Guest Paul (MVP) Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 If you've bought an Orange Windows Mobile device recently, you'll have noticed that Pocket MSN is conspicuous by its absence. Removed from ROM builds by HTC at the request of Orange, the controversial decision was made in order to make way for Orange's own IM solution, little about which has been known to date. Earlier today, an eagle eyed MoDaCo member spotted some information about the Orange IM solution tucked away on the Orange website... so enjoy the screenshots below of 'OIM' (Orange Instant Messenger), taken from a SPV C500 (note, current beta runs on the C600), together with a sneek peek at some of the features. Point to note: I see no mention of interoperability with the existing big IM networks (MSN, AIM, Yahoo etc) :D P Features: - WAP version available - Also available for Symbian - Auto login - Auto update to latest client on login if required - Contacts search by name / location / star sign :D - Contacts import from address book, optionally initiates SMS invite - Emoticon support Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nedge2k Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 hmm....fugly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul (MVP) Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 I was gonna say 'room for improvement' or 'perhaps it's early days'. Having seen the WLM beta... they definitely have their work cut out to match that! P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pierre Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 (edited) Gosh! No further comment... Edited August 21, 2006 by pierre Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ClintEastman Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 Personally I think the pricing will make/break of this if it ever makes it into the wild (as most the stuff I tested for Orange never got released). E.G if they charge it will die. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mavisdavis Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 Cant see it taking off to honest. Should of stuck with MSN. I'll not be using it ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest hotphil Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 I'll bet on it being another Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nickcornaglia Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 I wonder if this uses SMS instead of a true IM service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Monolithix (MVP) Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 Yep. Clunky looking, now taking bets on it not being able to import your current contacts into the address book ;p And yeah, it'll be another sub service no doubt... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mcwarre Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 Come on guys!! All the major networks have got together to launch their own IM services as they realise that with the advent of more intelligent devices and the ability to use free messenger services over inclusive data that they will start to lose text revenue. This is their shyster way of protecting their income - "use our free service (until your subs start kicking in)". **Please do not fall for it** Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tawse57 Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 I think removing the well known clients is a stupid business idea IMPO as I suspect there will be many Orange users who want MS Messenger, will fear it being blocked on Orange and will go to other mobile operators. I am one who is very much in that boat at the moment. You can't put the genie back in the bottle and history tells us that companies who try to control new technologies usually go bust. Whatever happened to that photocopier company that used to be the World's biggest company in the 70s and 80s? :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest CaptainZok Posted August 21, 2006 Report Share Posted August 21, 2006 From the same think-tank that came up with the animal tariffs no doubt, but hey "The Futures Bright." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Crispy Posted August 22, 2006 Report Share Posted August 22, 2006 From the same think-tank that came up with the animal tariffs no doubt, but hey "The Futures Bright." My thought exactly... I'm not sure what they're thinking, but an operator based IM network is simply not something you launch. Unless it works on at least one major IM network it's gonna disapear faster than a cheeseburger in front of Rosie Odonnell... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Socrates Posted August 22, 2006 Report Share Posted August 22, 2006 (edited) Has anyone tried agile messenger or imov? Wouldn't those products or something like them make things like this orange messenger pointless? Edited August 22, 2006 by Socrates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nausea Posted August 22, 2006 Report Share Posted August 22, 2006 Its going to be worthless if you cant go on other networks (MSN, etc). What are the chances that all of your friends would be using it? Might as well stick with txting people, atleast everyone world wide can use that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nickcornaglia Posted August 22, 2006 Report Share Posted August 22, 2006 They wouldn't mind. $$$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alinkent Posted August 22, 2006 Report Share Posted August 22, 2006 What's with the little Adolph and Greta emoticons in the backgorund images? They sacre me in a "Bride of Chuckie" sort of way :D . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Webreaper Posted August 22, 2006 Report Share Posted August 22, 2006 Just what we need. Another proprietrary messaging system. :D Guess Agile, Trillian, IM+ etc will all start supporting it though, so it's not all bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sporkguy Posted August 22, 2006 Report Share Posted August 22, 2006 currently using windows live messenger beta on my vario and I love it :D this orange messenger looks hideously ugly and a bit of a cheesey windows messenger (the old one) ripoff. let me guess, no interoperability with any other IM service? no thanks :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nausea Posted August 22, 2006 Report Share Posted August 22, 2006 currently using windows live messenger beta on my vario and I love it :D this orange messenger looks hideously ugly and a bit of a cheesey windows messenger (the old one) ripoff. let me guess, no interoperability with any other IM service? no thanks :D How is the Windows Live Messenger? Its the same MSN network right? I want to try it out but I havent been able to get a hold of it :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul (MVP) Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 It's very good, but very beta. P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pookiecheeks Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 hello all, ..i'm confused, why all the fuss ? as with other programs and/or software, if one doesn't like one particular program one buys a 'better' one. happened with me and the built in calender. i opted to buy a better third party one. same as with the old msn messenger. rather than using that, i chose to use the FREE agile messenger so i could chat on aim, msn AND yahoo. can't say i've ever used the actual pocket msn messenger. i never use any features apart from actual chatting, so agile suits me very well. i don't see that changing with the introduction of the orange messenger. pooks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Monolithix (MVP) Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 The fuss is that MSN is a worldwide system anyone can use, regardless of network carrier and spanning from PC's and mobile devices. The worry here is that the networks are actively removing PMSN and replacing it with this proprietary version, potentially with a different charging system, and thus removing the choice element. Personally i prefer PMSN to Agile. Current handsets from O and T don't allow me the choice of which to use... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Pondrew Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 Current handsets from O and T don't allow me the choice of which to use... Slight correction, the Vario II is shipped with Pocket MSN as are all other T-Mobile UK Windows Mobile devices with WM5 AKU2. Only the MDA Pro (HTC Universal) on release lacked it and the latest rom reintroduced it. So T-Mobile DO still allow the choice (although I understand other providers like Vodafone are removing it...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Monolithix (MVP) Posted August 23, 2006 Report Share Posted August 23, 2006 Ah i stand corrected! Either way, my point still stands. I wouldn't be surprised if all operators swtiched to a proprietary mobile messenger system... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts