Microsoft enters Google Territory with MSN Spaces

Microsoft enters Google Territory with MSN Spaces

In the last couple of months, we have seen Google invading the Microsoft territory with GMail and Google Desktop Search. Now Microsoft is responding. Last month saw them releasing an updated MSN Search Beta, which has improved comprehensively compared to what they are running on MSN Website currently.

Now, Microsoft is entering into competition with Blogger.com with their new MSN Spaces. Spaces provide any Passport user to setup a Blog along with several other services like Images and Lists. A common Spaces page shows snippets from all the various sections.

The service is in beta stage and provides 10 Megs of space for content additions like images. It also let user setup permissions for other users to access a particular space. User can make it private, public, or accessible to only those users who are contacts in MSN Messenger.

People who are used to independent Blogging tools would not be happy with the MSN Blog Service. The links generated are awkward and there is little independence in shaping out the layout. There are predefined color themes with no facility to modify CSS or Layout code. It however supports RSS (2.0) Syndication and Mobile Blogging. Email Blogging does not seems to be available. Trackbacks are also supported. Also, there is no information whether the service would let user Blog from third party clients.

Bad thing is that for commenting, a visitor should have a Passport ID. Another thing I noticed was that if you leave your email address with a comment, MSN Spaces shows it in raw form. Making it susceptible to e-mail harvesters.

Photos can be added in the Photos Section only through Internet Explorer. An applet let user upload images from any folder from the Hard Disk using a convenient interface. Lists allow user to have a custom listing of bookmarks, books or anything similar. There is also a section called Music where user can upload playlists directly from Microsoft Media Player (No, Winamp is not supported) or put in manual data. These can also be displayed on the Spaces panel.

Overall, it is a good service for people who do not expect much and need something familiar. It will definitely not be fun if you are a believer of alternate browsers. I expect Microsoft to have this service integrated with its other products like MSN Messenger and possibly the next Office version. Ability to Blog and receive updates from Messenger might give it an edge over other services. However, power hungry users would definitely want more.

Blogging is definitely the buzzword of current times… and now Microsoft is actively involved in it.