Windows Live Messenger with VoIP 169
V-man writes "Microsoft has just launched Windows Live Messenger with free PC-to-PC phone calls and PC-to-phone calling as a pay service provided by Verizon Web Calling. Of course, most people doing PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone calling are probably using Firefox...too bad the Launch Page isn't Mozilla friendly."
Launch Page (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Launch Page (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Launch Page (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Launch Page (Score:2)
There are definitely a big chunk of voip users that still go for internet explorer, but quite a big bunch of the quick adaptors have adopted firefox along with voip programs.
Re:Launch Page (Score:2)
Wow, you have a flash blocker but couldn't see the flash content. This is a mystery beyond comprehension...
Of Course! (Score:5, Insightful)
Linus was right (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Linus was right (Score:2)
Thank god Linus (And PJ from groklaw) cleared that one up and explained what was going on and why Jeremy was the good guy for helping protect Linus's trademark.
Re:Of Course! (Score:3, Interesting)
Having said that, I recently migrated to Fedora Core from Windows XP, and although I am happy becaus now I can say I "eat my dogs food" I have been having difficulties with VoIp (among other things that ar offtopic).
I know Microsoft would *never* provide any service for unix but, does anyone know if there is a good Skype replacement for Linux?, I have not downloaded it but I believe Skype for linux stalled in t
Re:Of Course! (Score:3, Informative)
SIP (Score:4, Informative)
There are a wide variety of SIP softphones available, just as there are a wide variety of SIP service providers. Many of these also support the IAX protocol, which is primarily used by Asterisk PBX systems.
Examples, most of these service providers provide their own SIP client, but in most cases SIP clients are interchangeable between SIP services:
StanaPhone (http://www.stanaphone.com/) - Free incoming DIDs (dial-in phone numbers) in various New York area codes
SIPPhone/Gizmo Project (http://www.gizmoproject.com/) - Free PC-to-PC, DIDs and outgoing PSTN cost money (not much though)
Free World Dialup - Primarily PC-to-PC (or Asterisk-to-Asterisk or whatever), but with some PSTN in/out capability
The list goes on and on, and I haven't even included the "landline replacement" VoIP providers. (Vonage in the U.S. is the most well known example, but most educated consumers hate them as they have some rather customer-unfriendly policies such as locking telephone adapters to their service and forbidding the use of your own telephone adapter without paying a significant extra fee). A few other providers do use other (although usually still known and standardized) protocols such as AT&T CallVantage (which uses the MGCP protocol).
See http://www.voip-info.org/ [voip-info.org] for LOTS of addition information on hardware, setup, and cheap providers.
Re:SIP (Score:2)
Landline replacement? Despite being rather consumer-unfriendly, Vonage dominates this market (partly due to their consumer-unfriendly practices, it's damn
Re:Of Course! (Score:2)
Re:Of Course! (Score:5, Informative)
Not only that, but Firefox loads the page just fine. What an idiotic submission.
Re:Of Course! (Score:1)
Skype has been doing this for how long now?
Re:Of Course! (Score:2)
that's interesting in light of Microsoft's past success as a second mover. 90% of the browser market as a very late mover, 90+% of the desktop OS market as a second mover, pretty nice share of the server OS market as a late mover, dominance in the office suite software market as a second mover ("who's Lotus?", "what's WordPerfect?"), and now making a decent play a
Re:Of Course! (Score:2)
The scroll bar is broken. I had to remove the always on top setting on the windows bar to see the last line of text.
anyways, who cares
hehe if it can't go in an email i am using a real phone** If it is like everything else lately it will probably just function enough to say it functions. Does anything actually work good anymore?
**if in fact i had anyone to call
Re:Of Course! (Score:2)
Trying to change tabs after clicking the download button crashed Firefox for me. No error, it just disappeared. That's using 1.5.0.4 on Windows XP with Talkback, Adblock, Image Zoom and del.ico.us plugins, no themes, and
Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.0.4) Gecko/20060508 Firefox/1.5.0.4
Re:Of Course! (Score:2)
I'd like to know which anus he pulled that out of. I use Firefox myself, but that comment (and the whole post for that matter) smacks of noobie stupidity. And this was accepted for posting? Me thinks that Slashdot is starting to slide toward the Digg level of submission quality with this type of crap.
