MLapointe Posted July 1, 2002 Share Posted July 1, 2002 Any news on MSN Explorer version 8. Availability Features and so forth. edit: To save a second post do any of you know about the status of Microsoft's new Windows Media "Corona" technologies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Paulstorm Posted July 6, 2002 Share Posted July 6, 2002 Okay...let me preface this by saying I can't say as much as I would like to. Any news on MSN Explorer version 8. AvailabilityWe're looking at early October...shortly after the Fall Internet World conference in New York City.For 'Corona' information, I would check out Paul Thurrott's preview @ http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/corona.asp. Out at end of Augest... The newest version of MSN Explorer still uses the candy style icons and UI look. *whistles* CoolShady is correct, those 'screenshots' are not MSN Explorer 8. That was a proof of concept video created in late 1999 for the Forum 2000 meeting in July 2000. There was no actual code behind those 'screenshots'. The designs were based on what the Mars (MSN Explorer) team had accomplished thus far...with a bit of an eye towards the future. I think the overall MSN design is very creative & innovative. The "shark fin" & tabbed design elements introduced last summer has been copied on any of a number of sites. As for MSN Explorer itself...the UI has largely remained untouched since the initial introduction of the product. The next version revamps the UI (and looks a bit more professional in the process)..the "GAY" pastel colors are toned down. The MSN Explorer paradigm will shift to a more task-based orientation from here on out. MSN Explorer will be able to help users get more out of the various MSN sites & services. You see that to an extent today...having spell check for MSN Hotmail...taking advantage of having a software platform. That basic idea is being expanded upon...afterall, that was the promise of MSN Explorer from the start. Here is neat little page about the design work that goes into MSN sites & services. http://www.microsoft.com/careers/design/workMSN.htm Be sure to check out Tjeerd Hoek, a product design manager for MSN. What is on the list, or already included: New "Dr. Watson" (software that monitors quality of service, and upon any crash reports the data to the Mars Data Center), a totally revamped Mail Center which will be able to integrate with other mail (voice or data!) services (imagine going to one inbox to view email and voicemail from multiple sources. Verizon is currently in testing with Microsoft with this.), revamped media player integration, revamped user tile interface, new screensaver functionality, new theming functionality (how open and accessible the theming functionality will be is not spec'd out yet), new "task-based" templates to send photos/files, and new richer email editing features. It will also integrate with .NET My Services allowing for new roaming and shared calendaring, new personal lists, and much more. There is work on integrating "natural language" instrumentation...meaning "speaking" or ordering MSN Explorer to do this task or that task. Since this has just started, there is doubts that this will be included on this release. Along similar lines,work is progressing on a consumer (MSN) focused .NET My Services Personal Information (PIM) client separate from MSN Explorer. There will also be a PIM client focused on knowledge workers, and one available for the Pocket PC too. Well...we all know how the testing with Verizon went, don't we. ;-) It went so well, that they have reached an alliance across a broad range of products. Other baby bells are very nervous about this development. SBC is even considering a lawsuit I believe. (notable: SBC is partnered with Yahoo!)Since December, .NET My Services has taken a fall from grace. The concept is being redesigned with the idea that it will be third-parties...and not Microsoft that will host a majority of .NET My Services. Example...Washington Mutual can create & host their own .NET My Services. MSN Explorer 8 has the plumming basically ready when that day comes. That said, MSN will host several services of their own...and will plug into MSN Explorer the day it is released. The natural language work continues...but will not appear in MSN Explorer 8. Work has begun on the Pocket PC "version" of MSN Explorer. Hopefully they will take that kinda direction. The way the side bar is on the right, thats kinda like what Paul thorret mentioned in his article on Longhorn, about long horn having a bar on the right handside with net content. Yep...the technology platform behind that is called the Universal Canvas. I hear that Bill Gates himself is a champion of this effort. It goes like this...you're within MSN Explorer...someone sends you a word file of homework. You can just click on the attachment, and the file loads within MSN Explorer. The UI morphs to present you with the neccessary tools to edit the document...but you are still within MSN Explorer...within eyeshot of your mail, contacts, or what have you. Since you are still within MSN Explorer...you can take advantage of that to invite a classmate to instantly start group editing the document. Need to insert a picture in the document? Click on the My Photos button in MSN Explorer. A page loads with two panes..one showing your online folder full of pictures, the other showing pictures locally stored. The UI has morphed again to give you a single-click option to insert a particular photo into your document. So no matter where you go, there are several universal UI elements that go with you. The Universal Canvas was made in mind of Office (just open Microsoft Office...not individual "programs")...not MSN, but MSN will likely take advantage of the platform. these sshots are probably from a very early alpha release within MS They one shockz posted is three weeks old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 munki Posted July 6, 2002 Share Posted July 6, 2002 LoL. There you go with that authorative tone again Trade Wind. Someone may start wondering...:p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 shockz Posted July 6, 2002 Share Posted July 6, 2002 Thanks for all that information Trade Wind :). P.S - I hope you didn't mind I posted that picture of the one you posted a couple of weeks ago. :) Edit: Changed thats to thanks. lol - i guess thats what I get for eating pizza and typing at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Borg77 Posted July 6, 2002 Share Posted July 6, 2002 Originally posted by WebOrbiter the dumbing down of anything is bad, anybody remember "FF: Mystic Quest" for SNES? I would have to agree with you that dumbing down isn't the way to take any piece of software. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0 Silvorgold Posted July 6, 2002 Share Posted July 6, 2002 hmm, i dont mind msn explorer, but i try to stay away from ie/msn explorer as much as possible since its really slow in my oppinion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Question
MLapointe
Any news on MSN Explorer version 8.
Availability
Features
and so forth.
edit: To save a second post do any of you know about the status of Microsoft's new Windows Media "Corona" technologies.
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