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My main grudge with WLM so far is the lack of conversation tabs, and that shared folders (while...
–mig
re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look

If I to choose one, I'd choose 7th one or 1st one.
–some1
re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look

Yes. Each "wave" is a group of products for release. Currently we're just heading...
–Chris
re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look

On the installer, the UAC prompt says. 'Windows Live Wave' Any ideas what that is?
–bartyl
re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look

According to mess.be this version has integration with WLFolders. See http://www.mess.be and...
–the andyman
re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look

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LiveSide - News blog

Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look

Posted May 27 2007, 06:15 PM by ScottIsAFool with 26 comment(s)

The guys over at Messenger Adictos have made available the Spanish version of the next version of Windows Live Messenger, 8.5. The installer itself has been wrapped by them and sticks the actual installer in a folder in Program Files, where you can then install Live Messenger. So, I present to you, screenshots of Windows Live Messenger 8.5. I would, though, like to point out that this build (8.5.1235.0517) is unlikely to be the build that will be sent to testers when the beta starts, so the UI could still change before it's sent out.


Main Contact List Window


The new chat window

The nice thing about this version is it finally installs to a Windows Live folder, rather than the usual MSN Messenger folder. From what I have seen of this version, it looks good, and I'm looking forward to an official build. This new UI change seems to tie up with the new UI we saw in the Live Writer screenshot and the Mail screenshot, so hopefully, Messenger won't be the only Live product to get updated soon.

SL

Update: The Windows Live Messenger 8.5 Beta has now started.

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Comments

LosHavros wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Sun, May 27 2007 6:44 PM

Ooh... nice + shiny! :p

For it to be an 8.5 release, tere must be some other changes beyond cosmetic.  We shall see..

ScottIsAFool wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Sun, May 27 2007 7:06 PM

Most likely a lot of bug fixes

rieuwa wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Sun, May 27 2007 7:44 PM

The UI reminds me a lot of WLMd.... I like it...

Khristopher wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Sun, May 27 2007 9:02 PM

Awesome :D Looks like things are finally coming together and matching each other the way they should.

The only thing missing that I don't see is tabbed chat windows.

joeale wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Sun, May 27 2007 10:42 PM

When can we all get it two beta test it windows live messager 8.5

mrx9898 wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Mon, May 28 2007 12:20 AM

WOOOOOO!!! new UI looks freakin A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!!!!!! Can not WAIT for this build :D.

LiveSide - News blog wrote Windows Live Messenger, Mail and Writer betas - signup now
on Mon, May 28 2007 12:24 AM

A new beta program for "Messenger, Mail, and Writer" was just added to Microsoft Connect suggesting that

newo wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Mon, May 28 2007 2:22 AM

Man...the GUI looks awesome on this release...I remember when the first public release came out...the horrible orange....and now they've come so far...it's great!! Good work!!

cchance wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Mon, May 28 2007 4:31 AM

ok i really love MSN in fact i only use WLM, but theirs a huge problem here... i hate yahoo messenger because all my friends are on WLM... but here we are again, another version of WLM and still Yahoo is busting it's a$$, i mean come on look at the upcoming yahoo messenger, hell even the color picker is drop dead gorgeous i was really hoping to see the next wlm take a leap forward to wpf.

paulstorm wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Mon, May 28 2007 4:54 AM

upcoming?  It has been upcoming for six months with nary a peep out of Yahoo! about it.  I'm sure it is still coming...but this stuff takes time.  :)

quikboy wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Mon, May 28 2007 5:40 AM

Well since this is just version 8.5, I don't think we can expect any major overhauling or building in humongous features until we reach version 9. This is sort of like the preview of some of the stuff we can expect in version 9. Sort of similiar to what Microsoft did with the Xbox 360 Elite. It's not something completely new, and doesn't have a ton of features that would differentiate itself too much from the currect Xbox 360, but some of the features it does have, will make it to the next gen 360. So think of version 8.5 as the preview of things to come to version 9. At least that's what I think. Man, this version looks nice.