Re:Of Course! (Score:2)
And now Microsoft is making it user-friendly enough for those of us who don't care what a fox fire is.
Re:Of Course! (Score:2)
Because most people doing PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone calling are probably part of the elite group in society who have the massive brainpower and "inside" knowledge required to use Firefox. Obviously the "uncool" masses using other browsers would become totally confused and start panicing if we priviledged ones tried to explaing PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone calling to them.
Re:Makes sense (Score:2)
Gamers, especially online gamers, tend to be users of voice chat products. Those are the sorts of people who I'd expect to make phone calls via their PC. I wouldn't classify all of them as geeks (a lot of them are rather techno-illiterate).
But I also know some average joes who are interested in VOIP for the cost-savings (Vonage is frequently mentioned).
Not Mozilla Friendly? (Score:5, Insightful)
What part isn't Mozilla friendly? I just went to the launch page with Firefox 1.5.0.4 and was able to navigate through the tabs and download the installer with no problem.
Re:Not Mozilla Friendly? (Score:3, Informative)
Probably due to a lack of Flash 8... but all I see is this [imageshack.us].
Re:Not Mozilla Friendly? (Score:2)
Re:Not Mozilla Friendly? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Not Mozilla Friendly? (Score:2)
and see it fine. No flash on that page just java, maybe you should install java correctly if you have it installed, or install it if you don't have it installed.
Re:Not Mozilla Friendly? (Score:2)
It is indeed a Flash 8 issue. Here is the page in Camino (Gecko/20060427) with Flash 7 [jyopp.com] and Flash 8 [jyopp.com].
Neither is great -- notice the 'undefined' text at the bottom of the Flash 8 version -- but at least it's legible with Flash 8. The page is just not Linux friendly, since there's no Flash 8 client for Linux.
YHBT. YHL. (Score:1)
Re:Not Mozilla Friendly? (Score:2)
Re:Not Mozilla Friendly? (Score:2, Informative)
Solution looking for a problem. (Score:5, Insightful)
It's VOIP! And instead of bypassing the telco, it requires a telco! And instead of working on every computer, it only works on Windows computers. And instead of being free, it costs money! And instead of working with every IM system, it only works with MSN! And instead of rendering it in HTML, we decided to give Adobe/Macromedia a cut and do the whole web page in Flash!
About all it's missing is a .us domain name for Web 2.0 buzzword compliance.
Re:Solution looking for a problem. (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Solution looking for a problem. (Score:2, Interesting)
Of course Live Messenger is totally free for PC-to-PC calling, with nice high-res full-screen video even, if you want.
Re:Solution looking for a problem. (Score:3, Informative)
http://www.skype.com/help/guides/skypeout.html [skype.com]
Re:Solution looking for a problem. (Score:2)
Re:Solution looking for a problem. (Score:2)
Right on, although they do have mac versions... (Score:3, Informative)
It's VOIP! And instead of bypassing the telco, it requires a telco! And instead of working on every computer, it only works on Windows computers. And instead of being free, it costs money! And instead of working with every IM system, it only works with MSN! And instead of rendering it in HTML, we decided to give Adobe/Macromedia a cut and do the whole web page in Flash!
Couldn't have put it better myself, although when my computer goes to the messenger website, it detects that I am coming from a mac, an
Re:Right on, although they do have mac versions... (Score:2)
Re:Right on, although they do have mac versions... (Score:2)
Re:Solution looking for a problem. (Score:2)
MS: Mee Too!.
Mozilla Friendliness (Score:2)
I just assumed is was because I use Ubuntu, can a windows user or a mac user confirm this? Does it work in Safari?
I just assumed it was a flash item that didn't work in Linux because of lack of flash 8 player.
Re:Mozilla Friendliness (Score:1)
The entire page is all flash. If you don't have Flash and Javascript enabled you're not going to see much... actually you'll see nothing but a blank page.
