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Microsoft Releases Suite of Windows Live Software

By Ed Oswald, BetaNews

September 5, 2007, 4:43 PM

As expected, Microsoft on Wednesday released its Windows Live software suite, including the global betas of several of its desktop products.

Among the applications included are Windows Live Photo Gallery, Mail, Messenger, Writer, OneCare Family Safety, and Toolbar. The unified installer for the product also acts as a central location to download updates to any program once it is installed.

Evidence that Microsoft was preparing to make a major push with its Windows Live services first appeared on Tuesday, with the New York Times reporting that the unified application was close to reality.

Microsoft had promised to make some major announcements surrounding its Live platform during the summer, however they never materialized. The Redmond company is still playing catchup to other Internet giants like Google and Yahoo, which so far have been the standard-bearers for the so-called Web 2.0 movement.

"These applications bridge the gap between the Windows Vista PC and the Windows Live web services," Brandon LeBlanc wrote for the official Windows Vista blog. "Overall, the Windows Live suite is designed to extend your Windows experience by tapping into Windows Live. Of course choice comes with the Windows Live Suite as well."

Windows Live Mail users can check any POP or IMAP account, LeBlanc added, along with using Windows Live Writer for a variety of blogging services.

The release of the unified installer also marks the first time the Windows Live Photo Gallery application is made available to the public. Users can share pictures and videos on Spaces and Soapbox; and the application automatically arranges photos by events, much like the new version of Apple's iPhoto.

Other features include automatic stitching of panoramic photos, improved photo editing tools, and the ability to view Quicktime files in the Gallery viewer.

The Windows Live Mail beta builds on previous versions by adding new formatting abilities, and tweaks to performance. Performance is also improved in Messenger, along with family safety integration and security enhancements.

Windows Live Writer is seeing the most changes, with an expansion to 32 languages, and 55 countries. The new version makes it easy to upload video from a host of video services into an entry, as well as new formatting options. Image upload to Blogger has also been added.

"Together with our web services, we have a complete suite that combines the best of the Web and the best of Windows, and works the way you want," Windows Live Team vice president Chris Jones said in a Web log post.

The unified installer is available for download from the Windows Live Web site.

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By Alex Stevens

edited Sep 6, 2007 - 2:08 PM

The mail application is very nice, and now that it's available for XP it's yet one more reason NOT to "upgrade" to Vista.

Score: 0

By ZenWarrior

posted Sep 7, 2007 - 10:22 AM

Agreed. The mail app is nice. I'm even using it instead of Gmail at times now!

Score: 0

By portablenuke

posted Sep 6, 2007 - 10:58 AM

Interesting. Now when will they release it for Windows mobile?

I'd ask for linux/bsd/Mac clients, but that may be asking too much. (Some of us run lots of different operating systems.)

Score: 0

By enalposi

posted Sep 6, 2007 - 10:43 AM

Very disappointed. I was hoping for something to compete with Google Docs and adding tight integration with the desktop office suite. This stuff unfortunately is completely useless for me. Glad some of you guys like it though :-)

Score: 0

By terminalx

posted Sep 6, 2007 - 10:07 AM

Finally! the new mail beta when its maximized has the same clean look as minimized and you can better customize the layout now.

Installed with zero problems, you select what you want and get what you ask for, sure you may have to uncheck some more things but it clearly says "add additional software"

Its no worse then what java or flash does with google apps.

I like the live photo looks like vista's basically but I think it has more options. It did not install desktop search nor does it have the option as far as I could see, so no idea what guru_v is talking about.

The Live apps are pretty impressive, looking forward to when the photosynth tool can be used with your own pictures. I think tafiti would be great if they could integrate it into the OS as it would be a far better desktop search then what is currently offered.

Score: 0

By GoodThings2Life

posted Sep 6, 2007 - 7:38 AM

The lack of x64 support is appalling!

The Live products are absolutely amazing, and I've been using the previous betas on x64 without issue.

Why in the world is ANY Microsoft team still releasing products that aren't x64 compatible at this stage in the game? For as much as I like Microsoft products, this is just retarded.

Score: 0

By benjimen

edited Sep 6, 2007 - 6:22 AM

While the individual apps are compatible with 64-bit Vista, the new installer program is not. Very disappointing to know you could be using the new stuff if only they would make the individual programs available as separate installations. Very dumb.

Score: 0

By GoodThings2Life

posted Sep 6, 2007 - 7:40 AM

I definitely agree. It just boggles my mind that they are still releasing products that don't support x64. What kind of message does that send to their x64 users and the rest of the market about x64 support?

Score: 0

By mocha

posted Sep 6, 2007 - 11:46 AM

I agree... but I just saw on the official Vista blog that x64 will be supported by RTM.

Also, in the meantime someone posted this workaround (I haven't tried it yet).

http://www.anti-tgtsoft.com/?p=14

Score: 0

By guru_v

posted Sep 6, 2007 - 5:58 AM

The problem is the need for the Photo app to have Windows Desktop Search loaded on the machine. The installer 'sneaks' this by as simply 'Toolbar' with no other explanation.

The unified installer should be more informative before the install begins.

The mail and blog apps are good, however.

Score: 0

By frankwick

posted Sep 6, 2007 - 3:06 PM

I didn't notice since I had Search running already. It makes sense though. The photo indexing and tagging seems instantaneous. I now understand why it so much quicker than other tagging programs like adobe Photoshop Album. Album ran so slowly, it was almost useless.

Score: 0

By MikeDiack

posted Sep 6, 2007 - 5:07 AM

It looks good. Have tried it at home via the new WLInstaller.exe

_BUT_

The WLInstaller.exe seems to do weird stuff via firewalls etc. The long and short of it is that the installer won't download the files here at work, and as far as I can tell (from the notes they ask you to check if it fails) this is due to some firewall exceptions that need to be set up. For people like me, behind a corporate firewall/proxy, this is now useless as the installer won't download the files.

Why on earth couldn't they have stuck with the original method of giving regular download links for each individual program.

Score: 0

By Setian^Stalker

edited Sep 6, 2007 - 9:15 AM

Trying it myself now, it keeps hanging up on Checking for installed products
:(
EDIT
Woah Windows Live Writer is REALLY good!! Works a treat on my blog
Pitty that photo app wont install

Score: 0

By frankwick

posted Sep 5, 2007 - 10:24 PM

is PhotoGallery a replacement for the XP Photo/Fax Viewer and the Slide Show tool?

Score: 0

By terminalx

posted Sep 6, 2007 - 10:07 AM

yes

Score: 0

By frankwick

posted Sep 6, 2007 - 10:11 AM

will this also replace the Vista photo tool?

Score: 0

By terminalx

edited Sep 6, 2007 - 11:54 AM

Haven't tried it, looks exactly like the vista one, I would assume so as it integrates directly with the OS, for example in XP when you click on any photo, the new live photo takes over all image files and the old viewer is nowhere to be seen.

Score: 0

By frankwick

posted Sep 5, 2007 - 9:30 PM

yah! a new Mail beta. I like this product for POP mail and it has been since May since a release. The junk filtering is very good and this is an important feature for me.

This is the product which will replace Outlook Express and Windows Mail.

Score: 0

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