NexTechNews wrote Windows Live Messenger 8.5 early preview screenshots!
on Mon, May 28 2007 6:05 AM
CalumJR wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Mon, May 28 2007 11:46 AM

This is honestly fantastic! Microsoft listened to EVERY bit of feedback I gave them about the inconsistencies between Messenger, Mail desktop and Wrter.

I CANNOT wait!

Thank you for telling us LiveSide!

bf1977 wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Mon, May 28 2007 1:06 PM

 It will be that from now the new features they will be alone for the Vista? I wait that not, because I cannot move now for the new O.S.  

chels75 wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Mon, May 28 2007 1:41 PM

New vista look and feel! great, can't wait!

http://chels75.free.fr/

some1 wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Mon, May 28 2007 2:18 PM

To the WLM team:

1. Why not use a VC-1 variant for video conferencing and finally up the quality of video communication since its 2007!

2. Can we finally get to use different formatting in a single typed line of text?

3. Ability to appear selectively offline or online to certain contacts.

4. Be generous in offering some content such as new emoticons, winks etc.

5. Support for animated GIFs and Flash animations as display pictures

6. Fun effects to webcam video like Photo Booth.

7. Audio conversations with 10 ppl at a time and video conver with at least 3 ppl at a time.

Adam wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Mon, May 28 2007 3:57 PM

They already kind of have #6 from ur list. (6. Fun effects to webcam video like Photo Booth.) If u go to research.microsoft.com ull find a plugin there its called "Digital Effects for MSN messenger" but it works for wlm also. Its ind of cool but still needs some work. Furthermore, Its being worked on not in US but Asia.

Chris wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Mon, May 28 2007 4:21 PM

some1 - all of those have been suggested and acknowledged by the team, its just a question of balancing the requests with manpower available. if you had to pick one of those, which one would you choose?

jojo0821 wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Mon, May 28 2007 5:19 PM

Oh my god ! WLM 8.5 Looks very boring.

Vista look ??????? Where is the window Shadow ? Where is the WPF effect ?

The show/hide menu button still over here, it's a terrible UI design.

I can't see any new thing at WLM 8.5.

the andyman wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Mon, May 28 2007 7:27 PM

According to mess.be this version has integration with WLFolders. See http://www.mess.be and http://downloads.mess.be/inky/screenshots/folderssellup.png

Also from what I've found in the actual program there is a new option to add contacts from your MSN Premium address book (according to a translation of a Spanish tooltip) although I presume that is only if you are a subscriber (I'm not and the option was greyed out for me), however I don't see how MSN Premium address books do (or will if they're not available yet) be any different from normal ones ...

bartyl wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Mon, May 28 2007 8:43 PM

On the installer, the UAC prompt says. 'Windows Live Wave'

Any ideas what that is?

Chris wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Tue, May 29 2007 12:14 AM

Yes. Each "wave" is a group of products for release. Currently we're just heading into Windows Live Wave 2.

Andy - yes I saw the folders integration, why do you think Inky linked here? :)

some1 wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Tue, May 29 2007 1:35 PM

If I to choose one, I'd choose 7th one or 1st one.

LiveSide - News blog wrote Leaked Windows Live Messenger 8.5 turns up more surprises
on Tue, May 29 2007 8:49 PM

For those of you who haven't seen it at mess.be , the leaked Messenger 8.5 build contained some hidden

mig wrote re: Windows Live Messenger 8.5 - A First Look
on Wed, May 30 2007 10:36 AM

My main grudge with WLM so far is the lack of conversation tabs, and that shared folders (while I love them) will refuse to work if you hop networks (and/or sometimes lose connection unexpectedly) without restarting the client, or sometimes just signing back in/out.

If I could get these two things in there (I would have liked aero transparency as well, but it doesn't look like that'll happen, at least we got a new UI for 8.5), I'd be a happy man.

LiveSide - News blog wrote Windows Live Messenger 8.5 beta available
on Wed, May 30 2007 11:53 PM

Along with Windows Live Mail and Writer, Windows Live Messenger 8.5 has also entered beta today. Featuring

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