Microsoft recently launched Windows Live Planet, a new social networking website that is very similar to Orkut or Facebook which allows us to be in touch with friends and share information with them.
Looks like this web site is soft launched and there is not much buzz on the blogs or press releases from Microsoft. The design and the content of the home page suggests that this site is primarily intended for Indian audience.
You can sign in to the site using your Windows Live/Hotmail/MSN account or otherwise you can use your GMail or Yahoo or other ids to create a new account.
Once you login, you can set up your profile and connect to your friends if they already in Windows Live Planet or you can invite them to join you. The options like search for friends, leave scraps allows you to find and keep in touch with friends.
The website also features a sleek web version of MSN Messenger(available in the footer of the website) and it allows you to chat with your friends as you do in the MSN Messenger windows application.
The website look and feel is not bad, but the usability looks like a problem as it does not look clean(it’s too flashy and hard to identify the various options). By the way, don’t try to open this website using Firefox or Chrome browsers, it may not work. I tried couple of times using Firefox and Chrome, it failed to work properly. Use Internet Explorer, it works perfectly.
It’s too late for Microsoft to get into Social Networking business and also very tough to convince the Indian users to move out of Orkut or Facebook and join Windows Live Planet.
Visit Windows Live Planet
Hi Gopinath, i am using it on firefox whilt writing this now. What version of FF are you using?
Gary,
I use Firefox 3.5…..
Hi thanks for this. I use firefox and it works fine for me. I guess its not a social networking site, since i cudnt find options like feeds, photos, groups, etc. I read to Abou Us link in the footer, dont think M$ wants to call it social networking either. Suprising, as i joined, i found 46 of my friends already there :)
I agree the site could be cleaner, but i enjoy the distinct look as well..
Cheers and thanks for this post.
Gary,
did you try using MSN Messenger of this website in Firefox? I tried many times and it did not work. But worked perfectly in IE.