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MSN Client for Mac OS X

Posted by pudge on from the o-k dept.

DrJonesAC2 writes "MSN has released its software client for Mac OS X today. This software functions just like the PC version with a few exceptions (like chat and money). This software launch has its glitches, however; you cannot download it from Microsoft's Mac site you need to go here to get it."

12 of 77 comments (clear)

  1. Does anyone care? by osxuser-02 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Seems kinda strange to use MSN on a Mac. There are plenty of ISP options for Mac which would be either cheaper, or have more options for Mac users. Why have MSN if it's a crippled version?

    --

    I went to college for this?...

    1. Re:Does anyone care? by goombah99 · · Score: 4, Informative

      yes, Because QWEST provides dsl via MSN, so its natural to be part of MSN.

      Setting aside issues about the evil empire, Microsoft products on mac frequently dont suck. (e.g. look at office) or at least they dont suck as bad like they do on windows platforms. Microsoft's mac unit often puts the rest of the comany to shame.

      --
      Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
    2. Re:Does anyone care? by MoCycleGeek · · Score: 4, Informative

      There are some companies who use MSN for their off-site dialup access (Don't ask my why when there are cheaper alternatives).

      With MSN for OSX the folks at those companies can use the 'approved' access method insted of having to poney up for their own dialup access. Esp helpful these days when most of the people I work with don't have their own dialup accounts anymore becuase they have switched to DSL/Cable at home for their Internet access.

    3. Re:Does anyone care? by osxuser-02 · · Score: 5, Informative

      You don't have to use MSN broadband with Qwest. I have DSL thru Qwest and use a third-party ISP (4dv.net). Not so much for the anti-M$ reasons, but because I get more features. MSN DSL still won't let you use gameservers or set up your own webserver.

      --

      I went to college for this?...

    4. Re:Does anyone care? by sg3000 · · Score: 4, Informative

      > Microsoft products on Mac frequently don't suck

      Shows the value of competition. Microsoft has to work as hard at the Mac market as any other software maker, so they're forced to compete. As a result, Office v.X was one of the first carbonized Mac applications (and used quite a few Mac OS X-specific features). Entourage is cool, Excel is really cool on the Mac, Word is okay, and PowerPoint is well ... tolerable. But they're obviously trying.

      --
      Insert simplistic political, ideological, or personal proselytization here.
  2. What's MSN? by joto · · Score: 3, Funny

    I thought it was a TV-channel of some kind. Or maybe some website. Oh no, now I remember, it was that extra icon that came with Windows 98 nobody used... Is that the client that is now ported to Mac OS X? I guess they'll be raving about it then... Lucky mac-users...

    1. Re:What's MSN? by redtail1 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Microsoft Shopping Network, isn't it?

  3. microsoft? by bobba22 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Not having any MS software on my computer makes me feel a bit less "big-brothered". Apple provides me with useful tools for what I need to work/play. If MSN is what I think it is, I'm not sure they haven't been wasting their time as the target audience is certainly going to be a lot more clued-in than the general wintel user. I think people use apple to escape from products like MSN and .net. OS X is rapidy approaching the point where a virtual PC or MS software in general just isn't needed. Thanks, but no thanks.

  4. Re:Important development by cmoney · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yes, but it's very easy to produce an OS X app that doesn't have anything to do with BSD. So MS producing an OS X app in and of itself shows no bearing on whether they'll be producing BSD (or OSS) apps in the future.

  5. I've been waiting to switch... by heldlikesound · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...to OSX, but this was the one killer app I needed!

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    Cloud City Digital: DVD Production at its cheapest/finest
  6. define irony by branchstudios · · Score: 3, Funny

    Isn't frustration with MS one of the reasons most people move to Mac/Linux?

    I just can't see all those Mac users saying "mmm... finally, secure computing!"

  7. Re:Which browser does it embed? by pmsyyz · · Score: 3, Informative

    Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; PPC Mac OS X 10.2.6; Tasman 0.9; MSN 8.0; MSN Explorer 2.0; MSNbMSN; MSNmen-us; MSNc11)

    Wow, even longer than most Gecko user agents: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.0; en-US; rv:1.4b) Gecko/20030513 Mozilla Firebird/0.6

    Thanks. So the answer is Tasman, the Mac IE engine. But 0.9? Either the Mac IE team didn't think Tasman never was 1.0 material or the MSN people forked it earlier. The former I think considering how long it has been out. Maybe the version of Tasman in the current Mac IE (5.12 I think) is even lower than 0.9. It is strange that it calls itself MSIE 6.0 though.

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    Phillip