Windows Live Messenger 8.1 beta refresh coming soon

Things have been pretty quiet on the Messenger front lately.  We have not seen a new build released since the end of October when it went into public beta.  That means that it’s time for some shiny new Messenger goodness from Redmond.  With that said, in accordance with our manifesto, I am not going to give any specific release date on the 8.1 build since this sort of thing shifts all the time up until the actual release. However, we can safely say that you can expect to see the new build in the very near future.

Also, here are just a few more notes on the current status of Messenger 8.1.  The word is that we will see the final build released to the web in early 2007 and that the 3rd party add-ins feature will continue to be in beta when version 8.1 is released.

Comments

  • Hb8

    one wonders when we’re going to see full interop with Y! and just what exactly it will entail.

  • http://khristopherr.spaces.live.com Khristopher

    awesome. things are getting boring being a beta tester lately.!

  • Harrison Hoffman

    Hb8, what exactly do you mean by full interop with Yahoo! ?

  • http://khristopherr.spaces.live.com Khristopher

    @ Harrison: he probably means being able to use all of the WLM features with yahoo contacts. like file sharing for example.

  • bf1977

    Good, I wait that the part to install packages is restored, because in my WLM 8,1 I cannot install packages.

  • Hb8

    Yeah, what phunky said ;-)

    File share, voice/video chat etc.

    I think it actually would bring some nice things to the table like voicemail (a feature that I really like about Y! Messenger) and maybe a remote hope of an incoming VoIP telephone number like you can get with Y!

    Sadly, I don’t really see that MS is really innovating, but merely only doing what’s necessary to keep up with the Jones’ I just read that Skype announced their Windows Mobile v.2.2 compatible with the Smartphone. Now I’d *really* like to see Live Messenger for Mobile do full on VoIP like that.

    I hate to say I’ve chugged the glugg regarding live, but honestly, I use the ‘net for so much now that I’ve really come to rely and enjoy using some of the Live services (Messenger, Favourites, Spaces, Live for Mobile) it keeps everything connected.

  • http://htt://www.shinemsn.com Nitrax