Windows Live has new beta releases of Windows Live Writer, Windows Live Mail, and Windows Live Messenger. I have been using all three for a while now, and they are all rock solid and ready for prime time. In fact, I am using Windows Live Writer to write this blog post.
Windows Live Writer is a desktop application that makes it easy to publish rich content to your blog
Compatible with your blog service
Writer can to publish to Windows Live Spaces, SharePoint, WordPress, Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, Moveable Type, Community Server, and many other weblog services.
WYSIWYG editing
Writer knows your blog's visual theme. So you can see exactly what your posts will look like as you write them, before you publish. No more wasting time previewing your posts online.
Rich media publishing
Writer makes publishing rich media as easy as sending e-mail. Insert and customize photos, maps, tags, and lots of other cool content—then click the “Publish” button. It’s that easy.
Powerful editing features
Creating compelling blog posts is much easier with the ability to insert and edit tables, check spelling as you type, and format and hyperlink content at your fingertips.
Offline editing
Now you can blog anytime, from anywhere. Writer synchronizes drafts on your blog with changes you make when you're offline, so you don't have to worry about reconciling different versions.
Windows Live Messenger has a slick new look.
Call their phones. Call their PCs.
Call your friends' mobile or landline phones.* It's affordable, both within the US and internationally. And calling someone's PC is always free.
See them on the screen
Show and tell: Grab a webcam and start a video conversation within minutes.
Share stuff
Set up a Sharing Folder with a friend. Drop in photos and other stuff, as many as your computer can handle. See your Sharing Folder even when one of you is offline.
Windows Live Mail is used by over 400 million people, so chances are you have already seen this in some variation. The name has been changing too frequently...and is now called Windows Live Mail. It has all the "drag and drop" and AJAX style features you would expect, plus all the tried and true features of the past.
Try out the betas and let the product teams know what you think.
