对于在中国的我们来说,对MSN Premium的概念可能并不太清楚,它通过一个特殊的浏览器MSN Explorer运作,支持上网接入,电子邮件等各种服务,这一每年120美元的服务在美国有成千上万的客户.这一服务由微软和各大服务的提供商联合组成,目前的版本是9.5. 就在MSN宽带订阅服务首次推出的2004年,我们更熟悉的Windows Live出现了,是的,它几乎完全免费,并且随着它的快速发展,MSN Premium进入了一个非常不利的境地,有人指责微软收费提供与免费的Windows Live几乎完全相同的服务. Sympatico提供的文档显示,在全世界至少有820万人订购了MSN Premium,然而,他们的一百多美元换来了什么呢?以下的表格可能说明问题:
Nearly every MSN Premium feature is free in Windows Live or in Windows itself.
MSN Premium
($10/mo USD)
| Windows Live
(free)
| Included in Windows
(or free from Microsoft)
| Parental controls
| Windows Live Family Safety
| Parental controls included in Vista
| Phishing filter
| Included in Live Hotmail
| Included in IE 7
| Outlook Connector
| Includes Outlook Connector
| Free download
| Digital Image Standard 2006 Editor and Digital Image Standard Library
| Windows Live Photo Gallery
| Windows Photo Gallery included in Vista
| MSN Mail
| Windows Live Hotmail
|
| Virus Guard from McAfee
| Live OneCare scan
|
| E-mail virus protection
| Included in Live Hotmail
|
| 10 GB of mail storage
| 5 GB of mail storage
|
| Junk e-mail guard
| Included in Live Hotmail
|
| Up to 10 additional member accounts
| Create unlimited linked Live IDs
|
| Multiple e-mail account support
| Add multiple existing mail accounts in desktop version
|
| Anytime, anywhere access to e-mail
| Mail available from any browser, plus Mobile Mail for cell phone
|
| Designer e-mail with photo albums
| Included in desktop version of Live Hotmail
|
| Alert reminders
| Windows Live Alerts
|
| Calendar
| Calendar included in Live Hotmail, Windows Live Calendar Beta
|
| Encarta Premium
| Windows Live Academic Search Beta
|
| Virtual Earth
| Live Maps
|
| TrueSwitch for transferring info from other e-mail accounts
| Included in Live Hotmail
|
| Free technical support
| Windows Live Support
|
| | Firewall | | Included in XP SP2 and Vista | Webroot Spy Sweeper for MSN
|
| Windows Defender is a free download for XP, included in Vista
| Pop-up guard
|
| Included in IE 6 and 7
| Photo Story Lite
|
| Photo Story 3 is a free download; Windows Movie Maker is included in XP, Vista
| Messenger photo swap
|
| Sending photos is part of Windows Messenger, included in XP; free download for Vista
| Member center
|
| Multiple Microsoft communities
| Download manager
| —
| —
|
微软正在自己与自己赛跑,是停止MSN Premium,还是改进服务保护付费客户的权益,这是摆在微软前面的问题. |
微软MSN否认门户概念正在走向死亡
