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Windows Live Messenger to shut down

jelv
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Windows Live Messenger to shut down

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-20222998
Can Skype be used without using it's phone capability to communicate with my existing Live Messenger contacts?
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
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journeys
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Re: Windows Live Messenger to shut down

Don't know if this helps:
https://support.skype.com/en/faq/FA12123/what-happens-to-my-contacts-when-i-merge-my-skype-and-micro...
Quote
What happens to my Skype and Microsoft contact lists after I merge my accounts?
After merging your accounts, your Microsoft contacts will appear within your Skype contact list and your Skype contacts will be displayed within your Microsoft account contacts. However, if you have a friend in your Skype contact list and also in your Messenger list, your contact will appear twice in Skype.
Does merging my accounts affect my Messenger contact list?
Currently, your Skype contacts are not displayed in your Messenger contact list. You can access your Messenger contacts from the Windows Live Messenger, just like before.
Can I block a Messenger contact request from my Skype account?
No, you cannot block a Messenger contact request from Skype. However, you can manage your Messenger contacts from your Microsoft account.
Can I send messages to my Messenger contacts from Skype?
After merging your Microsoft and Skype accounts, you will be able to see whether your Messenger contacts are online and instant message them from Skype. To do this, you’ll need to sign in to Skype with your Microsoft account.
Do my Messenger contacts have to be on Skype for me to call them?
Unfortunately, you can’t call your Messenger contacts from Skype at this time. To make an audio or video call to your Messenger contacts, they’ll need to be on Skype as well.
Can I add a new Messenger contact using Skype?
You cannot add a new Messenger contact to your Messenger account from Skype. However, you can add a Messenger contact from Messenger or by using the Microsoft People app.
Can I add a Messenger contact to my Skype contact list?
If the person you’d like to add has merged their Microsoft and Skype accounts, you will be able to add them to your Skype contact list. Just search for them using their Microsoft account details and send a contact request.
If the person you’d like to add is not on Skype, you can add them to your Messenger contact list from the Microsoft People app.
jelv
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Re: Windows Live Messenger to shut down

Quote
Do my Messenger contacts have to be on Skype for me to call them?
Unfortunately, you can’t call your Messenger contacts from Skype at this time. To make an audio or video call to your Messenger contacts, they’ll need to be on Skype as well.

That's a bit of a killer. Even if I start using Skype, if one of my contacts doesn't I'd still have to go back to Messenger - and then when Messenger dies we're stuffed!
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
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Razer
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Re: Windows Live Messenger to shut down

Funny. The expensive way that MS admits that it's software is rubbish. Buy someone else's and then ditch your own.
dvorak
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Re: Windows Live Messenger to shut down

Quote from: jelv
That's a bit of a killer. Even if I start using Skype, if one of my contacts doesn't I'd still have to go back to Messenger - and then when Messenger dies we're stuffed!

No, you can't call your contacts but you can use Skype as an IM to chat with them, I've been doing this so it does work.
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AlaricAdair
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Re: Windows Live Messenger to shut down

Microsoft paid $400 Million for Hotmail (plus the cost of subsequent development work) in 1997. Now they throw it away so it does not compete with its even more expensive replacement Skype. I've so many useful products laid waste by Corporate inattention/boredom. Oh to have that much money to throw around.
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computing50yrs
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Re: Windows Live Messenger to shut down

Does anyone know how I can easily see if there is mail waiting when changed over to using Skype instead of MS live Messenger.
In Live mesenger there is an inbox flag which shows when mail is waiting.
I have tried finding an Email monitor program without much success
ReedRichards
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Re: Windows Live Messenger to shut down

Quote from: computing50yrs
Does anyone know how I can easily see if there is mail waiting when changed over to using Skype instead of MS live Messenger.

Aren't you confusing email with instant messaging?  AFAIK Microsoft have no plans to kill-off Hotmail, they just like to change it's name a few times each year.
dvorak
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Re: Windows Live Messenger to shut down

On the messenger client it pops a message showing you have new mail and also has an indicator on the messenger buddy list, as does the gmail chat client.
I haven't seen anything like this in the skype client.
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Scribe
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Re: Windows Live Messenger to shut down

Quote from: computing50yrs
Does anyone know how I can easily see if there is mail waiting when changed over to using Skype instead of MS live Messenger.
In Live mesenger there is an inbox flag which shows when mail is waiting.
I have tried finding an Email monitor program without much success


I don't know if this will work, but if you search for 'email notifier,' there are a number of results. If you try any of them, it would be interesting to know if they do the job, since I also use messenger to tell me if I have email - I can't help thinking that Microsoft have rather shot themselves in the foot getting rid of it!
7up
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Re: Windows Live Messenger to shut down

Here's an interesting question.. Yahoo Messenger and MSN messenger joined their networks up a few years ago so how does that affect the MSN-Skype thing?
Will yahoo contacts be able to communicate with skype contacts?
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ReedRichards
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Re: Windows Live Messenger to shut down

Quote from: dvorak
On the messenger client it pops a message showing you have new mail and also has an indicator on the messenger buddy list, as does the gmail chat client.

I know there is a general push to blur the distinction between email and chat so I imagine Skype will start doing email or find a way of interacting with Hotmail.  Or, and this is really  retro, you could download your emails to your computer in which case your email client will tell you when you have new ones http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/hotmail/send-receive-email-from-mail-client ; .
computing50yrs
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Re: Windows Live Messenger to shut down

Following a suggestion I  googled and found a free piece of software called POP Peeper, this once installed you can enter all your different Email accounts. once this has been done you just hover over the task bar icon and it will tell you of any emails arrived, the program does a check every 30 mins. Its usefull in the fact that you can display the emails and open any which are of interest without loading your normal email program
ReedRichards
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Re: Windows Live Messenger to shut down

POP Peeper sounds good provided it is bona fide and you are the only one who gets to do the peeping.
dvorak
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Re: Windows Live Messenger to shut down

Quote from: ReedRichards
I know there is a general push to blur the distinction between email and chat so I imagine Skype will start doing email or find a way of interacting with Hotmail.  Or, and this is really  retro, you could download your emails to your computer in which case your email client will tell you when you have new ones http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/hotmail/send-receive-email-from-mail-client ; .

I was informing you of what the app did, because you weren't aware of it, not my requirements as I don't even use it. So perhaps you'd like to take your patronising comment back.
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