Meet Max, Microsoft's new photo sharing/organizing app

Haven't seen enough of Microsoft's shiny new WinFX (OMG they ripped off Apple blah blah) chrome look yet? Check out Microsoft Max, a brand new app that takes a little iPhoto (or maybe a lot) and a little Flickr and puts them together in one very pretty app. Max (a codename which will probably not stick, given Microsoft's previous track record with men's names) does photo organizing, photo albums ("express them in beautiful views"), photo sharing (Passport account required), and a "super hot 3D Mantle View™." A beta is available for download and requires SP2.












Comments
5
Subscribe to commentsMikeSep 14th 2005 10:08AM
I hate to be just another MS basher, but when was the last time they innovated anything? Anymore, it seems like they won't release a product until at least two other companies (in this case and many others, Apple and Google) have their equivalents.
That said, they always have the advantage of integration with Windows, so hopefully they do a good job on that front. Looks like a fairly nice app.
~J~Sep 14th 2005 11:19AM
I don't think it's a case of them being innovative, more of getting an existing idea and enhancing it to what the users want.
Whilst Max isn't new, it's not innovative, some would say that it's ripped off this, that and t'other.
But what they have done is take a common, standard and widely available product, added some bells and whistles (that most of us won't use), but the average Joe Public, the 'new' computer user, the people who aren't very computer literatate, will see it, like it, see how easy it is to use, how 'nice' it looks when they 'show-off' their photos to friends and family, and MS have another winner on their hands.
It's not a cutting-edge, eye-candy-innovative product they are after making and marketing, it's something that people will use because it looks good and is simple to use. Perfect ingredients for the average user.
RussellSep 14th 2005 8:25PM
I just received this message:
Max was unable to state installation. It is hard to say exactly what is causing this problem....
VoltonSep 14th 2005 3:27PM
You don't need to use the Webinstaller to download the program.
Just use that link: go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=51164
(6.3 MB)
If you extract the exe file with Power Archiver you can use Max on non-english XP versions as well.
However you still need WinFx:
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=50750
(47.1 MB)
semutaSep 14th 2005 10:13PM
I'm one for jumping into the MS bashing. What a nightmare to try to install this thing. First it of course has to install some kind of MS Framework or WinFX Runtime Components...that caused a reboot. On the boot up I get a login screen that I never have...password??
Once I finally figure out that I must have at some time long ago set a password and guess it correctly, the install tries to continue and fails. Yes, that was a typical MS experience for me.
All of this for a photo program!
And I like the way they've gone from the message "This may take several minutes" to "This will (or may?) take a minute or two"... how hip of them.