Microsoft Delivers Blow to Mac Users

RJT
December 9, 2004

Mac and Windows users alike have been signing an online petition with over 12,700 signatures collected to date. The purpose of this petition? Influence Microsoft to update MSN Messenger after the disappointing lack of capabilities in MSN Messenger 4.0 for the Mac.

Currently the odds are stacked against Mac users when it comes to using all of MSN’s services. As the sites and features are built using Windows API’s and ActiveX integration, it leaves Mac users without the ability to access and use the same features, and thus they are left with a substandard version of what Windows users enjoy.

This is nothing new to MSN Messenger for Mac users. It's Windows cousin now includes more than four times the number of features that Mac users will find, leaving a lot to be desired.

High on the list of feature requests are basic features such as Display Pictures (avatars) and animated emoticons. However the most-requested feature by far is webcam functionality.

While other services such as Yahoo! and AIM offer video/webcam compatibilty with Mac users, MSN still lags behind in this area, and today it has delivered a damaging blow to it’s Mac userbase.

Today we learned from developers that Mac users are unlikely to see Video or webcam functionality for at least several years.

It is simply not possible to include this feature due to the backend which MSN’s video feeds run from, which are based on an outdated Logitech codec which cannot be ported to work with the Macintosh platform. Simply put it’s not going to happen. This also affects 3rd party clients as none of them will be able to make video available either to Mac users through MSN.

The only possible way to include interoperability with webcams on MSN Messenger for Mac we’re told would be, for Microsoft’s MSN team to update their backend servers to a new 3rd party codec which is Mac compatible, however this would break all MSN Messenger for Windows clients video functionality, and would require that all versions of MSN Messenger for Windows be re-written to include support.

So for the time being, the only way for a Mac user to use a webcam with MSN contacts is to get their buddy to use AIM or Yahoo! Messenger. Good news for the competition.

http://mac.rjt.cjb.net/msnmessenger/...um=20041209-01