DailyTech - Windows Live Software Suite Moves Out of Beta

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Internet Windows Live Software Suite Moves Out of Beta
Wolfgang Hansson (Blog) - November 7, 2007 4:35 PM

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20 comment(s) - last by Pythias.. on Nov 9 at 7:30 AM

Windows Live Mail (Source: Microsoft)

Microsoft says Windows Live ready for the real world and moves it out of beta

Microsoft’s Windows Live software package has been in beta for a while now and today Microsoft announced that Windows Live is officially out of beta status. Windows Live has many different pieces of software located centrally in one application.

Possibly the most useful piece of the Windows Live puzzle for most users will be the integrated email service that allows you to manage multiple email accounts from different services in one application. Supported email services include Gmail and Yahoo! accounts.

The Windows Live Photo Gallery allows you to import photos directly from your digital camera without needing to install software for your camera. Microsoft says the application will allow you to publish your photos to Windows Live Spaces with two mouse clicks. Other features include the ability to add tags to photos for searching, photo editing capability, and the ability to create slide shows.

Those who like to blog might find use in the Windows Live Writer application that allows the publishing of content to most major blog services like Windows Live Spaces, SharePoint, Wordpress, Blogger and more. The application allows the addition of photos, video, maps and more easily. Users can also compose posts offline and upload them later when online.

Windows Live Toolbar is much like other toolbars already available from Google and Yahoo! with customizable buttons and the ability to initiate a search from any webpage. Windows Live OneCare provides safety for families while online by filtering websites other family members shouldn't be visiting. Security settings on a personal computer can be accessed from most other web-connected machines anywhere in the world.

All the components of Windows Live are now available for free download.

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free

By thejez on 11/7/2007 5:11:33 PM , Rating: 2

OneCare is free? I thought it cost $$?

RE: free

By danz32 on 11/7/2007 5:32:23 PM , Rating: 3

The security center OneCare does cost money...this article refers specifcally to a family safety tool for parents to monitor their kids computer activities

If the main OneCare was free, Symmatec and co. would be freaking pissed and have to make another trip to the EU

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RE: free

By SavagePotato on 11/7/2007 5:43:09 PM , Rating: 5

Symantec should make a trip to another universe somewhere and peddle their crap where it can't cause problems.

If anyone deserves a class action suit of late Symantec would be it.

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RE: free

By kileil on 11/7/2007 6:23:43 PM , Rating: 4

One of Symmantec's tactics does hold true: Its damn difficult to get a virus when your computer's crashed.

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RE: free

By Pythias on 11/9/2007 7:30:42 AM , Rating: 2

ROFL. Get this guy a six. Can we get a six here please?

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email clients

By bupkus on 11/7/2007 6:59:34 PM , Rating: 3

quote:
Possibly the most useful piece of the Windows Live puzzle for most users will be the integrated email service that allows you to manage multiple email accounts from different services in one application.

I already do this with Thunderbird.

RE: email clients

By Ihmemies on 11/7/2007 7:10:19 PM , Rating: 2

This was also the reason I ditched Eudora. It just couldn't handle multiple SSH mailboxes at the same time.

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RE: email clients

By mfed3 on 11/8/2007 12:41:12 AM , Rating: 2

yea but thunderbird is pretty slow with imap and it cant read free hotmail and yahoo accounts directly. check it out, i think youll like windows live mail a lot. i use thunderbird portable when im away from my main computer, not as integrated like wlm is with my contacts and calendar, but its pretty good for open source freeware.

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RE: email clients

By Spivonious on 11/8/2007 8:24:13 AM , Rating: 2

Windows Live is completely online.

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RE: email clients

By therealnickdanger on 11/8/2007 8:34:52 AM , Rating: 2

Nope, it all runs from your computer. I DLed the Mail, Photo, and IM apps last night and took them for a spin. Mail is basically a free version of Outlook. I can access my Hotmail, Gmail, and work e-mails from one app. So far, it's excellent and very quick! It's nice to finally be able to use my Hotmail account with mailto: links in Vista IE7.

