Today the Windows Live team announces the final release of the Windows Live suite of applications and web services designed to enhance the Windows user experience. Consumers can now download the full Windows Live suite at once or pick and choose their favorite apps and services.
Why Windows Live on this blog? Simply put, the two product platforms are now linked more than ever before. Windows Live includes the Windows name because, ultimately, it is designed to take the Windows computing experience one step further. The power of the PC is now combined with the flexibility and pervasiveness of Windows Live online services. For example, the Windows Live Photo Gallery client app for Windows Vista now includes panoramic photo stitch and the ability to publish to Flickr.
This release comprises these Windows Live Applications:
- Windows Live Messenger 8.5
- Windows Live Mail
- Windows Live Writer
- Windows Live Photo Gallery
- Windows Live OneCare Family Safety
...and these Windows Live Services:
- Windows Live Spaces
- Windows Live Events
- Windows Live Hotmail
- Windows Live for Windows Mobile (client-based or browser-based access to Windows Live from a Windows Mobile-based device)
To install the final versions of the Windows Live suite of applications, go here to access the Windows Live installer, which will let you pick and choose among the available applications. New in this release is installer support for 64-bit PCs.
If you choose not to install all of the Windows Live applications at once, you can re-launch the Windows Live installer to install any of the remaining Windows Live applications whenever you wish.
Going forward, we'll be covering more of how the new Windows Live applications enhance the Windows Vista user experience both here and on the Windows Experience Blog. Expect us to dive deep into each specific Windows Live application.
Meantime, be sure to check out the Q&A over with Chris Jones, Corporate Vice President of Windows Live Experience Program Management, where Chris details what makes today's release a compelling one for consumer users, developers and advertisers alike.