HWiNFO 5.22

* improved video and audio calls
* new “favorite” contacts
* dynamic display pictures
* fast and easy new way to share photos

* A new revamped and refined user interface to follow suite with the rest of the Windows Live Wave 3 design. Many functions have been merged and many unnecessary buttons removed.
* Display pictures have been moved over to the left side of conversation windows.
* The ability to set your own "Scene", by customizing the background image and color of the contact list.
* Conversation windows display the contact's particular "Scene" instead of your own for improved contact identification and window management.
* A new "Groups" feature, which allows you to create a never ending group conversation between select contacts (via invitation), which can be initiated at any time.
* Groups have been renamed to "Categories" to make way for this feature (see above).
* Newly redesigned and more easily identifiable status icons which now resemble small gems, rather than the previous "Messenger Buddy" icons.
* Now uses the standard window frame (Windows Vista users only) in accordance with the Windows Vista UX Guidelines.
* A new default "Favorites" Category, in which you can place your favorite contacts for easy access to them and additional details about those contacts at the top of your list.
* New Photo Sharing utility which allows contacts to quickly and easily browse photos together.
* "What's New" section at the bottom of the contact list to quickly outline recent contact updates, such as a new personal message, new display picture, or updates to their Windows Live Spaces.
* "Be right back", "Out to lunch" and "On the phone"/"In a call" statuses have been removed and the "Online" status has been renamed as "Available".
* New colored borders which appear around display pictures to quickly display the currently set status of that contact.

After months of work, and two beta releases the Windows Live Messenger team is proud to release Windows Live Messenger 8.5! We've listened to the feedback from our beta users and made this one of the best versions of Messenger ever!

If you were a beta user not much has changed for you. We worked hard to improve the overall quality of Messenger though, and we owe a big Thanks!! to all of the beta testers that sent us feedback.

- Various bug fixes
- Integration with Windows Live Installer

What's new:

Windows XP SP2
OK OK I know Windows XP SP2 is definitely not new (in fact it is almost 3 years old), what is new is that Messenger 8.5 Beta1 has bumped up the minimum OS requirement from Windows XP SP1 to Windows XP SP2.

Setup - the look
The next thing (or probably the first thing) you will notice is Messenger Setup looks different than previous Messenger releases. However it is the now same as the new setup experience for WL Mail and WL Writer


Setup - the desktop short cut
During Messenger setup you may notice that you are not prompted to create a desktop shortcut for Messenger. If you have an desktop shortcut from a previous release it will continue to work. Let us know what you think about this change here.

Setup - the start menu short cuts
After setup you will notice that the start menu short cuts are included in a Windows Live folder so you can easily find all your Windows Live clients. If you had Messenger installed previously your other start menu short cut will still appear.


Setup - Microsoft Update
If you read through the setup screens carefully you will notice that updates are going to be published through Microsoft Update - affectionately known in the office as MU pronounced "moo". Meetings about this are entertaining - we sound like a bunch of cows chatting it up - moo this, moo that, etc. Any moo, during the beta we will be testing this out with your help of course.

Sign-in - the look
Right after setup of course you need to sign-in. A picture is worth a 1000 words (according to someone) so I will let the picture do the talking here. This reminds me of those games in a magazine where you are supposed to spot all the differences.

Menus - the look and feel
After installing a Beta the first thing you might do is look through the menus to see what has changed... for this Beta the menus haven't changed but you will get to them in a different way.


Contact Window - the look
After you sign-in you will likely want to find someone to IM with.


Conversation Window - the look and a little feel
Now on to IMing, you will notice the typing indicator and "Last message received.." information has moved. After you have used if for a bit, let us know what you think by voting in the poll (note if you are reading this in an RSS reader - click here to see the poll). We collect feedback in multiple ways - the poll is an unscientific but fun method so you may not see changes based on it. If you are really passionate about it head on over here to provide detailed feedback.


New Emoticon - the bunny
While you are IMing you will likely want to send an emoticon or 2 or 100

Windows Live Writer
Most of the MessengerSays posts are created through Windows Live Writer including this one. If you haven't used Writer yet let me tell you it really rocks!

Changes since Messenger 8.0
Roaming Identity
- Your display name follows you any place you sign into. Now your display picture and personal message will follow you too. If you would prefer they stayed in place you can turn this off (Tools->Options->General -> Sign In -> "Use the same display picture....")

Contact Card
- The contact card has gotten a updated look. Instead of a flip it does a slide to toggle between the Spaces and Contact information. Also no more squinting at an icon and trying to figure out what it means the actions on the card are now listed out plain and simple.

Emoticons, Winks, Backgrounds, Display Pictures
- The menus have gotten an updated look. They include a recently used list and easy access to featured content so you can get new emoticons, winks, background and display pictures to use. hint: typcially in the featured section the first 4 are free.

SMS Phone Book
- You now have a quick way to send SMS to a phone number or add phone numbers for your contacts. Just click the cell phone icon in them main window for a good time.

New Contact Emotion
- In 8.0 all our icons got an update but we forgot a very important one. The contact emoticon. Type (M) to send it.

Status Menu includes Sign Out
- We noticed people look in the status menu to sign out and so ta-da now you can sign out from the status menu.

Report abuse
- Here is something you will hopefully never need to use, but it is there just in case in the help menus.

Vista Presentation Mode
- When you are in Presentation Mode on Vista Messenger will change your status to busy so you can avoid the embarrassing situation of everyone reading your IMs! Don't worry if you want to show Messenger in your presentation you can turn this off (Tools->Options-> Personal-> My Status -> Show me as "Busy"...).

Behind the scenes changes
- This release also includes changes to the "guts" of some of the features. The goal is for these changes to improve your experience. Please let us know if that is not the case.

Personal Invitation
- When you add a new contact you can add a message so they know who you are. Especially helpful if your email address is something like ILoveMessenger(at)emaildomain.com - since there are so many of us out there.

- Roaming Identity - Your display name follows you any place you sign into. Now your display picture and personal message will follow you too. If you would prefer they stayed in place you can turn this off (Tools->Options->General -> Sign In -> "Use the same display picture....")
- Contact Card - The contact card has gotten a updated look. Instead of a flip it does a slide to toggle between the Spaces and Contact information. Also no more squinting at an icon and trying to figure out what it means the actions on the card are now listed out plain and simple.
- Emoticons, Winks, Backgrounds, Display Pictures - The menus have gotten an updated look. They include a recently used list and easy access to featured content so you can get new emoticons, winks, background and display pictures to use. hint: typcially in the featured section the first 4 are free.
- SMS Phone Book - You now have a quick way to send SMS to a phone number or add phone numbers for your contacts. Just click the cell phone icon in them main window for a good time.
- New Contact Emotion - In 8.0 all our icons got an update but we forgot a very important one. The contact emoticon. Type (M) to send it.
- Status Menu includes Sign Out - We noticed people look in the status menu to sign out and so ta-da now you can sign out from the status menu.
- Report abuse - Here is something you will hopefully never need to use, but it is there just in case.
- Vista Presentation Mode - When you are in Presentation Mode on Vista Messenger will change your status to busy so you can avoid the embarrassing situation of everyone reading your IMs! Don't worry if you want to show Messenger in your presentation you can turn this off (Tools->Options-> Personal-> My Status -> Show me as "Busy"...).
- Behind the scenes changes - This release also includes changes to the "guts" of some of the features. The goal is for these changes to improve your experience. Please let us know if that is not the case.