Comments on: Windows Live hits the toddler stage

In an interview, Windows Live exec Chris Jones talks about what the 2-year-old is up to and comments on another youngster--Apple's iPhone.

[jscott418]

Live the bastard child of Microsoft

I am sorry but the Live service is dead to me. Unless your a 100%
Microsoft user. You will at the very least have problems
accessing some of the Live services. I used to like Hotmail but
after switching over to Mac for my personal computer. I found
out that not only is Safari browser not supported by Microsoft
with Hotmail Live but Firefox is also having problems with the
service. Oh, of course IE 6 and 7 both work perfectly. Imagine
that? Well, Microsoft I think your just pushing people further
away from being Microsoft product user's.

[wolivere]

?? I'm on Safari at this moment

And I have no issues with hotmail or live. I use Firefox both beta,
and 2 with no issue with my hotmail either.

Maybe its the classic keyboard input device at fault?

I aslo use my Live/MSN on my celll service with no issues. *shrug*

[Microsoft_Facts]

Ditto on the "Windows Dead" service

I knew of one person who used it once, until a non-Microsoft, (i.e. better performing, compatible with his cell, safer) groupware system was implemented at his office.

Which is a higher number, users of MS Dead or people whose favorite sandwich is liverwurst and sardines? That's a tough one.

[quikboy2]

What does it have to do with Windows Live?

What was he using before? Can you be a bit specific?

Or are you just making this stuff up as you go along? Because it's not working.

[ulric2]

Work fine, nothing special, on the Mac or FireFox

Over the last 3 years, I've use Windows Live Hotmail with from my Macs at home. No problem. Use it daily. I use it with Firefox at work on windows at home on the mac.

Now, IMHO, the big mistake that Microsoft has done is brand everything Windows Live. MSN Messenger is a very strong brand. In fact for many people 'MSN' has become a verb for IM, like google is for search!

I think the Microsoft people are completely out of their minds for trashing this brand.

They clearly don't know what they are doing: there is no point in branding internet services with "Windows", it sounds backwards to consumers.

It's not selling any more windows, which is already dominant, and doesn't need to be pushed anymore. These guys don't understand brands, they seem to be naming things around their internal corporate structure. You don't trash something that you have built and that's already been burned in consumer's mind.

[markab21]

Lock-in on my desktop.. fool me once...

Every year it seems that I'm connecting online with more and more dispirit devices, from cell phones to Macs to Nintendo Wii's running Opera.

Microsoft has proven to me by 15 years of actions that they are sincerely not interested in making services universally available through superior offerings but hook-and-hold cross-sales of complimentery products.

Oh, you want to use Windows Live? Better be using IE 7. Want to use IE 7, well.. your going to have to be running XP/Vista, or we have a nice windows phone XXX that you'll love! It's sure to work with that services. etc etc.


The reality of it is I think people are just tired of being sucked into services that in many cases are superior to competitors, only to be forced to use other products that are vastly inferior as a side effect.

Because I have been caught in this trap many times, I've resorted to trusting providers such as google for my online services (Gmail, photos, etc) and only resort to Microsoft services for things that are absolutely critical or there are zero alternatives, despite the technical merit of the product Microsoft has.

I imagine it will take a while for Microsoft to rebuild trust with many people before services such as Live take off like a wild-fire, in the same manner that Google's services have attracted people in droves.

[quikboy2]

Priorities...and it's not like Apple doesn't do the same

Apple's lock-in system is worse. iTunes to iPod. Must have a Mac to do OS X. All these requirements are also just as bad.

And Google isn't that better of an alternative. Google's notorious for using private data to help adSense advertisers, and some people wouldn't feel safe that advertisers have a big eye watching them.

And Microsoft is still working on a lot of their Live stuff. Some of them aren't even good enough to move on, while some are. It's a work in progress, and until they finish, then would they start moving up.

[ncalishome]

Live Search

I use Live Search for images but that's it. I'm all about the best tool for my job (whatever makes my life easier) and their image search works great in Firefox, and has some very useful features.

