Pay-Per-IM has arrived. Only a few weeks after Cerulean Studios released a $25 premium version of their Trillian instant messaging client, Microsoft is the next in line to charge for instant messaging, starting in October with MSN Messenger 5. An enhanced client will be available exclusively for paying subscribers of the MSN 8 online service. Don’t worry: a standalone version of Messenger 5 will still be free to use, but here are some features you’ll be missing:
- Parental controls (censorship, ah, typically Microsoft ;))
- integrated MSN Today (the free MSN Messenger 5 will… pop it up).
Next to that, Microsoft is also adding little exclusive bonuses for Windows XP users only:
- Access to video conferencing
- Co-existence with MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger, allowing you to log in with seperate passports (Microsoft *finally* learned about polygamy).
Let me finish with this quote from Jupiter Research analyst, David Card:
“…I’m trying to puzzle out what the user experience would look like if you’re logged on twice using two separate accounts.”
Hello?!! Mess with MSN Messenger, David!
[Source: CNET.com Tech News] [Reported by: Timothy]
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