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With the name Codename Max I thought this was going to be a video game or something like that but I couldn’t have been further from the truth. My roommate Paul Stamatiou linked me to a new project launched by Microsoft that tries to target the online social community with an integrated RSS reader and picture sharing software. Lately Microsoft’s programs have been rather attractive and useful programs so I decided to download the 54 megabyte download and give it a try.

I must admit Microsoft has located the right talent in regards to making programs look beautiful yet remain functional. Office 2007, WMP11, Vista, and now Max are all stunning with their glassy bars, windows, and buttons yet the pretty programs have retained all of their functionality. Max is a very simple program that offers two very simple services, RSS management and social photo distribution. If Max was simply a RSS reader I would probably be in love, the photo services that form the other half of the program are simply extra features that I would normally ignore considering how large Flickr has grown.

RSS

Holy wow! All previous RSS readers that I have used were simply text based columns of articles with a window available to read the actual RSS feed. Max goes above and beyond by presenting the RSS feed in a simple yet incredible graphical interface that seems to mimic classical newspapers with the columns and pictures being placed all over the page. Only a picture does this program justice so I will let the pictures speak.

The RSS management is so simple, almost too simple. You have the ability to add, update, and remove RSS feeds. That’s it, nothing more, nothing less. I do hope that Microsoft will incorporate a way to share your RSS feeds or at least export your feeds in a common format so that you can easily configure multiple machines across multiple platforms with your RSS feed. Since I only follow 10-15 feeds at one time Max is the perfect RSS reader for me as it shows all the recent RSS traffic for a feed in a easy graphical interface. If you were keeping track of a large quantity of feeds it could get to be a bit tiresome to constantly have to click and scroll through the feeds so this may alienate the hardcore RSS readers out there. Another minor problem for the RSS reader but boon for the website writer is the fact that currently Max only supports feed summaries, requiring the reader to visit the website to read the actual article. With this “feature” I can see Max possibly making RSS reading more mainstream especially if it is bundled with Windows Vista and publicized with Windows XP and Office. Currently RSS feeds are considered a tool of the technically adept and those knowledgeable of the Internet, perhaps the common Internet user will dive into the world of RSS feeds with Max.

Photo Sharing

Right now I am rather limited in my ability to test the sharing features of Max in regards to photos however I did have a chance to extensively play with the interface. Just like the RSS interface, the List interface is very simple with large well defined buttons and a simple menu. From what I can gather Max gives the user the ability to bundle groups of pictures into Lists and then share these lists with your friends while letting you browse your friends lists. With no one else to test the photo-sharing with I was left a bit unimpressed by this feature however it does create some very cool slideshows utilizing some 3-D placement of images within a backdrop and other “Vista-like” effects. I believe with a bit more development and community feedback the List features will be more intuitive and useful.

Conclusion

I’ve got to admit I am rather impressed with what Microsoft has managed to crank out lately. The RSS features of Max won’t be what everyone wants however I think for the majoirty of users that only check a few feeds a day Max would fit in perfectly. Since Max only offers summaries of RSS feeds this forces the user to actually visit the website however Max displays the summaries in such a fashion that you can judge whether the article is worthy of your click and attention while in Max. The inclusions of pictures within the RSS reader also make it very important for blogger/writer to include pictures to attract readers. Right now Max is in the Beta stages but with a little extra work Microsoft could have a gem on their hands and another great market for bloggers to target.