Re:Mozilla Friendliness (Score:2)
Re:Mozilla Friendliness (Score:2, Informative)
I see that as the most likely cause. I'm using Firefox 1.5.0.4 on XP (full UA string Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.8.0.4) Gecko/20060508 Firefox/1.5.0.4) with Flash 8.0.something and it works just fine.
Re:Mozilla Friendliness (Score:1)
All their flashy flash crap works in Safari. However, if I click the "Learn More" button, it automagically redirects me to the download page for Messenger for Mac, which hasn't been updated in at least a year. I'm just burning to get my hands on a Windoze machine and find out what I'm missing out on. </irony>
Firefox? (Score:4, Insightful)
"...most people doing PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone calling are probably using Firefox..."
Oh? Where did you dig up this little nugget of information?
Two points: 1) not only über-geeks are doing PC-to-PC calling. 2) Lots of über-geeks actually use IE.
Re:Firefox? (Score:4, Informative)
How long will that last? (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Firefox? (Score:2)
Re:Firefox? (Score:3, Interesting)
I was about to pull up a link and prove it to you, but I think you can type in the website and go see for yourself.
And I've been making free calls from Skype to US phones for about a month now. I'd know if I were being charged.
Re:Firefox? (Score:2)
Re:Firefox? (Score:3, Informative)
Counterpoints (was Re:Firefox?) (Score:2)
Two points: 1) not only über-geeks are doing PC-to-PC calling. 2) Lots of über-geeks actually use IE.
Two counterpoints: 1) If people are using Firefox predominantly, they they are liable to not care that Windows Live Messenger has this function as they probably are not in the habit of using MS products and 2) über-geek is a hackneyed phrase that no self-respecting geek would use let alone be labelled as
Re:Counterpoints (was Re:Firefox?) (Score:2)
Unless they are German. And are in charge of several other geeks.
Besides, if even the geeks think the term 'über-geek' is passe, that makes those who use it the über-est of the über-geeks.
Re:Counterpoints (was Re:Firefox?) (Score:2)
Mein Deutsch is a bit rusty, but I recall "über" as meaning "over, above, beyond" or something to that effect. That would seem to indicate that an 'über-geek' is "beyond a geek." What is there past geekdom?
As an aside, I wonder if Slashdot has an umlaut limit?
Re:Counterpoints (was Re:Firefox?) (Score:2)
As to the ümlaut limit, you'd probably have to get a Spinal Tap article accepted in order to find out.
Re:Counterpoints (was Re:Firefox?) (Score:2)
It can mean 'over', as you say, which is also the meaning that the GP referred to - i.e. being in charge of geeks.
Sort of like a Geek Uberleutnant [sudoku.com], if that helps.
Re:Firefox? (Score:2)
Re:Firefox? (Score:1)
There are those who just plain don't like it, don't want to deal with the various weirdo rendering bugs (no they aren't all because of the latest MS conspiracy theory - there are some actual bugs), compatibility issues, or so on. There are many who have to because the policies at their place of work prevent the installation of third party software.
There are many w
Re:Firefox? (Score:3, Funny)
Myself, I use telnet on a virtual machine on a remote computer across a firewall running OS/2 as the host OS and an OS I created specifically for security as the guest OS; every hour, the host OS is refreshed from a ROM backup according to a hardware process.
When I have verified a site as being safe, I then allow myself to access it via a separate SSH tunnel using Mosaic as the rendering engine. Even then, I'm running it in WINE on a virtual machine under NetBSD.
You just need to take sensible pre
Re:Firefox? (Score:2)
few times. I have figured it out finally. It is the fact
that you have telnet and security in the same sentence.
Am I wrong or (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Am I wrong or (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Am I wrong or (Score:3, Insightful)
No, but... (Score:2, Insightful)
Come on. This is nothing but good for the VoIP industry. With this, Google Talk, YIM, and Skype (and others, I'm sure) having voice capabilities, each must compete to be the best. Who wins? The consumer.
Re:Am I wrong or (Score:2)
Voice chat (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Voice chat (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Voice chat (Score:2)
Mind you, voice chat is not a buzzword. However, VOiP is a buzzword and is used in marketing. So therefor they rename it.
