Windows Live Messenger

Windows Live Messenger is the Live version of the popular MSN Messenger. The design is much improved from the previous version and includes many new features. The application logs you in automatically every time you log in to your computer which started to annoy me because it added a good 30 seconds on to my startup time, so after a while I disabled it at logon (and its amazing how mcuh work you can get done with it off).

There are plenty of IM (Instant Messenger) clients out there, near enough every email service will have one which means you have a great choice ahead of you. Windows Live Messenger has plenty of features including; making phone calls, buddy list (seperated online and offline), integrated web search, theme support, contact cards, integration with Windows Live Mail and Spaces, so if you are a Windows Live user you’re pretty much catered for. When someone logs on a small window appears in the bottom right telling you who has come online and by clicking it you can start a message.

You can share folders, use webcams, microphones and even write text in your handwriting using a paint style interface. You can add emoticons and even set emoticons for a certain word as well as send nudges to the recipients to catch their attention, you can have multiple people in a conversation and play games against each other over the internet.

The program is free, but it has drawbacks, to keep it free Microsoft have had to allow advertising on the program, it is just a small strip across the bottom but it is still in the way. However, it offers great features and the advertising is only on the main screen which isn’t normally kept open. It’s attractive and definitely worth a look at, although I do know some people who refuse to upgrade from previous versions of MSN Messenger. You can download it now from get.live.com/messenger/overview.

Simon North, 26th January 2007

Windows Live Desktop Mail

Microsoft have released a beta version of their Windows Live Mail Desktop Client, part of the Windows Live family. It takes a similar style to Outlook Express in how it shows messages, but the interface is new and fresh and is based around MSN Live Messenger. The application looks good and works a treat although the advertising pane on the right does get on your nerves, but that is what is making the application free so it is justified.

You can set it up to provide your emails from any major email service, including GMail, although I would advise moving to one of these mail clients after using web mail can get annoying, I have thousands of messages and they are organised into labels within the GMail web mail however, opening this account in Windows Live Mail listed every email in the Inbox, too much to organise.

You can host multiple accounts from the same window, so you can have two inboxes with all emails accessible at any time through the left hand panel.

There is plenty of integration with MSN services including things like working with MSN messenger and uploading a message to your Spaces account.

I mentioned earlier the looks of the application. It is very attractive and highly customisable; you can change the background colour simply, and with a whole colour panel to choose from you are spoilt for choice. All the main functions like composing, deleting and printing are all on one toolbar above the main area, and as with all of Microsoft’s new applications the idea of a menu is gradually disappearing, you can get this by clicking a button above the advertisement.

My opinions of Windows Live Mail Desktop: It is an attractive application which is a pleasure to use however it is still Outlook Express underneath which is a shame, and I wouldn’t recommend it to people who already have a massive number of emails all organised well in a web mail service. However, if you are a hotmail user or just use your email for friends and family, it is perfect for your needs, obviously businesses probably wouldn’t use a program like this anyway. Overall, a great application and a pleasurable experience.

Simon North, 19th January 2007