I don't know what all this talk about cross browser/platform is all about... My wife (as novice a user as you are likely to find) uses Hotmail on her MacBook almost daily and seems to do just fine. Can someone cite a specific example? Not saying you're wrong, but what I've seen works, but I have not seen much other than image search and Hotmail.

[quikboy2]

Video search is also a must try

I have to agree. Image Search rocks.

Video Search is also pretty neat. On most video thumbnails, you can hover over them, and a preview plays, right in the results.

You can also favorite them if you have a Live ID. And Video Search doesn't just look at YouTube, but practically ALL video sites.

And their web search is getting as good as Google's as well. They beefed up their index, and they're also putting the same extended links Google has had for awhile. And the Instant Answers they have is also a plus to me.

Isn't competition great? I love alternatives.

[wolivere]

Well according to sites that track this information

Skype is #1 at 220mil Live is #2 at 157mil users.

[frankwick]

I have Photo Gallery & Mail and I like them!

I've used the beta of both products and I find them refreshing and very unmicrosoft like. I take a lot of Photos and have used various cataloging tools (like Photoshop Album) but I find Live Photo Gallery to be the fastest. It doesn't have 100% the features others have, but it is indeed a great start. It has tagging, time-based views, simple image correction, publish to Flickr, etc... You can select various images and "send as photo mail."

You can see the OE roots in Live Mail, but it is a new product. I have been using this in various beta forms for about 6 months and it is now my exclusive POP mail client. The junk mail controls are superb! The Photo mail is very cool (similar to that in Outlook 2007 but not as bloated).

The downside is that I believe you need MS Desktop Search installed for the near instantaneous photo and mail indexing. I'm not 100% sure on this requirement since I was switching back and forth between Google and MS Search anyway. If you really prefer Google or Yahoo search over MS, then you will need to decide if running these new Live apps is worth jumping ship. To me, I saw no real difference between Google and MS, so there was no decision to be made -- I'll stick with MS Search to run these two other products. I think running multiple indexers would be dumb.

[t8]

Your quote:

"I saw no real difference between Google and MS"

There is a difference.

Microsoft is evil.

[blueyes123]

Like most windows products-CRAP

Slowest on the web, many clicks give you a can not find page. Real improvement?

[quikboy2]

You're joking right?

Ok, I don't usually defend a product, but I can't stand lies either.

Live Search isn't slow. I don't see how. I've used Live Search and Google Search side-by-side, and both find queries in less than a second. How's that slow?

And the links I click, not surprisingly, go to a web page.

So either you're making this up, or you're an idiot. Maybe both.

[cyndirandy]

Kudos to Windows Live

I have just started using their new Windows Live Mail ( not my Live hotmail ) and LOVE IT!!!All my E-Mail accts. on 1 page, on the desk top and I can auto sign in. More options than I ever knew e-mail could have. It's absolutely wonderful. Try it!!!!

[t8]

Your a Microsoft employee right

Would you use it if you were not getting paid by them?

[t8]

Your a Microsoft employee right!

Would you use it if you were not getting paid by them?

[dminott]

Windows Live OneCare

I've been using Windows Live OneCare for several months now, and it certainly makes life easier when backing up my laptop, my Wife's laptop and my Daughter's laptop. It is relatively unobtrusive and (so far) has offered great system protection. I haven't used the online photo storage capability, but I iagine that it could be useful for those with limited hard drive space.

Dave

[quikboy2]

Try Video search too. It's also pretty neat.

I have to agree. Image Search rocks.

Video Search is also pretty neat. On most video thumbnails, you can hover over them, and a preview plays, right in the results.

You can also favorite them if you have a Live ID. And Video Search doesn't just look at YouTube, but practically ALL video sites.

And their web search is getting as good as Google's as well. They beefed up their index, and they're also putting the same extended links Google has had for awhile. And the Instant Answers they have is also a plus to me.

Isn't competition great? I love alternatives.