Re:Voice chat (Score:2)
Now we're running what is supposedly no. 8.0 - I have always been able to call people on the phone from my MSN client. I think they just tied it into Windows Live instead of "pick your crazy provider from our affiliates page".
Um, no... (Score:2, Informative)
And people complain about Microsoft's FUD...
Um, no... (Score:2, Insightful)
And people (read: me) complain about Macrodobe and their shitty software...
Re:Um, no... (Score:2)
What (Score:2, Informative)
Re:What (Score:2)
Umm, engineers? Prototypical geeks of yesteryear, typical geeks of today.
Don't forget that there is a reason they call some people "computer geeks." This is to differentiate them from other types of geeks, like "math geeks" or "drama geeks" or "maxillofacial chicken d
No Mac or Linux support (Score:1)
Re:No Mac or Linux support (Score:2)
Amazing that a community that spouts so much about freedom of choice seems to ignore this everytime the M$ boogeyman (ooooooh he gonna get ya) shows his head.
Strange problems once installed. (Score:4, Informative)
He rolled the system back, and it all works.
There is a lot of different stuff on that machine though, so it **might** not be just due to that. I wonder if it hooks into the IP stack at some level, and that's what messed it up? Anyone else have any similar issues with it?
FUD (Score:3, Insightful)
A guy at work installed it on a trials machine, and that machine suffered weird problems. It could release, obtain, and renew a DHCP address, but couldn't ping anything, not even the gateway (which is also the switch that does the DHCP stuff).
He rolled the system back, and it all works.
There is a lot of different stuff on that machine though, so it **might** not be just due to that. I wonder if it hooks into the IP stack at some level, and that's what messed it up? Anyone else have any similar issues with i
Re:FUD (Score:2)
It might be coincidence. It might not. STFU, and GBTW.
Sense of humor (Score:2)
It might be coincidence. It might not. STFU, and GBTW.
And this parent post is a textbook definition of the lack of sense of humor.
Re:Sense of humor (Score:2)
Was Parent post is a probably a textbook definition of FUD. really that funny? Perhaps I missed it on some level?
Re:Strange problems once installed. (Score:2)
This is kind of like my experience with the new Windows Media Player. I grabbed it to see what all the hubbub was about MTV's URGE music store, and watched as any other media/video application died a horrible death when I ran this.
I don't have the
Provided by Verizon, eh? (Score:5, Funny)
Launches fine on FireFox (Score:2, Informative)
Not gonna be very popular (Score:1)
Offline Messaging (Score:2, Insightful)
Mod Parent Troll (Score:1, Redundant)
Why?
too bad the Launch Page isn't Mozilla friendly.
It works for me.
Swimming or drowning? (Score:4, Funny)
Hey, it's better than a CAR ANALOGY.
Re:Swimming or drowning? (Score:3, Interesting)
Still flawed. MSN Messenger is not sinking, nor drowning. It is quite well afloat, more so in Europe than in USA, but still, no reason to panic over this particular product for MS. What's important for them is that their official client i
Re:Swimming or drowning? (Score:2)
What about AT&t? (Score:1)
Yeah, AIM has had it, yahoo had it, ICQ.. (Score:2, Informative)
It's the PC to POTS feature that's really new.
Of course, only XBox users are smart enough to know that. Too bad slashdot isn't made-up-bullshit unfriendly.
Re:Yeah, AIM has had it, yahoo had it, ICQ.. (Score:2)
I didn't use it as much as I had thought I would, and to this day I still have something like $13 in that Net2Phone acc
Doesn't work with IE7 (Score:1)
Well, will continue to use miranda then.
INNOVATION? (Score:1)
Its interesting that new name, they move from the MSN idea to this Windows Live but it will be good if they include REAL live chat. A long time ago when everybody has ICQ you can see char by char what is typing the other person. (More than one friend ask me if there is a way yo do that).
Is an interesting move, it's not surprising
Re:INNOVATION? (Score:2)
It's not a feature I'd want active.
i don't like the interface (Score:2)
Not Mozilla friendly? (Score:2)