MSN 8 to foist fees on outsiders
C|Net | at | by Mike
Microsoft this week plans to move one step closer to launching MSN 8, a major overhaul of its online service that for the first time will charge people who use an alternate Internet service provider. The company expects to release the second testing version to preselected testers as early as Tuesday. MSN 8 Beta 2, which is feature complete, sports new parental controls and e-mail spam filtering, among other features.
The software giant has yet to announce a release date for the finished product or pricing for non-Microsoft ISP users, although MSN product manager Lisa Gurry said it plans to charge less than rival America Online's $14.95 for "Bring Your Own Access" service. She added that Microsoft does not plan to raise current dial-up or broadband MSN monthly rates.