Groove 3.0: Initial Impressions.
With Ray Ozzie popping up seemingly everywhere to push Groove 3.0, I got a chance to test drive Groove 3.0 beta today. Maybe my initial enthusiasm based on a few screenshots set too high an expectation because I was disappointed by the real stuff. Groove 3.0 is less like Windows 3.0 and more like Clark Kent trying to change into his Superman outfit in a tight phonebooth.
I like its integration with Outlook, MSN Messenger and Explorer, but Workspaces and Tools are still trapped by the boxy pro-segregation UI which is irritating to both the users and the developers. Also, why force the user to abandon the tools they already know how to use and relearn inferior tools?
Why not break open the box completely and let users use whatever tool they are currently? Groove 3.0's File Sharing is a good start but even more work is needed to help developers Groove-enable their existing applications.
Anyhow, I am going to play around with it some more and report back later. [Don Park's Daily Habit]