Microsoft Retiring Windows Messenger

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Microsoft has announced that they intend to retire Windows Live Messenger in March 2013 worldwide, apart from China. They have decided to instead focus on skype and are urging people to switch over.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20222998

I have skype but only used it a few times. I have Windows Messenger Live but i don't really use it as much now, i used it a lot more 5+ years ago when it was MSN Messenger. Not because it changed, i just found myself using it less.
So personally, it's not going to affect me too much. I am more used to Live Messenger than Skype but only because i have used it more. Although i will miss confusing people when they ask if i have msn/live messenger, i say yes and give them a yahoo e-mail address.
It does seem like a sensible decidsion for Microsft though as skype is getting more intregrated into phones, internet tv's and consoles as well as pcs, laptops and tablets.

 

[AssCork]

Personally, I use Pidgin, and from that use my Gmail/Yahoo/MSN/etc accounts.
Never was a fan of Microsoft's nonsense, something tells me Skype is going to get very unfriendly soon...

 

[cupcakeattack]

Wait.... people still use messenger?

 

[LadyLuna]

Wait.... people still use messenger?

I do. I have an account on messenger that has a whole 1 contact on it. on purpose, with the 1 contact, it's my partner.

Messenger works so much better than skype... I will not be happy about this.

 

[GreatDane]

some of the games still require an account to play them... reminds me of the way ICQ went to the wayside

 

[EdgarAllenWhoa]

Wait.... people still use messenger?

Wait...people still use Microsoft? :mrgreen:

 

[Jupiter551]

Wait.... people still use messenger?

Wait...people still use Microsoft? :mrgreen:

I don't use messenger but microsoft stuff has been pretty good the last few years. Windows 7 was fantastic, and so far Windows 8 has been great too.

 

[AngelicTease]

Noooooooooooo! :crybaby:
How am I going to send scary loud laughing woman to people now, and give them crabs?!

 

[Mirra]

I won't miss it any. Of all the ones I used to run, only AIM sometimes gets used. I do use Skype occasionally but I've always disliked it a little for being way too big and bloated. Being an Android user, Google Talk is the only messaging service I'd be upset about losing.

As for all-in-one messengers, I've used Odigo, Trillian, and Pidgin at different points but always went back to running each client separately (see below) because inevitably a friend would want to use this or that feature that was unsupported by the all-in-one messengers.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm fine with this since I've never really used Windows Messenger anyway. I use Yahoo! Messenger (rarely) and Skype.

 

[EdgarAllenWhoa]

I don't use messenger but microsoft stuff has been pretty good the last few years. Windows 7 was fantastic, and so far Windows 8 has been great too.

I'm fine with this since I've never really used Windows Messenger anyway. I use Yahoo! Messenger (rarely) and Skype.

I'm just busting MS chops, on my fun box I run System 7 (skipped Vista altogether).
But you are the first one that has given a thumbs up to 8...I have seen a lot of neg. comments on it. Mostly from users I think that just hate transition and having to fork over more buckaroos for a new OS drop.
I will say this, seems that MS likes to use "live testing" on the gen. public to shake the bugs out of their OS releases. So I'll do my usual and wait about 12 months before I revisit 8 on my fun box. See how many patches I'll have to download for it

Brown Fox : I think a lot of people are like that as well...Yahoo and Skype. That's how I make it work. Skype is bulky and bloated but it does have some good features and for clarity and connectivity it is pretty solid. Plus, Yahoo camera kind of stinks compared to Skype. But, YaMess is still my favorite way of blabbing at people.

I do have some reservations of how MS is going to use it. I figure that they want it for their game platform and their handheld devices as well as comps. As the Emperor of MS wants all platforms running on System 8 with all features...Gwen Stefani can try and sell me the handheld all she wants. I still will not buy it "cuz I ain't no Hollaback Girl"...still don't know what the hell that is...and how old is that song?

 

[Anonymous]

Brown Fox : I think a lot of people are like that as well...Yahoo and Skype. That's how I make it work. Skype is bulky and bloated but it does have some good features and for clarity and connectivity it is pretty solid. Plus, Yahoo camera kind of stinks compared to Skype. But, YaMess is still my favorite way of blabbing at people.

Yeah, webcam chat on Skype is waaay better than on Yahoo! Messenger.

 

[dustinxxxizzle]

I haven't used the clients themselves in ages, but I used Adium when I used OSX and now use Pidgin with Windows 7 to run AIM, MSN and GChat. The thing is 95% of my friends stopped using messengers when Facebook started, and the 5% of my friends left who use it rarely do or just have it running in the background on their phones. It's kind of sad really, but I basically grew up on AIM. When I still had my Facebook, I didn't really feel like the communication equaled what I used to have with email and messengers. Oh well, I'll still continue to email people! :twocents-02cents: