Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MSN Messenger 5

They haven't actually added anything going by the NZ screenshots. What a load of garbage...

I use MSN because the other clients really do my head in (thats right, I find the microsoft solution the easiest one :eek: ). But there are a couple of things I find it falls down on. File transfers are ropey at best - it's not my ISP, MSN Messenger 7 for Windows works fine on Virtual PC. Also, no webcam support. There's no good reason for this. Microsoft could at least make their servers open-source so someone could make a really decent client. (I remember Fire used to get chucked off the servers every few weeks and they'd have to update...)
 
hob said:
They haven't actually added anything going by the NZ screenshots. What a load of garbage...

I use MSN because the other clients really do my head in (thats right, I find the microsoft solution the easiest one :eek: ). But there are a couple of things I find it falls down on. File transfers are ropey at best - it's not my ISP, MSN Messenger 7 for Windows works fine on Virtual PC. Also, no webcam support. There's no good reason for this. Microsoft could at least make their servers open-source so someone could make a really decent client. (I remember Fire used to get chucked off the servers every few weeks and they'd have to update...)
Click to expand...

i totally agree with this.
 
Hmmm, bare with me on this,

It seems to me that in the last PC release of Office back in 2003 there was a distinct emphasis on corporate features and increasing business productivity, whilst in the Mac version of Office in 2004 the emphasis was on personal productivity. Now, version 5 of Messenger is touting it's corporate functions as it's biggest feature set.

Now, for a programme that is basically for personal use - especially on Mac as a lot of people in corporate environments don't use Mac and the ones that do are pretty much Mac exclusive in which case they would use iChat and it's Bonjour function (and why not, iChat is awesome) you would think the Mac BU at Microsoft would be loading it up with more personal functions.

I dunno, M$ just seem to be arsing things up left right and centre but hey? what's new there?
 
download this now (for some reason my connection is dead, this is taking ages :mad:).

to be honest i found all the Messenger alternatives a little sour and plain hideous to look at. im not bothered with extra features, i just want a Messenger service. which is why i hate Messenger 7 with a passion. i mean has anyone here used it?! if Mac Messenger went that way I would just ring people up for chats.

the only thing i'd change with Messenger 4 was the look, display pics and for it to not disconnect every 15-30 minutes without fail. oh and iTunes playing display :D

incidentally I would like to shout that Messenger 4 crashed my PB from its 14 day uptime :( i was going for 30 days at least... it just totally froze up after i quit the app, the icon was in the middle of a bounce too.
 
eep theres a lot of wasted space on this Messenger but its such an improvement over Messenger 4. thumbs up!
 
~Shard~ said:
Perhaps we should all just move to Adium... ;)
Click to expand...

Or move to Proteus.. yes

I'm download MSN 5 to try it, but its downloading slow.. it's a disappointment before I've even opened it.

So it just finished.. and I opened it. What a load of garbage.
 
raggedjimmi said:
eep theres a lot of wasted space on this Messenger but its such an improvement over Messenger 4. thumbs up!
Click to expand...

Count me duly impressed that MS is distributing it as a .dmg and not as a Stuffit file. :)

P.S. Here is a link to download it. :)
 
alex_ant said:
I don't see what's so horrible about it. Sure it doesn't have video, I don't personally care. It has a nice appearance and it's great that there are no ads.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but after using programs like Adium and Proteus which until recently were both made by one or a few people donating their time and with MSN being made by a giant corporation with a huge budget, this latest version by MS is a pathetic attempt; they added pictures. For me, it still in no way competes with the two stunning apps I mentioned above.
 
rickvanr said:
Or move to Proteus.. yes

I'm download MSN 5 to try it, but its downloading slow.. it's a disappointment before I've even opened it.

So it just finished.. and I opened it. What a load of garbage.
Click to expand...

A frustrating, slow, disappointing MS product (according to some) - it's funny how the stereotypes ring of truth sometimes, isn't it? ;)
 
rickvanr said:
Yeah, but after using programs like Adium and Proteus which until recently were both made by one or a few people donating their time and with MSN being made by a giant corporation with a huge budget, this latest version by MS is a pathetic attempt; they added pictures. For me, it still in no way competes with the two stunning apps I mentioned above.
Click to expand...

