10-06-2005, 05:00 PM
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Developer & Designer, News Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,959
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MSN Messenger for Windows Mobile? Zzzz...
Let's rant on a topic that's very close to my heart (and has been for a number of years): MSN Messenger for Windows Mobile is anything but great. It's a plain old client supporting multiplayer notepad, and nothing else. There is zero support for emoticons, buddy icons, file transfers and all the other bells and whistles of the MSN Messenger service. Back when Windows Mobile 5.0 was first announced, I was hoping that the inclusion of the Pocket MSN client would bring about an improvement in MSN Messenger, but sadly, it didn't.  And it's a real eye-opener when there are many third-party mobile messaging applications out there that do a better job.
Arne Hess seems to agree, and he's posted some very interesting thoughts over at the::unwired. And now it's up to you. Whatever's on your mind, let it be known.
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10-06-2005, 05:18 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 131
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Hmmm... And MS wonders why Google is taking over the industry. 
Ever since PPC 2002. I've been in awe at Pocket Messenger. Apart from the security update there has never been any significant update to PMessenger.
It's the ugliest, plainest and most featureless application I have ever seen. Which is odd, especially since Windows MOBILE is all about connectivity.
Microsoft is looking a whole lot like HP to me. They have no focus, scope or direction. They are confused. Sure they have a company goal but they definitely don't know how to get there.
If MS had pushed Pocket Media Player and given free upgrades to WMP10 I doubt the Ipod would be as popular as it is now. I don't have the numbers but I'm sure that there are more devices with Windows CE out there than there are Ipods.
Now Apple is rumoured to be releasing a video player. Every pocket pc plays videos but yet it has never been positioned as a media player.
BACK ON TOPIC..
Yes! I'm dissapointed with MS not improving PMessenger. However from my rant above it is not suprising.
Oh! and that app Pocket MSN for $19.99 is a joke. I just don't find it funny
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10-06-2005, 05:38 PM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,041
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That's why I use Trillian and Agile and willing to pay for both...
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10-06-2005, 05:46 PM
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Contributing Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,389
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I hate smiles... Why the He!! do i need a buddie icon or what ever they are called on my pocket pc? Oh i know, to waste more space. Those smiles and icons all have to be stored locally. (well maybe not the buddy one but it will have to be downloaded.)
I could use voice/video support. But smilies? come on... People used smiles just fine for years before there were goofy little yellow faces blinking and giggling at them... I use messenger on my pocket pc for communication. I don't need ausie smillies holding a mug o'suds to communicate. I refuse to install MSN messenger on my computer. Windows messenger does what anyone needs to communicate right now. I do not want my mobile messenger infested with this crap!
Sure update it with Usefull features.. I love MS portrait. Voice and video would be great. I don't use file transfer in messenger either. That is what email if for. Oh and HTML email should be a federal offence. Email should be nothing but plain text. Just imagine how much harder it would be to send annoying spam, spyware or viruese...
:P look i typed a smiley..
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10-06-2005, 05:50 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 5
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Pocket MSN is free in WM05 and Messaging (Pocket Outlook) now supports Hotmail as well. I am in noway trying to defend MS, but have you seen how much RAM MSN messenger 7.0 uses: 11Mb while it sleeps in your system tray.
Please don't let MS bloat... oops! upgrade Messenger. They can't seem to do anything with out managing to use up all free memory
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10-06-2005, 06:52 PM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 193
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I agree with JL...why do I want smilies and buddy icons on my pocket pc screen? There's jsut enough screen real estate for chatting, I don't need it further cluttered up by a static picture that serves absolutely no purpose. And the memory on our PDAs is at a premium...there's no need to waste it with smilies when a majority of the users out there don't even use the program in the first place.
And Voice/Video support? Yeah, maybe when our devices are a lot faster than they are now. I've tried voice services on my PPC before. It's a gimick at best. I don't even want to think about video.
File transfer would be alright, but again, we're talking about a program that is used by a small minority of people.
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10-06-2005, 07:02 PM
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Neophyte
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 5
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Tierran Said
Quote:
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I've tried voice services on my PPC before. It's a gimick at best.
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I use Skype for PPC regualarily and I must admit the quality is awesome and it has now started to rival my mobile phone for talk time. Even to land lines at 2 Euro Cents per minute the rate beats my phone and the quality is fantastic.
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10-06-2005, 08:06 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 49
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Just FYI on the MDA Pro (HTC Universal) T-Mobile actually managed to take out MSN altogether. The only way to use instant messaging is either to purchase (on-time fee) Pocket MSN or to use any of the other alternatives such as Agile.
(Ironically, Pocket MSN is included for free on the other Universal incarnation, the I-Mate Jasjar, so this msut have been a T-Mobile decision)
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10-06-2005, 08:41 PM
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Oracle
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 880
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Totally agree with most of the polsters here... why are you complaining about a free application... and why do you want something that has more bloat requiring more resources... Lets leave very well alone and not wake the fat bloated bear... things are fine the way they are. As long as it works... and is light... why do we want to mess with it?
This is supposed to be a mobile product... lets keep all the applications lean and mean... speed is everything... I DO NOT LIKE SEEING THE LITTLE WAIT SYMBOL... What is the point if I am going to have to wait 10-15 seconds to get a contact... etc...
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10-06-2005, 09:10 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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I guess I'll be in the minority here: I want to see a more feature-rich version of MSN Messenger. I want the same experience that I get on the desktop. I want:
1) Chat history that would sync up with my desktop chat history
2) File transfer
3) Buddy icons
4) Smileys
Microsoft is all about platforms, and MSN Messenger should have the same experience on the desktop as on the mobile device. I'm not asking for full screen "winks" or some of the other new 7.x features, but smileys are part of how I communicate in MSN Messenger, and having to assemble them on the SIP is a pain.
One of the primary reasons I don't use MSN Messenger much on my devices is because the client is so lame. It doesn't DO anything beyond the very basic chat.
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Linear Mode