Good app. Free is even better.

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RE: email clients

By jtesoro on 11/8/2007 8:45:38 AM , Rating: 2

Mail does sound interesting. Do you know if it can open Outlook archive files (.pst)?

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Similar to iLife?

By BigToque on 11/8/2007 12:56:13 AM , Rating: 2

I'm not totally familiar with either of these products, but is this what Microsoft is using to compete with Apple iLife?

RE: Similar to iLife?

By Screwballl on 11/8/2007 10:44:18 AM , Rating: 2

thats what i was going to say.. this appears to be "MSLife"... of course as their anti-virus is rated the lowest of any product available today, expect to see an increase of botnets when people switch from their good security software to this junk.

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RE: Similar to iLife?

By Blight AC on 11/8/2007 11:35:14 AM , Rating: 2

I've had very good luck with safety.live.com's Full System Scan. It has found and removed (or at least pointed out) software that Trend OfficeScan wasn't even aware of. I'm not talking about false positives either, as the systems were definitely infected.

I work in IT, and when one of the PC's at work get malware that Trend just doesn't seem to detect, the online OneCare scanner is a very useful tool.

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I must have it... for it will complete me as a person!

By InternetGeek on 11/7/2007 11:17:01 PM , Rating: 3

If only it'd be possible to be as happy as the people in the pics. I swear they make it look like getting <Product> will be such a life-changing experience, that the bill coming from your credit card will be just background noise.

http://www.zug.com/gab/index.cgi?func=view_thread&...

RE: I must have it... for it will complete me as a person!

By mfed3 on 11/8/2007 12:42:09 AM , Rating: 1

lol yea the top guy is hilarious. ZOMGWTFBBQ!?! LIVE OUT OF BETA!?!

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But what about Xbox Live functionality?

By Blight AC on 11/8/2007 9:15:40 AM , Rating: 2

All I want from any Live Messenger is to be able to communicate and get updates to friends logging in and out of Xbox Live (similar to how it works when I'm logged in on my Xbox Live). I tried the beta, but in order to see my Xbox Live contacts, they had to have signed up for the service (which some of my friends won't do), and go through a whole process just to get it configured.

There was a tab on the Live Messenger (beta) that allowed me to see my Xbox Live contacts, but I had to refresh it, and constantly watch it, in order to see if I had new Xbox Live messages, or friends come online/go offline.

Anyone know if this functionality is improved? I'd like to be able to play some PC games, like EVE Online, but if I saw a friend come online in Xbox Live, get a notification on my PC that they are online, be able to send them a message through Xbox Live (without them having to run through the whole process of creating a Live account and linking it to their Xbox Live account and then we add each other as friends, turn in a circle 3 times and sacrifice a chicken to Microsoft). I'd get a pop-up notification when I received an Xbox Live message from them (without having to refresh the Xbox Live tab a million times). Then, if I wanted to, I would switch over to my Xbox to play some Team Fortress 2 with them.

It seems like this should all be possible, and extremely simple to setup.

RE: But what about Xbox Live functionality?

By noirsoft on 11/8/2007 12:57:53 PM , Rating: 2

My guess, not actually knowing how things work internally:

In order to keep the networks separate (either for existing or future anti-trust actions or just privacy accusations) they dop not let the messenger network completely spy on Xbox Live activity, hence the need for an "opt-in" policy of requiring a live messenger ID linked to that Xbox Live account.

I'm sure it could be technically done, but there may be legal ramifications if they implemented it.

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WIA service is now a software feature?

By tjr508 on 11/8/2007 3:48:15 AM , Rating: 2

Pulling pictures directly off cameras was a big deal.... five years ago. Run>services.msc>WIA>enable has been able to do it since XP's release. I'd honestly still be running win2k if it had that feature since I have far from state-of-the are hardware.