P2P application from Microsoft?!

There are some wild rumours circulating on the Net about an upcoming P2P application from the behemoth itself, Microsoft. According to various reports -- and it's not 1st of April yet -- the tool would integrate into MSN Messenger and would be called 3�r; (three degrees).

There are some -- we can only speculate are they real or not -- screenshots available in here as well as some, very little though, more information about the tool. Based on the screenshots, they've pretty much ripped the design of the default skin from the original Sonique MP3 player :-)

Source: NeoWin

Update: Okidok, it's official now. You can test the software -- in case you have Windows XP, XP Service Pack 1 and MSN Messenger. The software homepage is here:

http://www.threedegrees.com/

Written by: Petteri Pyyny @ 25 Feb 2003 1:16

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13 comments

dali

LOL!

This is *exactly* the same thing I wrote out for fools day news in my own site last year! According to my article, the tool would have been called, hum, let me see, ah, yes, that was it: "Winster, the Massive Data Pool".

Hey, maybe I gave them the idea! X-)

And now, seriously, doesn't anyone fear the tons of astounding, fresh and cool spyware that this tool will provide us for free?

25.2.2003 03:15 #1

Ghostdog

Darn, I just bought Win2k instead of XP. I would *so* have wanted to use a cool application like this...........not.

There are better IM�s than Messenger, although I have to admit I haven�t tried Messenger since it�s early days.

I�m curious about what kind of features 3 degrees will have. Can it outperform the combination of using ICQ and Kazaa?

25.2.2003 03:43 #2

seanbyrne

I had a look at the demo at that site (but didn't download the software). The idea of it sharing music is that when you join a group with mates, you can listen to each other's music, i.e. stream to your machine, but NOT download as with regular P2P. If a user logs off, you will not be able to listen to their songs.

It's just like a meeting place such as a party where everyone takes CDs with them and thus is possible to listen to each other's CDs without copying them. But once someone leaves with their music, you would not be able to listen to their CDs.

25.2.2003 04:03 #3

dali

In regular p2p (SoulSeek, for instance), when the user you're downloading from disconnects, you can't continue with the download until he or she reconnects. That's why it's called p2p. So, it's the same behaviour, but without being able to download the file itself.

About the streaming thing... Correct me if I am wrong, but that's what are programs like SteamBox VCR for, aren't they? (I don't know because I never used such tools).

Anyway, don't get me wrong, I'm not likely to start using that "Three Degrees" thing for downloading music as far as there are any other (and better) alternatives.

25.2.2003 08:05 #4

Rodgers

Leave it to Microsoft, (jokers) to try to create dissension in the ranks. If they start their P2P now, they will only be about 2 decades behind the rest. I think they should stick to improving their OS.

Regards to All!
Rodgers

25.2.2003 09:30 #5

dali

Well, I guess Microsoft only owns the product, that is, they're not "directly" developing it, like it happens with the Age of Empires game, for instance. Just my opinion, I might be wrong, of course.

And it's not the first time Microsoft gives us a surprise and we find out that they're on our side (or sort of). Do you remember this recent afterdawn news feed? :)

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/3008.cfm

More accordingly to what the particular subject is concerned about, don't miss this earlier issue:

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/1769.cfm

The fact is that Microsoft dares to go p2p and face the industry. That's good news even for us who hate them (and use linux, of course).

25.2.2003 09:56 #6

mystic

maybe that the problom microsoft cant fix their own software so they are going to dazzel the masses with the p2p so no-one complains about the os also it will only run on their os. really now that microsoft took on the goverment do they think hollywood and motown will just roll over? hey Bill has the money to burn let him go up in flame like the phenox..... really the only way p2ps will continue to work is to encryopt them then you send an http address to desipher the encryption.....

26.2.2003 08:06 #7

dali

What would be that http address for? Why not simply secure the connections via ssl or similar protocol? And, as I said in other thread, only the filenames and the keywords in the searches would need to be encrypted (IMHO).

Hum... Excuse me if I went too off-topic.

PS: Please mystic, provide us with some dots, commas, semicolons or whatever next time. English is not my first language and sometimes I find it really hard to understand your posts O:)

STOP THE WAR!

26.2.2003 08:54 #8

tribal-t

You would think that by now Microsoft would have realized that that they can't compete in the IM business. But, hey they have cash to waste, maybe some kids will waste their time with this

26.2.2003 12:18 #9

Donuts

Microsoft can't compete in the IM bussiness, you say?

Well here in Australia, almost every kid has MSN IM, it's the standard. I assume that 3 eegrees is aimed at the same audience.

2.3.2003 21:25 #10

dali

I fully agree. Can't understand it, but it happens exactly the same right here in my country. Personally, I don't like IMs... And I run Linux, so I have not MSN IM installed. I prefer posting in forums or BBS's to chatting, and I'd rather "ytalk" with my friends, if such is the case (so, hey, I'm using talkd as an IM, after all :)

Anyway, if anybody should want to listen to music while chatting with his/her buddies, I think he/she'd better try soulseek instead... Whenever its server is up, of course.

STOP THE WAR!

3.3.2003 00:57 #11

phila57

Does anyone have 3�(three degrees) up and running?

4.3.2003 07:21 #12

Rodgers

If so, pray tell why?

Rodgers

4.3.2003 08:44 #13

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