Windows Live Spaces: Difference between revisions

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File:Windowslivespaces.jpg

Screenshot of Windows Live Spaces

Windows Live Spaces launched on the 1st August at 03:30 Redmond Time as the direct successor to MSN Spaces. According to Paul Thurrott[1], Windows Live Spaces would have possibly launched in the middle of August. But according to Thomas J.[2], Windows Live Spaces launched on Monday, August 1st, 2006.

There are various, obvious differences to between MSN Spaces and Windows Live Spaces, the most instantly evident being a redesigned layout engine. This allows users greater flexibility in terms of the layout of their "WLSpace", for example, it is now possible to move the "Title and Tagline" as a module, where before it was permanently fixed to the top of the page. It also looks to resolve some oft-criticised characteristics of MSN Spaces, such as the alignment of content on the computer screen. MSN Spaces was designed for resolutions of 800×600 pixels and above, and all content on the page grew out from the left side of the screen. This led to the page occupying only part of the available screen area on displays with resolutions of the order of 1280×1024 pixels, wasting a large area to the right. WLSpaces aligns all content to the centre of the screen and appears to have been designed for best viewing on a resolution of 1024×768 pixels.

Currently WLSpaces are best viewed with Microsoft Internet Explorer. While largely compatible, competing browser, Mozilla Firefox, occasionaly displays pages incorrectly; a problem inherited from MSN Spaces.

MSN Spaces displayed small text advertisements, often with simple logos at the top of the page. WLSpaces display a single standard sized advertisement banner, which can display either a fixed image, or an animated advertisement in the Animated GIF or Adobe Flash format. Subscribers to premium Windows Live services will be able to turn these advertisements off.

Notable Differences in Windows Live Spaces

Some of the features mentioned on the Windows Live Spaces Blog.

Friends Module
Friends Explorer
Animated Advertisements (for non-subscribers)
Title and Tagline can be moved
Support for Windows Live Gadgets, a web based implementation of Microsoft Gadgets
URL Change to reflect re-branding

URL Change

MSN Spaces saw two URL format changes, the last format being

http://*****.spaces.msn.com

where asterisks stand in the place of the unique name of the MSN Space.

With the move to WLSpaces, came a change to

http://*****.spaces.live.com

Though unlikely for some time, a further URL change removing "Spaces" or "Live" seems probable, given the initial change in MSN Spaces from

http://spaces.msn.com/members/*****

to

http://spaces.msn.com/*****.

External links

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 [[Image:Windowslivespaces.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Screenshot of [[spaces.live.com|Windows Live Spaces]] ]]
+Windows Live Spaces launched on the 1st August at 03:30 Redmond Time as the direct successor to [[MSN Spaces]]. According to Paul Thurrott[http://liveside.net/comments.php?catid=2&shownews=359], Windows Live Spaces would have possibly launched in the middle of August. But according to Thomas J.[http://t.spaces.msn.com/], Windows Live Spaces launched on Monday, August 1st, 2006.
-==Windows Live Spaces has been launched ==
-Windows Live Spaces has launched on the 1st August at 3:30 Redmond Time. Go and check out either http://www.msblog.org/?p=953 or http://spaces.live.com for more information.
+There are various, obvious differences to between MSN Spaces and Windows Live Spaces, the most instantly evident being a redesigned layout engine. This allows users greater flexibility in terms of the layout of their "WLSpace", for example, it is now possible to move the "Title and Tagline" as a module, where before it was permanently fixed to the top of the page. It also looks to resolve some oft-criticised characteristics of MSN Spaces, such as the alignment of content on the computer screen. MSN Spaces was designed for resolutions of 800×600 pixels and above, and all content on the page grew out from the left side of the screen. This led to the page occupying only part of the available screen area on displays with resolutions of the order of 1280×1024 pixels, wasting a large area to the right. WLSpaces aligns all content to the centre of the screen and appears to have been designed for best viewing on a resolution of 1024×768 pixels.
-''The rest continues''
+Currently WLSpaces are best viewed with [[Microsoft Internet Explorer]]. While largely compatible, competing browser, [[Mozilla Firefox]], occasionaly displays pages incorrectly; a problem inherited from MSN Spaces.
-Windows Live Spaces will be the sucessor of [[MSN Spaces]]. According to Paul Thurrott[[http://liveside.net/comments.php?catid=2&shownews=359]], Windows Live Spaces would have possibly launched in the middle of August. But according to Thomas J.[[http://t.spaces.msn.com/]], Windows Live Spaces launched on Monday, August 1st, 2006. It has more features than its predecessor, like the Friends Explorer. At the moment it works best with Internet Explorer but one can also use the Firefox browser to a certain extent.
+MSN Spaces displayed small text advertisements, often with simple logos at the top of the page. WLSpaces display a single standard sized advertisement banner, which can display either a fixed image, or an animated advertisement in the [[Animated GIF]] or [[Adobe Flash]] format. Subscribers to premium [[Windows Live]] services will be able to turn these advertisements off.
-The redesigned site allows you to reposition your Space’s title and tagline using a module - you’ll also be able to display your Windows Live Messenger friends list on your page and add gadgets to your blog sidebar. To make it easier to navigate the Spaces, the team is adding an optional Navigation Module as well.
+==Notable Differences in Windows Live Spaces==
-The existing text ads will be replaced with banner ads, but paid subscribers will be able to turn these off. The paid account costs $20 per year and also increases the amount of storage in your Live Mail account. Finally, the URL structure will change -  the new site will be found at http://spaces.live.com
-==New Services in Windows Live Spaces==
 Some of the features mentioned on the [http://thespacecraft.spaces.msn.com/ Windows Live Spaces Blog].
@@ Line 21: / Line 18: @@
 *Friends Module
 *Friends Explorer
-*Animated Advertisements (Hotmail Plus users can switch ads off)
+*Animated Advertisements (for non-subscribers)
-*Title and Tagline no longer glued to top of screen - can be moved about
+*Title and Tagline can be moved
-*[[Windows Live Gadgets]]
+*Support for [[Windows Live Gadgets]], a web based implementation of [[Microsoft Gadgets]]
+*URL Change to reflect re-branding
+==URL Change==
-There may be others, but are unknown. All current features of MSN Spaces remain unchanged.
+MSN Spaces saw two URL format changes, the last format being
-==MSN Spaces address change==
+<nowiki>http://*****.spaces.msn.com</nowiki>
-The switch has occured. This means that current MSN Spaces users will have their current addresses moved. The change means that people's addresses have changed in the following way:-
+where asterisks stand in the place of the unique name of the MSN Space.
-http://thespacecraft.spaces.msn.com to http://thespacecraft.spaces.live.com
+With the move to WLSpaces, came a change to
-Information on this will be posted on the [http://thespacecraft.spaces.msn.com/ Windows Live Spaces Blog]
+<nowiki>http://*****.spaces.live.com</nowiki>
+Though unlikely for some time, a further URL change removing "Spaces" or "Live" seems probable, given the initial change in MSN Spaces from
+<nowiki>http://spaces.msn.com/members/*****</nowiki>
+to
+<nowiki>http://spaces.msn.com/*****</nowiki>.
 ==External links==
@@ Line 39: / Line 47: @@
 *[http://discoverspaces.live.com/ Windows Live - Spaces Landing Page]
 *[http://spaces.live.com/ Windows Live Spaces Website]
+*[http://thespacecraft.spaces.live.com/ Windows Live Spaces Team Blog]
 {{Windows Live}}