
The closure of the beta program seems like a logical step at the moment as, with no new version since late November last year, there is nothing really left to test. Not much is known about the next beta version so, as always, everything is left to be seen in the next few months when it is released into the wild, readying itself for a final release with the rest of the Windows Live wave 3 suite in late 2008 (or early 2009).
Want some wildly guessed tips for the new version anyway? Look out for a possible new UI, changes to audio and video chats (including multi-person functionality), Windows Live Groups integration, "Echoes" integration, and Office/Office Live (Workspace) integration (and/or even Live Mesh integration).
Please note: the usual standard blogging disclaimer applies; the views expressed here are the views of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of any of their associated employers, companies or organisations.
Thanks to LiveSide for the image and plethora of links.
on Wed 04 Jun 2008 (11:34 GMT) (3304 views)
Hello Windows Live Messenger beta testers!
Thank you for all of your efforts to help us test the latest version of Windows Live Messenger. You are some of our most engaged and passionate customers and over the last several months you've shown us just how much you care. You've sent us more than 1000 bugs and suggestions, provided valuable feedback on Windows Live Messenger v9.0 beta in three different surveys, and posted nearly 5000 messages in the newsgroup. We value your feedback - the good and the bad - and we are ready to begin using that feedback to enhance Windows Live Messenger.
For the past several months we've been gathering feedback from not only you, but also from past beta testers' comments, other external Windows Live Messenger customers, and Microsoft employees. We've compiled a thorough list of feedback, and it's now time to shift our focus to building the new version of Windows Live Messenger. Therefore, on June 24, we will close the official beta testing program.
Before the program closes we want to make sure we've reviewed and responded to all of the bugs and suggestions you sent in. The bug form will remain open through the end of this week. The newsgroup and Connect site will remain open after the bug and suggestion forms close so you can see our responses to your bugs and discuss them with other beta testers. This is a lengthy process, so we appreciate your patience as we respond to the remaining bugs and suggestions.
The good news is that even after the beta program closes you will still be
able to use the v9.0 Beta build. Please note, since the Connect site will be closed, there will be no way to download the bits from Microsoft should you want to install the build on a new or rebuilt machine. Installations you already have will continue to work.
If you have any last suggestions or bugs you want to send us, get them in by June 6 when the bug and suggestion forms will close.
Thank you again for your enthusiasm for Windows Live Messenger and all of your efforts during this beta program. There will be another beta later this year that includes the changes we're working on now, and we hope you'll participate in that and continue to send us your thoughts!
The Windows Live Messenger Team
Rumors have even suggested that the whole engine is being re-coded from 8.5 again, which may make some of this relevant again. But who knows, Microsoft have been very quiet about development, so I can't confirm a thing.
There are apparently about 5000 people officially (on Microsoft Connect) testing version 9.0.1407.1107, described by Microsoft as an alpha version and dubbed in the About window as 'Version 2009'. In the welcoming email to testers the Messenger team said:
Please note that this is a private beta for a very small audience only - Windows Live Messenger 9.0 isn't ready for wide distribution yet. By entering the beta, you're agreeing to use the client and send us feedback, and to not share it with anyone else. Doing so is against the Terms of Use. If the build gets out too widely and starts causing problems on the service we may have to shut it down. We don't want to do that and we know you don't want that to happen, so please keep it to yourself.
Here at Messenger Stuff we are 100% against leaks and don't want to jeopardize the beta in any way. For this reason we will not be hosting or linking to any of the leaked setup files. However, we understand that many of you will like to know the changes, so I'm quoting a small changelog from mess.be:
- Sign-in and messaging in multiple locations - You asked for it, now you have it! You can now sign into Messenger from more than one computer at a time, up to four at once. Simply sign into Messenger from one computer, install Messenger on another computer and sign in using the same account. (Only works if all computers are running Messenger 9.0 Beta. Currently enabled only for users whose Windows Live ID country is US or Canada.)
- Signature sounds – Pick your own personal sound that your contacts will hear when you sign into Messenger (only works if you and your contacts have Messenger 9.0 Beta).
- Per contact sounds - Pick unique sounds for each of your contacts. You will be able to tell from across the room who is sending you a message.
- SPIM Reporting - If users send you unsolicited messages or invitations that you consider spam, you can block them and report them as spammers. If you report a user as a spammer, the messenger service will collect this data and put appropriate restrictions on the spammer accounts. All reports of spammers are kept confidential.
- Animated Display Pictures – Show your moves! Messenger now supports animated .gif files as display pictures.
- Link in Personal Status Message – URLs in Personal Status Messages are hot and clickable in the Messenger contact list.
- Behind the Scenes Changes – Architectural changes that modified how things work but shouldn't have changed how things look
- Changes to sign-in, connectivity, presence, sending text IM’s, voice & video featuresWindows Live Contacts Server – wlcomm.exe runs in the background to keep your contacts’ information up-to-date and helps Messenger sign you in faster
The current version of Messenger Plus! Live (4.23) is "incompatible" with the new beta but Patchou has already said that the latest version of Messenger Plus! Live (version 4.50), due for release in the first week of December, will be compatible. A version of A-Patch has already been made for the new beta.
View screenshots in our gallery
A few days ago invitations to the Windows Live Messenger 9.0 BETA were sent to ~1000 testers. At this point we're all under NDA, so no information or screenshots can be made available. The public beta should be starting soon so keep your eyes on your inbox because it's first come first serve. As soon as the word is given, we're going to feature a full review of the beta as well as some possible invites for our readers! So, keep checking back for updates!
This sounds like a useful feature and if you look at the patent in more detail you will see that Microsoft envisages storing different goodbye messages then using them in different situations:
When the user terminates a conversation with the converser, such as by closing a conversation window of the messaging application, the facility automatically sends the goodbye message to the converser. The user can configure the messaging application with multiple goodbye messages, such as to personalize goodbye messages based on conversers, select goodbye messages based on time of day or randomly, and so forth.
Also, goodbye messages could even be recorded voice messages for automatically saying goodbye in a voice or webcam conversation:
A user can configure a messaging application to store a goodbye message having various types of content, such as in textual, graphical, iconic, or even multimedia (e.g., including voice or video)
View the patent application Source: The Register (via Neowin)So what are the changes? Well, err, hum, ahhh, I don't know. Bug fixes seem to be part of the update and with no word on the development blog I'm confused if this release is actually different. I'm finding a lot of issues still present (does anyone find the sounds are way too loud?) and the design has not been perfected yet.
I'm going to be harsh here, but this is the worse release of Messenger I have had experience of. No new features, more bloat and a general lack of improvement all add up to a poor release. The installer also has issues (I didn't click agree or navigate anything). Who is the project manager?
Messenger Plus! Live works perfectly with the new build but I'm not sure current 8.5 skins will work (some may, some may not, I will confirm later).
View screenshots of the update Download Windows Live Messenger 8.5.1302.1018 Download A-Patch for the new build Source: mess.be
Messenger Stuff
