New things from Microsoft – #5
I took an extra day to play around with the next thing on my list.
#5 – Windows Live
What is it:
Also known as windows live essentials. I’ll break down this blog post into sections considering that windows live is really a suite of products rather than one all-inclusive program. The installer also lets you choose which programs you want and don’t want. This way, you don’t end up with a bunch of stuff you don’t use or need. To cut this blog short, I’ll focus on the top three things in the suite. It’s up to you to check out the rest.
Windows Live Messenger
I must say that although there are many messengers to choose from, this one definitely holds it’s own against the other giants like aim or skype. Microsoft has had somewhat of a rocky road with messengers but I would say that they have finally pulled their best team together to produce what I think is the best messenger available for download.
The latest version of Microsoft’s messenger allows you to easily see what someone’s online status is. Green means they’re available, red means they’re not, and yellow means they’re busy. The colors are displayed by each persons name to show status. With a chat window open, the color also surrounds the persons profile picture. This is a large step beyond attempting to use tiny pictures to signify status. The ability to create groups is still there with a few tweaks. You can now select a group and send a message to everyone within that group without having to type your message multiple times. You can also add favorite contacts which expands the user’s profile picture and creates a larger button to click on in order to create a chat window. Yet another new innovation is offline messaging. No longer do you have to wait for your friends to come online in order to send them a message. You can send your message and it will be delivered upon the user’s login. Other things to check out are the cool skins you can choose from to customize your program, the easy-to-use calling, and video calling features, and the built-in online table top games you can play with your friends. The new messenger is here. Get it and add me as a friend.
Skydrive
Not enough space on your hard drive? Want to share large files with just friends and family across the internet? How about publicly sharing that new poem or song you just wrote. Skydrive is probably one of the coolest things about the new live suite. Skydrive is essentially a place where you can store up to 25 gigabytes of data on a server sponsored by Microsoft. The best thing is that it’s totally free. There is a limit of how big each individual file can be but it goes without saying that 25 gigs of free space is more than any other company has offered. All you need is a live account.
Windows Live Writer
If you’re reading this blog (there aren’t many) then you probably own a blog yourself. With Windows Live Writer, creating and uploading custom blog entries is a snap. Having to open your browser, navigate to wordpress, and then login is a thing of the past. Open Live Writer and start typing.
But that’s not all:
Although I didn’t cover everything here, the live suite contains more programs such as mail, photo gallery, a movie maker (beta), family safety features, and a toolbar. Windows Live essentials is available right now. Go here to start the download process. Don’t have a windows live account yet? Get started here.
Why you want it:
You’ve got your reasons, I’ve got mine. I don’t think this section is necessary for this post. Your reasons are above and through the links. Windows Live Essentials makes #5 on my list.
,Chris
