A first *blurry* glance at MSN Messenger 7.0

[ladie_vennom]

Source: www.mess.be

quote:We have informed you earlier that MSN Messenger 7.0 is in development as we speak and we're expecting information about new features soon. But we think that one of our messers, Roy, might have captured a first and exclusive screenshot of Microsoft's next version IM client

The screenshot was taken from a webcast presentation at the Financial Analyst Meeting 2004, in which MSN messenger 7MSN Messenger 7.0 is described as "a big upgrade". While MSN's Corporate Vice President, Yusuf Mehdi, is demonstrating what he calls "orchestrated advertising" (a combination of rich media and personalization), a screenshot is shown of a Halo banner ad in what looks like an unusual version of MSN Messenger.

We've added our comments and speculations on the curious bits in the layout of, presumably, MSN Messenger 7.0. Our premature conclusions:


- The application's title now pictures the MSN logo with the butterfly, followed by "Messenger".

- Extra icons and links underneath your display name. Possibly for Hotmail, the MSN portal and other MSN services.

- Not one but two icons are positioned in front of a contact's display name (comparable to when you hover your mouse over a contact with Messenger Plus! 3, but then permanent). Not all of them look like the MSN Buddy icon, so this means that either there are new status icons (and/or new statuses) or otherwise a small thumbnail of one's display picture is shown in the contact list. Our third guess is a personal, custom (emot)icon that can be set instead of the default "little green men".

- The image in front of your own display name looks odd too. This could be a thumbnail of your current display picture.

- At the location of the current "I want to..." menu (which in the screenshot is either turned off or completely removed) you'll find a text entry field. We reckon this is an integrated MSN Search box, because with 120 million users of MSN Messenger already that's a brilliant step into getting people to use Microsoft's search engine and nothing else.

Please also take a look at the larger screenshot.

Mehdi claims MSN Messenger 7.0 will be released somewhere along 2005. Of course and similar to previous releases, we'll keep you fully informed of all the details we discover until then!

[Reported by: Roy]

[MartinBradley]

Ah, yes, very blurry indeed. I can't really form an opinion on it, I guess we'll just have to wait for more information on it. That larger screenshot isn't very large it is?

[Phil]

It's going to be a lengthy wait for the release! I think by the time it comes out, we will all be desperate to see what's changed!

[IMQueen]

I'm still waiting for the animated avatar support they promised in 6.2.

[detn8r]

quote:Originally posted by IMQueen

I'm still waiting for the animated avatar support they promised in 6.2.

I'm sorry, when did they promise anything? Apparently, according to creamhackered, this is only the webmessenger.

[Mr.Curlynose1]

I think you people get waaaay too excited over MSN Messenger. I mean, it's just a program. It's already extremely good and complex, so why do you have to sweat so much over what they're going to change? I say just be happy when it comes out.

[detn8r]

The point is, these programs are designed for the people. Why not give them what they want, if you have the capabilities to do it? And IM now a days is much more than just a program. Dig your self into some research. MSN Messenger, along with all the others are use everyday to communicate with family and friends across the world, and used in other areas like business meetings (Windows Messenger), and possibly in education for schools.
And it's not what they're going to change, it's what they're going to add.

[mattaussiebloke]

I got more information about the new MSN Messenger

Microsoft plans to deliver a new version of its popular MSN Messenger client by mid-2005 next year, that will let users create a more customized instant messaging experience, the company says. Aside from the user experience, MSN Messenger also has to bring in more money, Microsoft representatives say. The company has not really tapped the online advertising opportunities in the client, said Yusuf Mehdi, corporate vice president of Microsoft's MSN Information Services & Merchant Platform division. He addressed the topic at a meeting last week with financial analysts at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington.

To that goal, some of those new services might involve fees, subscriptions, and other user costs, Mehdi said. For example, the company charges a monthly fee for access to a game IM users can play with their MSN contacts. Microsoft introduced gaming recently in the U.S. and will roll it out internationally in the coming months, according to a Microsoft spokesperson.

Upcoming Features

The next release of MSN Messenger will let users further personalize their messaging experience, Richardson says.

"Customers like to personalize their experience because they see Messenger as an extension of themselves in the online world," she says.

Microsoft will probably offer avatars in more countries, as well as other personalization options such as the capability to create skins for the Messenger client, Richardson says. Skins are already popular for Microsoft's Windows Media Player.

Avatars and skins are features MSN Messenger users request, says Pieter Dom, who runs the MSN Messenger enthusiast Web site Mess with MSN Messenger. But users also have more practical requests, such as contact lists that can accommodate more than 150 people, file downloads that can be paused, offline messaging, and automatic MSN Messenger updates, he says.

Richardson said Microsoft is aware of all these requests and is considering them, except for including MSN Messenger in Windows Update part. Messenger users will have to continue downloading updates for the IM client separately from updates for Windows, she says.

"Our customers are not only Windows customers and they are also not only Windows XP customers. That is why we have our own update mechanism in place--we need it," she says.

News source: http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,117222,00.asp

Would I be impressed if the new MSN messenger next year is holographic so it pops out of your computer and....ok that's not realistic but I'm in no hurry for it. When it comes, it comes.