It does make you think, doesn't it - a small group of people develop an awesome app (available for free nonetheless!), and a huge corporation like MS (THE hugest in fact!) takes a god-awful long time to release the same type of product, and it's, well, nothing special compared to the others - some would argue it's lacking consdierably with regards to certain features and functionality. Definitely have to give credit to the Adium/Proteus dev team, that's for sure. I guess it's the same situation with Firefox vs. IE in many respects...
 
Not sure yet, but I think this version of MSN has all the features that I'd like, and is inline with what Adium offers.

On the other hand, I never felt that Adium was enough, and I need an webcam IM option, so I guess I'm going to do what I never wanted to do, but get VPC 7 and install MSN Messenger 7 for Windows....
 
Abstract said:
I need an webcam IM option, so I guess I'm going to do what I never wanted to do, but get VPC 7 and install MSN Messenger 7 for Windows....
Click to expand...

If webcam is all you're looking for, then VPC is not the best answer. aMSN Beta has webcam support, and I think Mercury does too (even has a bit of game support, with a plugin). I was able to use webcam fine with aMSN.
 
MSN 5.0 is now hands-down the best official IM client of any of the services. AIM, Yahoo IM, and ICQ all suck far worse than this does. I use Proteus myself, and won't use this because it's not multi-protocol, but if all you use is MSN then this is probably the best client for you. Granted it could be better, but Microsoft doesn't really have any incentive to make it better. They are losing money on supporting Mac MSN already.
 
Geez!

After all that waiting and hype and what do we get? The same cr*p packaged in a different box. This is one of the most disappointing POS I have downloaded after Norton :rolleyes:
 
alex_ant said:
MSN 5.0 is now hands-down the best official IM client of any of the services. AIM, Yahoo IM, and ICQ all suck far worse than this does. I use Proteus myself, and won't use this because it's not multi-protocol, but if all you use is MSN then this is probably the best client for you. Granted it could be better, but Microsoft doesn't really have any incentive to make it better. They are losing money on supporting Mac MSN already.
Click to expand...


Actually iChat would be the better one, but due to Billy Boy's monopoly on the industry we have no other choice but to be held to ransom by using the second rate version of what could possibly be a good IM client. Are we expected to rush out and use an inferior operating system just to have the convenience of integration with our poor window$ using counter parts? :confused:

As for losing money...wtf :confused: Isn't this guy the wealthiest man in your country? Well now you know how he got there.
 
Aw man I searched for this yesterday and couldnt find anything. Can anyone tell me if Picture Display is enabled? Or custom emoticons? Thats all I'm bothered about! I miss having a different quirky picture each day, and seeing all my friends beautiful faces each day :D
 
pulsewidth947 said:
Aw man I searched for this yesterday and couldnt find anything. Can anyone tell me if Picture Display is enabled? Or custom emoticons? Thats all I'm bothered about! I miss having a different quirky picture each day, and seeing all my friends beautiful faces each day :D
Click to expand...

Picture display works, you can receive but not send custom emoticons and as for the animated emoticons Microsoft says you can use - I can't find anywhere that lets you do it.

It's the worst update ever.
 
Chundles said:
Picture display works, you can receive but not send custom emoticons and as for the animated emoticons Microsoft says you can use - I can't find anywhere that lets you do it.

It's the worst update ever.
Click to expand...
I agree its farily half-arsed attempt at an update, but as they've included everything I wanted (picture display, receive custom emoticons) I'm happy :)

Woulda been nice to send custom emoticons so I could use the ones I had on the PC, but nevermind
 
Ahh well... At least it looks like my other mac apps now. ;) Half-asred seems to be the appropriate term...

Just wondering if there is a chat program outthere that supports MSN, AOL and Bonjour? (we use Bonjour internally at the office to chat and pass files as we are all mac based).
 
Daveydje said:
Just wondering if there is a chat program outthere that supports MSN, AOL and Bonjour? (we use Bonjour internally at the office to chat and pass files as we are all mac based).
Click to expand...

Adium recently added Bonjour service, although I have not used it. You can also get MSN contacts on iChat via Jabber, although that takes some doing....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back