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Microsoft Messenger 8 reaches beta, adds video chat

by Michael Rose Mar 24th 2010 at 7:00PM

It was several months ago when Microsoft last updated us on the progress of videoconferencing capability within Messenger for Mac; while version 7 added A/V support for corporate accounts connected to Live Communications Server, the crowd of personal users who connect to MSN/Windows Live were left out of the fun. Happy days are here again, though: a beta version of Messenger for Mac 8 is now available, and it adds A/V chat as well as interoperability with Windows Live Messenger 2009.

The app isn't free of rough edges yet, but MS decided to let it out in its current beta state rather than have users wait until Office for Mac 2011 ships around the holidays. How thoughtful!

You can download the beta from the Microsoft Mac site. It requires Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, and only runs on Intel Macs.

Thanks to Nik & Chris P.

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It was several months ago when Microsoft last updated us on the progress of videoconferencing capability within Messenger for Mac; while...
 

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Neil

"corporate accounts are disabled in this beta"

March 25 2010 at 10:18 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
ErikGil

Welcome to the social!

March 25 2010 at 8:34 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Skaro

I agree with most of the comments here. A/V support is nice, but the rest of the app is really flaky (even for a beta) and lacks other features. Most of the comments I've read about the beta on various sites are pretty much the same - most negative and most people have moved on or found a better way to connect to Live Messenger (e.g. iChat and Jabber).

Maybe between now and the Office:2011 coming out the MacBU will listen to the feedback and Messenger:Mac a better product.

March 25 2010 at 8:06 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Dano

i'm not the first to say this, and won't be the last - this feature comes way too late! I don't even use MSN Messenger any more. There is just no need to use it because there are so many other options. Meh.

March 25 2010 at 5:23 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
pika2000

You know what, at this point in time, everybody is using Skype already.

March 25 2010 at 3:26 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
JDavila

Is not only a flaky beta, is full of flaws on things that were kinda 'working' before... what's the idea???

March 24 2010 at 11:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Isaac Moore

The A/V Support doesnt even work...Awesome.

March 24 2010 at 10:18 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Robbie Liu

seems like the avatar feature is broken. I can't set my display picture or see others' pictures.

anyone else?

March 24 2010 at 10:04 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
James Burton

When I first read this I thought "great, now I can quit using VMWare to run Windows just to use Messenger". But this beta won't even do the simplest things for me, can't even set a display picture. Disappointing.

The day FaceBook integrates Video chat into a chat application will be the day they totally rule the world, and Microsoft Messenger will be dead in the water.

March 24 2010 at 9:50 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Mark

I'll consider it when it does basic things, you know, like OFFLINE MESSAGES.

March 24 2010 at 8:25 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Mark's comment
James Burton

I totally agree, besides Video chat support this is the second most important thing that bothers me.

Not being able to reply to a message just cause someone has gone offline makes me look like the jerk, instead of Microsoft.

March 24 2010 at 9:52 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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