Technorati Tags: Microsoft,Windows Live,Windows,Cool

So many people were highly sceptical at Microsoft’s latest attempt to broaden their horizons. Microsoft has long predicted its future as selling software, not as a package, but as a service. It has now broadened its goals to account for this. It has now offered many services, which almost take the entire of the internet, and its capabilities, and mulch them into one huge brand. This brand is about a year old, and is called Microsoft Windows Live. It includes all of the old features from MSN, like search, and messenger, as well as all of the following:

• Windows Live SkyDrive - Free (for now) file storage
• Windows Live Office - Live Web hosting (not free)
• Windows Live Search - Full comprehensive search
• Windows Live Search (Local) - Free access to maps & satellite imaging
• Windows Live Search (Video) - Comprehensive video search
• Windows Live QnA - Question and answer forum
• Windows Live Spaces - Social networking service
• Windows Live Calendar - Full calendar service
• Windows Live Hotmail - You haven’t heard of Hotmail?
• Windows Live Events - Here you can plan family, local or even international events

The awesome thing (or one of them) is how you can use all of these services (and more) to really make a Windows computer yours, and in most cases, Apple Macs too. If you search around the internet, you will find virtually no negative reviews for the service. There are also a few pretty mighty things only released recently. These are non-internet applications that work on the internet. This literally brings new meaning to the term RIA (Rich Internet Application). The software that comes in an easy to install package is listed as follows, but they are releasing and upgrading it constantly.

• Windows Live Writer - Full blog editing application (I’m using it now)
• Windows Live Mail - Full email/RSS package
• Windows Live Family Safety - Full safety suite for families
• Windows Live Toolbar - Search from any page
• Windows Live Messenger - The new generation of MSN
• Windows Live Photo Gallery - Complete gallery software

I will comment on the individual ones listed above in upcoming posts, to be sure to subscribe to the feed. Also, you can get them all from get.live.com (link goes straight there at the time of writing).

At the end of the heap is the brilliant Windows Live Home. This little page is fully customisable, and is designed for the browser. This integrates all services and gives you an outlook that you can access from anywhere. This is really a glorious suite and I’d recommend it to anyone.

So overall, this is an awesome suite, don’t go without. Of course, there will be some things that you don’t want, but its really up to you what you like. I will say that the positives easily outweigh the negatives, even if its hard to admit. Give it a try!

I’ll meet you there! if you try it, and you like it, remember to do the digg thing.