Spriteman (+0.1)
31/8/03 11:02PM |
"mavhc: Just use IRC"
The problem is when you have a large number of friends who use MSN from PCs. They have no want to move to IRC just because a friend with a quirky OS can't access the network.
--
Spriteman. |
nunfetishist (-0.9)
1/9/03 12:02AM |
I only ever used instant messengers for sending people a message in the form of "Log on to IRC, slacker" or "See you on TOTH in a mo" and such. It was at that point I realised that it was a pointless medium.  |
Smiler (+1.0)
1/9/03 10:42AM |
Besides the security issues arisen from other clients using the network, what difference does it make to MS. It's not as if they're loosing bussiness to other clients - they're client is free and so are most others. You're not paying for the clients ability to communicate with the network, just the extra features that have been added. If they were in a seperate program MS wouldn't have a problem. If a person chooses another client over their's, then it should be telling them their doing something wrong. They still have the same number of people using the network, just different client software.
--
Smiler - 
Alex Melhuish |
takkaria
1/9/03 11:19AM |
MS would, and does, have a problem with other people adding "extra features" to their products, as they want total control over their software and their protocols.
And people have been telling MS they've been wrong for years, but it doesn't make any difference. |
Fylecore
1/9/03 1:35PM |
"what difference does it make to MS."
They also lose revenue from banner advertising (MSN Messenger has adverts at the bottom of the window)
Using a client other than MSN Messenger results in the resources that it uses not being paid for, whilst if they use the MS client, the banner ads cover the costs.
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jess (-1.0)
1/9/03 1:53PM |
It would be fair of M$ to require banner adverts to be displayed.
I bet there will be more to it though.
--
Jess |
russebay
1/9/03 4:26PM |
Don't forget the MSN client has links to all sorts of other content which is probably sponsored as well. |
simo
1/9/03 5:39PM |
Who uses MSN anyway? ICQ is much better and has encryption and plenty of open source clients.
Might be a good time to look at Jabber, although I doubt many PC users know any different to MSN/AIM....
--
#include "sig.h" |
Fylecore (+1.0)
1/9/03 6:14PM |
"Who uses MSN anyway?"
The fact that MSN in installed as standard with a Windows installation now mean that more people are more likely to use it who would probably not be IM'ing otherwise.
Some of my family etc who live overseas are barely computer literate and do not wish to install ICQ or similar stuff, but they can just about set up a NET Passport. MSN Messenger has got me talking to friends and family that I wouldn't be talking to without it. (Sad state of affairs, but true.)
Also, a lot of Cybercafes, Uni's etc will have MSN installed, but probably not AIM or ICQ.
MSN Messenger may or may not suck as an IM system, BUT the most important thing is that it allows me to easily communicate with people that I want to. |
jlavallin (+1.0)
1/9/03 6:20PM |
A question for the learned.
I have tried and failed to set up a Hotmail account.Could it be I tried to go through Mozilla instead of Exporer to
register.
Will not accept my password and tells me
the account is blocked.
|
jess (+1.0)
1/9/03 7:53PM |
In reply to Fylecore:
Web based ICQ works fine on most windows PCs
--
Jess |
simo (+1.0)
2/9/03 4:29PM |
In reply to Fylecore:
You see, this is exactly the problem with the MS monopoly - they bundle buggy Email clients, browsers, media players and IMs with Windows and people accept them as they're too lazy or don't have the know-how to use alternatives!
It seems that this is the way it will stay though as the whole "de-bundle MSIE" court ruling seems to have been bought-off.
--
#include "sig.h" |
nunfetishist
2/9/03 5:33PM |
In reply to simo:
Please name a browser that *isn't* buggy. |
Dougal (+1.0)
2/9/03 6:40PM |
In ye olde reply to simo:
But IM isn't a monopoly really - AIM has quite a strong presence too, as do others. I use AIM, as it's the default that comes with my Mac. Sure Microsoft will get bigger penetration with this, but it's not really the end of the world.
Microsoft are perfectly valid in closing off other people for business reasons. It sucks if you're on an unsupported platform (one persumes Linux clients will be borked now) and wish to chat to another MSN user. Microsoft could produce say a Java implementation of MSN, but that would a) most likely suck the way most java apps do compared to native implementations, and b) not really make good business sense.
You're now just in the same boat as if MSN didn't exist though - you'd still have to talk your computer illiterate friends into installing some other client. This is just an inconvenience, not the end of the world.
Now if I can persuade Spriteman to get an AIM account... 
--
Dougal |
AMS (+2.0)
2/9/03 6:48PM |
"Microsoft are perfectly valid in closing off people for business reasons"
Ahem !
They've lost more court cases than I can shake a stick at for that sort of activity !
The EU is already looking at whether Media player should be "unbundled" or if people should be given the choice of an alternative. Surely the same applies to IM.
For fairness PC users should have the same ease choosing "any" IM client that can interoperate with MSN as they could with MSN itself (otherwise MS will simply abusing it's market position (again IMHO)).
I take your point Dougal that MSN is not the only option, but due to it's widespread market penetration it does have a somewhat commanding position.
The problem is not necessarily that MS have a monopoly, but what they do with it once they have it. And usually it ain't pretty.
--
Annraoi McShane, |
Rdenk12 (-1.0)
3/9/03 8:50AM |
Personally I think that there are plenty of intelligent programmers out there who will break the "security code" which m$ builds in their MSN client within a short amount of time.
Their so-called "upgrade" is nothing more then a piece of code build in
the MSN clients,with the sole purpose of getting the money out of our pockets.
Maintaining a network is sooo expensive for the world richest company.
This is a standard M$ tactic:
First give it away for free.
Then when allmost every competitor has gone:
"Pay, you little software pirate!
Or otherwise we see you in the court house!"
Let hope one of the programmers is a RISC OS user...If not, lets keep our wallets closed...
Regards,
Rick
|
nunfetishist
3/9/03 4:02PM |
In reply to Rdenk12:
Depends on how they inforce it. If they use digital certificates, then anybody who wants to circumvent it better not have any wish of visiting the US. |
Spriteman
6/9/03 1:26PM |
Dougal wrote:
Now if I can persuade Spriteman to get an AIM account...
You write me one and I'll use it :P
--
Spriteman. |
Spriteman
6/9/03 1:33PM |
Personally I think it's a great thing that Windows is supplied with MSN Messenger, Internet Explorer, etc. Wouldn't RISC OS benefit from being supplied with these kind of well-featured applications as standard?
Of course you can say it leads to a monopoly but only because lazy and/or stupid people don't try the alternatives. I know that some think these sorts of people should not be using computers or the internet but I see it as quiet the opposite. It just goes to show how user friendly computers have become so as to allow even those with limited computer skills benefit from the resources out there.
telt
--
Spriteman. |
diomus
6/9/03 2:04PM |
Well RISC OS Select does include the ANt suite with Fresco
Chris, drobe.co.uk |
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