Microsoft Launches 'New' Chat Service

Advertisement (Why?)

Although the Microsoft.com chat service has been around for quite some time it has always relied on the MSN Chat ActiveX control. This had many restrictions. Users couldn't connect behind most corporate firewalls because the ActiveX control connected them to an IRC server effectively. The chat has now been revamped and over the coming weeks will be rolled out across all Microsoft chats and Tech-Net chats.

This is great news for those working at the time the chats are on. The new design is cleaner, requires no ActiveX control and most importantly connects using the HTTP protocol. Since the chat doesn't work in Firefox; Jana Carter (Technical Chat Product Manager) let us know that Microsoft are looking into increasing browser support in upcoming releases. A new addition to the chat is that you authenticate using .NET Passport. This makes it easier for chat moderators to ensure you are who you claim to be and to filter out individuals not sticking to chat rules.

Feel free to check out the new chat service by following the URL below. Microsoft welcome any feedback about the new service so please leave comments and we will ensure they're fed back. Thank you.

View: Windows XP Expert Zone Chat Room

He added:
Copyright law is fine. We just need to enforce it in a more enlightened way.
I do not have kids and I do not have a car but I do not have any objection to paying for roads and schools because it is better that they are there rather than not.

He concluded that the idea of a surcharge was winning the broad backing of many in the music industry including legendary figure Tony Wilson formerly of Factory Records.

#1 todd` on 21 Sep 2004 - 19:12

this is a lot nicer than the old chat.. i hated that activex control

#2 sperm on 21 Sep 2004 - 19:18

QUOTE

Although the Microsoft.com chat service has been around for quiet some time

should be "quite"

cool beans

(2 replies) #3 markjensen on 21 Sep 2004 - 19:19

Since the chat doesn't work in Firefox; Jana Carter (Technical Chat Product Manager) let us know that Microsoft are looking into increasing browser support in upcoming releases.

I don't believe my ears! Errr.. eyes.

#3.1 amdme3200 on 21 Sep 2004 - 19:42

HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH

#3.2 xinok on 22 Sep 2004 - 04:29

lol, I was thinking the same thing when I read it

#4 figgy on 21 Sep 2004 - 19:22

Looks very nice.
I like it!

(3 replies) #5 Ramses on 21 Sep 2004 - 19:22

The new design is cleaner, requires no ActiveX control and most importantly connects using the HTTP protocol

Since the chat doesn't work in Firefox; Jana Carter (Technical Chat Product Manager) let us know that Microsoft are looking into increasing browser support in upcoming releases

Why not using Java chat then? That way it will work on all Java supported platforms.

Should this not be because Microsoft doesn't own Sun?

With kind regards

Ramses (will follow the c0de - Assembly, the language of the Gods!)

#5.1 figgy on 21 Sep 2004 - 19:25

Flash would be better option than Java.
I had lot of trouble creating Java applets which work on all platforms.
Flash is faster and the tools make it easy to build.

Anyways, I think Microsoft chose the best option- plain HTML.

#5.2 beardly on 21 Sep 2004 - 21:16

Having to have Java installed just to chat would suck ass. I'm not saying that Java is the devil or anything, I hvae it installed and use a few programs that rely on it. For this purpose, Java should not be used.

#5.3 ICMP ECHO() on 22 Sep 2004 - 03:30

You're forgetting that a java client would still use a blocked port or need access to a port that isn't blocked by NAT still. This isn't about browser support, although they think it would be a nice thing to have at the same time since a lot of IT Professionals don't use their entry-level browser product anymore.

#6 ramesees on 21 Sep 2004 - 19:25

Anyone have any idea how long each session lasts?

Seems to time out after a minute of inactivity...hmm

#7 107E on 21 Sep 2004 - 19:54

i filed a bug report

#8 webdenis12 on 21 Sep 2004 - 19:55

^^ that is not news to me

(2 replies) #9 fuzzy_logic on 21 Sep 2004 - 20:05

Doesn't support Firefox...

#9.1 koocha on 22 Sep 2004 - 14:45

you're right:

#9.2 neufuse on 22 Sep 2004 - 15:42

ironic that netscape 6.2 works which is based on the mozilla engine

#10 Zetter on 21 Sep 2004 - 20:14

The chat room does load if you change the user agent in firefox... just not very well

#11 fubarshibby on 21 Sep 2004 - 20:20

Hey, at least they are supposed to increase browser support... That's a first for MS. Their website looks like sh*t in anything but IE, yet they decide to add multibrowser support to their chat.

#12 Rockett15 on 21 Sep 2004 - 20:40

Sorry, There Was a Problem Loading the Chat Application.
Microsoft.com Chat is not currently compatible with your Internet browser and/or computer operating system.

still only for t3h 1337 IE, Netscape and Safari users

Heaven forbid you use Firefox or Opera.. that would be too non-microsoft

(2 replies) #13 beardly on 21 Sep 2004 - 21:18

Windows XP Expert Zone Chat Room has reached the maximum number of users. Please try again later.

DOH!! Seems like they are limiting users just like with their web messenger.

#13.1 doubledragonxz on 21 Sep 2004 - 22:12

really? I log in to webmessenger everytime I want no prob.

Last edited by 54552 on 21 Sep 2004 - 23:46

#13.2 dandin1 on 21 Sep 2004 - 22:44

That's not a good thing, when there's expert zone chats there's usually up to 70 people in there, and the limit right now is 40

(2 replies) #14 CdCViRus on 21 Sep 2004 - 22:17

i hope they don't support firefox/mozilla
if they support any other browser, such as opera, netscape, safari, whatever, that's fine with me. but not mozilla/firefox

#14.1 markjensen on 21 Sep 2004 - 22:43

Yes... Instead of making a good, standards-compliant, cross-platform application, they should deliberately break it for a specific browser.

#14.2 doubledragonxz on 21 Sep 2004 - 23:49

#14, and that would be because...?

#15 dandin1 on 21 Sep 2004 - 23:04

Well, it seems to me that this isn't nessesairly good. Sure there's no activeX control and the design is cleaner, but they removed alot of features. In fact, they remove ALOT of features. You can't put colors in your name (that was good for recognising people), can't TIME someone, tag a user, use / commands, etc.

#16 tiagosilva29 on 22 Sep 2004 - 01:04

It's good.

I just got banned permanently from there.

(3 replies) #17 neo_joel on 22 Sep 2004 - 01:51

I miss how the old MSchat used to be

, free!!!. Microsoft lost so many chatters when they decided to make it so you have to pay to have a damn chatroom, if you ask me thats retarded on microsofts side

#17.1 Jugalator on 22 Sep 2004 - 07:08

You have to pay for it AND login via passport?
Hmm, what awesome features does this chat have then?

Any screenshots of this latest version?

#17.2 neo_joel on 22 Sep 2004 - 23:08

No its free to get a Passport ID, but u have to pay for the chatrooms if u wish to create one, at least thats the way it is for me anyways.

#17.3 dandin1 on 22 Sep 2004 - 23:57

You have to pay to create chatrooms (suscriber or something) to make a chatroom on MSN chats. You can still join chats.
Just to make it clear, that's not the same thing as the chat in this article, that one is free and (I think) only requires a passport.

#18 chorpeac on 22 Sep 2004 - 03:08

cool. looks like a nice app. Got an error when I tried to sign out though

#19 MrRogers on 22 Sep 2004 - 18:20

Nice. I like the add code feature. They need to add that to MSN Messenger or something like it.

Commenting has either been disabled on this article or you are not logged in. Click here to login or register, its free!

Note: Anonymous commenting is disabled in order to keep the quality of responses to a high standard.

Neowin.net