Windows Live beta: Who Doesn’t Like New Stuff?
I like new stuff: new shoes, new car, new jeans, new hair-do, new softball bat, shoot, I even enjoy a new toothbrush. There’s something about picking out the features you need, or want, and selecting a product or item that fulfills these criteria.
When looking for a new product to satisfy a need there’s a fair amount of research that comes along with choosing this new item. The final product must satisfy a majority, if not all, of your criteria, and when you bring it home and use it, you must feel satisfied that you made the right choice.
Now, there are times that we settle, or become comfortable with our “old familiars” – that comfortable old pair of shoes, old jeans, old boyfriend, old toothbrush, or even old search engine.
MSN has been around for a long time. For awhile, it was the old familiar that people returned to because it was their pre-set default homepage when they began their internet browsing. Having been outdone by Google and Yahoo! in past years, MSN is currently making an attempt to really get back in the game.
Windows Live is the new search engine that will very soon be replacing MSN search. Still in beta, this new tool offers users a whole new set of features that are intended to improve their users’ experience and MSN’s current standings in the search engine war.
Not being one to be overly critical of people or companies trying to break out of their current rut, I will simply say that some of the new features are familiar:
- Windows Live Local
- Windows Live Search
- Windows Live Messenger
- Windows Live Mail
- Windows Live Spaces
The new dashboard and architecture of Windows Live gives users some new features to interact with, breaking away from MSN’s time-tested interface and tool box. While many of the features are currently available to test out in the beta version, Microsoft does have plans for Windows Live. According to George Moore, the General Manager for the Windows Live Developer Platform, we have a lot to look forward to in Windows Live.
I am curious how this new tool will be accepted and how users will feel about the new-ish features offered here. If you have anything to say about the features, usability, or tools of Windows Live, please post your comments.
