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Windows Live Messenger 2010 Revealed

Dec. 10, 2009 Paul Thurrott | Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows

Tom Warren has the scoop on the next version of Microsoft's instant messaging client, which will ship sometime in 2010 as part of Windows Live Wave 4.

The main Messenger window that contains your contacts has changed somewhat. Included on the left hand side is a "social stream" of updates provided by Windows Live. These are updates from your Messenger contacts and the data is provided by Windows Live. In current public Messenger builds some of this integration is present at the top of a conversation window. Windows Live Messenger aims to add to this by using the "social stream" as a showcase for your contacts updates. Providing your friends have including their Facebook, Twitter and Blog posts into Windows Live then you will see this in the stream.

One of the main improvements for Windows Live Messenger 2010 is the introduction of tabbed messenger conversations ... Windows Live Writer Wave 4 has also been improved with the introduction of the ribbon interface seen in most other Windows Live applications.

Looks interesting, though I'd love to see the Windows Live guys really go for it and do the full-blown WPF interface. You never know.

Discuss this Article 17

rr0de74@live.com
on Dec 10, 2009
Do people still use IM?
Rasken
on Dec 10, 2009
I haven't used IM in a while now but I really hate how much MS is pushing advertising outside of websites and the browser. This app now has a huge ad-box, which display stuff akin to hideous flash apps, my hotmail account I won't even mention(at least I have the option to get rid of those). The worst offender has got to be my Xbox 360 dashboard. The ads have been creeping in at an alarming rate recently Anytime I sign in to the thing now it's a complete eyesore. Spotlight is 20% marketplace content, 80% ads, the new Community channel has Facebook, ad, ad, twitter for selections as well. It's horrible. And I actually PAY for gold service on this thing. How is this golden exactly? /rant off
NoNameAtAll
on Dec 10, 2009
rr0de74@live.com said: Do people still use IM? I do somewhat. So I suppose this'll be useful for me whenever it comes out. I hope for a beta.
Grannyville
on Dec 10, 2009
@rr0de IM is my main method of communication I use to keep in contact with friends.
Grannyville
on Dec 10, 2009
Is there a public beta available?
Mark KB
on Dec 10, 2009
Pretty much everyone I know uses IM. Why, is there a feasible alternative I don't know about?
vinski-
on Dec 10, 2009
@Mark KB Since pretty much everybody are in Facebook now, and many IM clients support Facebook chat already, thats very feasible alternative.
Mark KB
on Dec 10, 2009
It would have been better if the guy hadn't tried to blank out *everything* in that screenshot by making it the same colour as the background. Perhaps it would have been better to put in dummy data.
Mark KB
on Dec 10, 2009
@vinski But that's still IM. And AFAIK, the major three - WLM, Yahoo!, AIM - don't support it at all.
rr0de74@live.com
on Dec 10, 2009
Nothing new that I know of. Its just with all this twitter (I dont/wont use) facebook and other stuff, via cell phones and stuff, IM has kind of died. I have not touched it in a long time. Besides any smart company will block employees from having it, or connecting to IM servers outside of the company. I try to get away from my computer at home after 8 hours in front of it doing IT work. If I had to use a IM client, it would never be a client from MS or the others, as they are full of crap, some of you cant turn off. There were a few good free alternatives like pidgin that were nice and slimmed down.
nutmac
on Dec 10, 2009
IM serves quite different needs from Twitter, Facebook, and SMS/MMS. IM is designed for real-time text conversation. Although you can use other tools to do the same, they are much more awkward, overkill, or less featured.
GoodThings2Life
on Dec 10, 2009
I use IM far more frequently than any other form of electronic communication at work. It's much easier and faster than email and less annoying than voice calls. I also webcam with my girlfriend frequently via messenger when we're not able to spend time together.
Backup77
on Dec 10, 2009
@Mark KB Why, is there a feasible alternative I don't know about? Trillian. Its been around for some time and can combine windows live, Yahoo, Google, IRC, Skype etc. http://www.trillian.im/
Waethorn
on Dec 10, 2009
"There were a few good free alternatives like pidgin that were nice and slimmed down." Ya like lacking compatible video and audio chat, games, file sharing, etc.
roteague
on Dec 10, 2009
I second the wish for a WPF client.
NoNameAtAll
on Dec 10, 2009
"Ya like lacking compatible video and audio chat, games, file sharing, etc." Some people don't need that kind of stuff, hence a minimalist approach works.
subzerohitman721
on Dec 10, 2009
rr0de74 I know a couple of technology vendors that use corporate versions of IM clients for daily business use that allows for safe IM on corporate networks. I am surprised that you would ask that question. In conjunction with mobile devices and wifi cafes, corporate IM software can allow contact, file transfer, and many other features. Corporate IM can cut down phone calls and open additional opportunities. I have seen many people working from mobile devices from coffee houses via corporate IM.

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