Yahoo discontinues Vista-optimized IM program

Yahoo Messenger for Vista, now discontinued, offered richer graphics that took advantage of Vista's Windows Presentation Foundation engine.

(Credit: Yahoo)

One of the first applications designed to run only on Windows Vista has been discontinued.

Yahoo said on Friday that it has stopped development of Yahoo Messenger for Vista, a Vista-specific version of its instant-messaging program.

The custom implementation of Yahoo Messenger was one of the earliest, most mainstream, and highest profile programs to only run on Windows Vista.

"Yahoo has made the strategic decision to discontinue external releases of the stand-alone Yahoo Messenger for Vista client and focus on delivering one Windows experience that is optimized for Windows users today," Yahoo's Terrell Karlsten said in a statement to CNET News. "This decision will help Yahoo increase efficiencies and deliver one consistent, full-featured solution for Windows users--whether they are using XP or Vista."

Yahoo released a public preview version in December and issued a beta version in March. The Internet company won't stop users who have already downloaded the program from continuing to use it, but it won't be offering any further updates.

"Moving forward we encourage Vista users to download our full-featured Yahoo Messenger 9.0 client, which is compatible with XP and Vista," Karlsten said.

Yahoo also said it will continue to experiment with Windows Presentation Foundation, the graphics layer that powers Windows Vista.

[emmanuelhuna]

Applications written on WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) can run both on XP and Vista.

WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) is part of the .NET Framework 3.0, a collection of libraries that make it easier for developers to write application for Windows. All current versions of the .NET Framework (1.0, 1.1, 3.0 and 3.5) can be installed on XP and Vista.

This seems like an anti-Vista article - it's easy to bash Vista without doing your research. The reason Yahoo probably dropped this project is that they are running out of money, it's probably not a statement on their dislike of Vista.

Emmanuel Huna
www.ehuna.org

[brightstarbeing]

Despite not being a fan of Vista, I think the canning of this version of Yahoo Messenger is a shame. It was a promising way to show off the functionality Vista had and XP didn't. But I guess now it also shows what a failure Vista has become.

[tuneslover]

"it also shows what a failure Vista has become." not really, it's actually "what a failure Yahoo has become, they(Yahoo) coundn't develop WPF feaured softwate, Shame! Yahooo! Shame!"

[jblogg]

I'm with you on this one. Vista has a lot of potential, and I was hopeful that Yahoo would really create a nice messenger to show some of the bells and whistle off. I think Yahoo was smart, though. Sometimes you have to make sure the main thing stays the main thing.

As nice as the extra feature could have been, let's face it, it's an instant messenger. 95% of all that people us it for is to chat.

Justyn
www.brosix.com

[Mr. Dee]

Is this the best they can do to step on Ballmers two? Nobody was using it anyway, but it was quite interesting though. Another case that WPF is a failure.

[ittesi259]

Regardless of the way article comes off as Anti-Vista....Yahoo's financial problems are well known and since they have a full version that will work with Vista if not optimized for it, why invest the time and money when you are struggling. Also, yes WPF may work both ways....but again why invest the time and money when your company is almost barely hanging on.

[kenpm]

Emmanuel, you're right, WPF is not only a Vista API - it works fine on WIndows XP. The basic difference is that, with Aero enabled, the UI can take advantage of hardware acceleration when rendering in Vista.

Ina, if you could spend some more time learning about the specifics of the technology you write about that would be great. If CNET doesn't give you that time then shame on them. Your articles don't come across as being written by someone very familiar with the subject matter.

[basraw]

I never knew about this version. I just have plain Y! messenger installed on my vista laptop.

[Gunady]

Yahoo Messenger for Vista is horrible.. It's slow and sluggish, with bugs here and there. If it's used to showcase the power of WPF or even Vista, it's just totally wrong.. So, lucky that it's discontinued.

[gsmiller88]

Well good, now maybe they can finalize the almost two year old Mac version.

[RighteousSoutherner]

It never worked, was always in beta from I remember and will be no loss. Yahoo is a disaster in the making!

[The_Decider]

The pathetic thing is that Yahoo could make a full-featured client that will run on XP, Vista, OSX, and Linux without any real additional work or testing.

[Vegaman_Dan]

It's hard enough to get YIM running without it installing tons of unwanted secondary products like their toolbar. I prefer third party clients like Trillian to be a one stop app for all my IM needs.

[ase004]

why am I not surprised......Microsoft has already pissed up ol'web dude Yahoo (while they tried to do the hostile take over)

http://www.livbit.com

[monkeyfun14]

Hostile? lmao

[Imalittleteapot]

I think the program looked sweet. The only reason I didn't use it however is I use Pidgin. If I actually had to install a separate messenger for all my accounts I'd have to install like 7 or 8 messengers and that's just messed up.

Reading between the lines, or straight up, Vista is (a failure) used by a minority of users. I really wish MS would just face it, and realize Vista is another Windows ME...sweep it under the rug...and get on with the next Windows.

[IanCaithness]

I believe that, given the recent media that relates to the focus on Windows 7, Microsoft have that exact intention. On numerous occasions, Microsoft executives have accepted the failures of Windows Vista. In fact, the media has endorsed the focus which Microsoft is placing on Windows 7 which is set to be a complete detachment from the features of Windows Vista.

[msriflegirl]

Unfortunate for me. The regular Yahoo version stopped working on my laptop and the Vista specific version was the only thing I could get to work. Maybe I will go to Pidgin or trillian or something similar.

[i_made_this]

Emmanuel is spot-on about the technology. Others have elaborated about the more visually attractive GUI running under Vista.

But the point is Yahoo's broke and desperate. They were taking lots of annual infusions of investment money from MSFT until 2008, when Redmond finally turned off the spigot. Now, GOOG's the new partner-of-choice with Yahoo, and I'm fairly certain that Google's effectively running Yahoo much differently than Microsoft used to do.

In the matter of YIM, I sense that Google may have thankfully convinced Yahoo of the wisdom of pursuing the Jabber core. If my guess is right, we may see a Jabber-based Yahoo IM that behaves something like GTalk by this coming spring 2009.

[John Howell]

Just goes to show that putting a nice gui on a pigs ear still wont get people using it.

[0zSpit]

people still use XP and yahoo? what century is this? is this how poor people with minimal ran still get on the internet? don't the lowly XPers know that windows7 will be another version of vista? what will their lame excuse be now? lol @ the XPers and their minimum wage income

[_merantron_]

One solid proof of vista failure..

[ICHOOSETOTELLTHETRUTH]

I have a Vista, and see no problems with it, but there are haters for everything. Think God for private surroundings are they would be in our living rooms complaining. At least here we can by-pass them without hurting their feelings.
But I just got to say this before I by-pass this, that Yahoo is not that great. With today's tech, money and power. There will be a day when people stop using Yahoo and stay elsewhere online.
Another mishap by Yahoo.

[redsoxfan2009]

yahoo 9.0 will not work on my computer either(vista). So i guess i'll have to find a new messenger service also. I already have windows messenger, but some of the people i talk to, don't have windows messenger. Yahoo is trying to figure out why it will not work, but no luck yet.