Slashdot Mirror
Preview of New MSN Hotmail
An anonymous reader writes "Here is a Preview of a new MSN Hotmail system, using AJAX. Currently in Beta testing." Most interesting is how the user interface more closely resembles a traditional local application. It's definitely a big step in that direction.
I suppose you could make the argument that if in the future software becomes more web-based, it's important to establish as much brand support as possible, because most people will follow the logos they feel more comfortable with.
Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
..... How tied is this to IE, or by some miracle will it behave exactly the same under other browsers (Firefox, Opera, etc.)?
The article doesn't seem to give any insight on this.
This is my opinion. To make sure you don't steal it, it's covered by the DMCA.
Wow, I have no idea where he pulled the "huge improvement over GMail" from. This HotMailEx just seems to be GMail with an annoying entry portal page that keeps you from your mail.
Unless he was talking about how great it is to have a right click menu. Wow, yeah, that's big.
John
There is a reason - Microsoft has a tendency to treat every user as novice to the world of computers. Result is a bloatware, which tries to do too many things for you, in of course a cute way. I bet this new version of Hotmail is not going to be much different, of course we have to see it in action; screenshots tell only so much story. I'd really hate if another one of their dogs or a pins try to act cute with me again when all I am trying to do is write a goddamn email.
I see this as a validation of biodiversity and competition. Microsoft( or yahoo ) never would have spiffed up their web mail interfaces without pressure from competition.
I have a Gmail account and use it on occassion when I don't want to use my normal POP3 account. I like some things about Gmail and don't like others. Frankly, I think the comments people post about how Gmail, Yahoo mail, etc are kind of pointless, since people will just use whatever interface they prefer. I'll stick with Gmail since I use webmail so infrequently it makes no sense to change to something else right now.
Based on the screenshots, it looks like MS has done some pretty cool stuff with this interface. I didn't spend time reading the article, but it seems like some of the features would be hard to implement perfectly across many different browsers (drag-drop support, right-click support). However, if people want to use Firefox or Opera, they have Gmail as an option for web mail.
MS isn't forcing this service on anybody, and I'm not sure if there's any way they could. So, it's a good thing then. It's got some interesting features that the other webmail services don't have, and as such it's fostering competition. Slashdotters like to talk about having choices... well, this is just one more choice to choose from.
If you don't like it, don't use it.
You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. --Winston Churchill
They call this innovation???? This is simply more of Microsoft's "embrace and extend" predatory practices. They have ripped off Google and Yahoo and are now going to take over the internet by ruining the free email service market by flooding it with this better free service. Write your congressman! Don't let them get away with this again! Save the world's free email services!
YHBT HAND
And how long will it take for MSN to change those 'Mail Beta Tip #x' graphics into obnoxious flash ads? My guess: one week after it exits beta.
It's saddening to see that the massive overhead of a big firm makes it so difficult to come up with a quick response. We're living in a fast world and while Google has the lightweight advantage over biggies like MS. The comment about things being rolled out in phases explains that they have too much on their plate and no wonders all the disgruntled developers are whining all over the net and walking away as well. I'm not sure when kahuna will be out. I've moved over to Gmail long ago (like many many others)...
Scott McNealy to Michael: "Suck my Sun!" Michael Dell to Scott : "Lick my Dell!"
Seriously, listen to what your saying. Most people are novice user's. They do not know how to untar a file, they do not know what a binary is, or how to compile. they need to learn these things. not everyone has the luxury of being born back in the 70's and growing up while computers evolved beside them.
I dont mean to be rude, but expecting everyone to be of the same skill in operating a computer is moronic. Also, treating everyone the same is best for microsoft. they have to assume the worst about a user when they give them an operating system: that they barely know how to type, just bought it from dell, and have an AOL connection. if you have a high level of skill with a computer, then you should have the competancy to customise your copy of windows as you see fit.
Well, I realize it was tounge in cheek, but here's my short list:
1. Gmailstaff doesn't spam me with messages pimping all those features in GSN that I'm missing out on.
2. My Gmail account won't go away if I don't check it for a month.
3. My Gmail account doesn't use a cruddy, intrusive authentication system like Passport.
4. My Gmail account rarely has spam in it.
http://patcavit.com/2005/09/14/y-mail-beta-impress ions/
Looks VERY sharp.
Now, which one wins on FUNCTIONALITY? Dunno. That's obviously what matters most, but if we're going to talk about which looks most desktop-like, I think Yahoo! takes the crown, for now.
If a pion (n-) collides with a proton in the woods & noone is there to hear it, does lamdba decay into the source pa
The what?
On second thought.. it'd be great to have an accelerator connected to all the fans in the case. Especially the 120x120mm ones. WhhhooOOOmmmm!
True confidence comes not from realising you are as good as your peers, but that your peers are as bad as you are.
I see no problem with treating users like novices as the default settings... in fact, I think that's the way it should be. If you're not a novice, you should know how to change settings (though it is a little annoying to have to go into every computer I use and set explorer to show me everything).
What annoys me most about Microsoft (not that this is the only thing) is that they move things around in the advanced settings constantly and for no apparent reason. I mean seriously, network identification doesn't belong in the network properties why? Maybe some day I'll stop looking there... but it won't be where it is now by then!
Life has many choices. Eternity has two. What's yours?
The Open Source Zimbra AJAX email server/client is news. When MSN develops a commercial application, that's just an advertisement. Well, I guess you can use it as a confirmation that it's the direction email is going, since commercial vendors are deploying the technologies.
Can You Say Linux? I Knew That You Could.
Microsoft treats users as novices who are stupid. Apple treats users as novices with the ability to learn.
... It's still a big juicy turd. I'll never go back to Hotmail. Ever. Why? I had an account long before Microsoft bought them. It was really nice back then since webmail was brand new. Compare then and now:
Then:
1. No cookies. Period.
2. No Javascript required. Any browser worked.
3. Free POP3 access.
4. Free auto-forwarding to any other account.
5. Almost no ads. Just a short tag line in sent e-mails and maybe one graphical ad per page at the most.
6. No limit to how long you can be away. I was away from the Internet for 3 to 4 months and still had my account and all e-mails when I came back.
Now:
1. Cookies galore.
2. Javascript everywhere. Must have certain browsers just to log in, along with Javascript enabled.
3. No free POP3 access without paying and/or using proprietary software.
4. Cannot auto-forward to another account.
5. Ads everywhere, including the annoying Shockwave flash ones.
6. Lose all your e-mails if you don't log in every 30 days or so.
7. Hotmail deletes all your sent messages -- That was the final straw one day when I lost all sent messages.
8. Far less storage than the competition and always behind in features.
9. Far more spam.
10. Not enough filters.
Now excuse me, why should I go back to Hotmail after switching to Yahoo and Gmail eons ago?
Why wasn't Microsoft first off the block with public AJAX webmail too?
Competition.
Or the lack of it.
Until Gmail came along and sexed up the rather stagnant freemail market, MS was happy to keep doing the bare minimum to keep going. See mozilla vs internet-explorer for a similar situation.
There is a script for Greasemonkey for Firefox that provides this functionality.
k ey-netflix-queue-manager to see it.
Check out http://badsegue.org/archives/2005/06/04/greasemon
Perhaps the source for this is a bit easier to figure out than the one MS implemented. I looked briefly at the Javascript but did not analyze it. It is well formatted and documented.
Simply stating [Citation Needed] does not automatically make you insightful or brilliant.