Currently browsing posts in the category: Windows Live.

One of the things I would really like to see Microsoft do

Written by: StevenHodson on January 23, 2010

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onenote Microsoft gets a lot of flack for big bloated software and in many cases I’ll be the first one to agree. What they don’t get a lot of praise for is the software that they get right.

In that camp most definitely has to be Windows Live Writer. While this isn’t a program that would appeal to a large base of users for bloggers it is one of the best blog editors out there. The other really nice thing about it is that it is a part of the large free Windows Live Essentials pack.

Now the one thing that I would love even better is if Microsoft took their OneNote application out of the bloated expensive Office suite and made it available for free as part of the Essentials pack. For those of you not familiar with the program it is one of the best note taking applications around.

I would even be happy if they made it a slimmed down version – say with out the sharing feature. Granted you can buy the full blown version separately from Office for $99; but seriously if they want to even come close to being a competitor to something like Evernote that kind of sticker price is going to be a holdback.

So how about it Microsoft. How about a slimmed down version and including it with the Essentials pack. I can almost promise you that if you did you would have another big hit of a program on your hands.

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Category: Microsoft and Windows Live

There’s still a lot of life left in Hotmail

Written by: StevenHodson on December 23, 2009

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hotmail While among the techie crew Google Gmail might be all the snitz the often ridiculed Hotmail email service, or as it is called now: Windows Live Hotmail, from Microsoft is still incredibly popular with a lot of people – some 350 million of them.

This is one of the little tidbits that Arthur de Haan, whose responsibilities include Test and System Engineering in Windows Live, included in a post about Windows Live Hotmail today.

Some other of the tidbits include

  • We are a worldwide service, delivering localized versions of Hotmail to 59 regional markets, in 36 languages.
  • We host well over 1.3 billion inboxes (some users have multiple inboxes)
  • Over 350 million people are actively using Hotmail on a monthly basis (source: comScore, August 2009).
  • We handle over 3 billion messages a day and filter out over 1 billion spam messages – mail that you never see in your inbox.
  • We are growing storage at over 2 petabytes a month (a petabyte is ~1 million gigabytes or ~1000 terabytes).
  • We currently have over 155 petabytes of storage deployed (70% of storage is taken up with attachments, typically photos).
  • We’re the largest SQL Server 2008 deployment in the world (we monitor and manage many thousands of SQL servers).

So while Gmail is getting all the techie love it seems that Hotmail Windows Live Hotmail just keeps chugging along keeping a lot of people very happy.

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Category: Windows Live

Microsoft please move OneNote to Live services

Written by: StevenHodson on October 23, 2009

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One of the other little tidbits in a recent post by Mini-Microsoft that really caught my eye was where he suggested that Microsoft consider taking their OneNote application out of the Office suite and make it part of the Windows Live Essentials package (emphasis mine).

It’s a fair start, and if I had my druthers OneNote would move out of Office and into Windows Live to be the essential authoring companion to the Windows experience. Windows Live Essentials is a good start, but to add some joy into owning a Windows machine, what we need just as urgently is Windows Live Non-Essentials.

In my opinion this would be one of the best additions to Live Essentials that Microsoft could make. I have used OneNote in the past but since I can’t afford the price of admission for Office I haven’t been able to keep using it.

For those who don’t know what OneNote is let’s put it this way – it is one of the best note keeping applications out there. When it first one_noteappeared on the scene it was a radical departure from the typical Microsoft application design which got it some attention but like Live Writer it’s pure usefulness made it a keeper.

By adding it as a part of the Windows Live Essentials suite Microsoft would be letting a whole bunch of new folks in on using one of their other really great programs – and that would be a bonus for everyone.

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Category: Windows Live

Windows Live Writer – not such a dead man walking after all

Written by: StevenHodson on October 21, 2009

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dead-Man-not

Not even an hour ago I wrote about the possibility that one best blog editors may be closed down. The assumption came as a result of a post by Mini-Microsoft where in it was suggested the Live Writer could be going away.

Well it turns out that I may have been very wrong to make such a conclusion that’s to a heads up by a commenter on that post:

Don’t believe what you read on mini completely. It looks like not only is the Live Writer team alive and kicking but a few weeks back at a WordCamp they announced/released some new add-ins for WordPress.

In the comment Mr or Mrs Guest posted a link to the Windows Live team blog post about the WordCamp conference in Seattle where some members of the Live team showed off the next release of Windows Live Writer.

Not only that but they also provided a new plugin for WLW – which you can download here – that adds three new options:

  • Edit Blog Title and Tagline
  • Manage Your Wordpress Comments
  • and .. are you ready? …. Custom Fields support (hot damn)

So not only are they continuing to work on the core Live Writer but they are also adding in some really nice supporting features via plugins. If you want to see some screen caps of the new plugins head over to the Live team’s blog and have a look. I already downloaded the DLL and dropped it in the Plugin folder under Live Writer and can attest to the fact that they work great.

All I can say is – Fantastic.

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Category: Windows Live

Windows Live Writer a dead man walking? Please say it ain’t so Microsoft.

Written by: StevenHodson on October 21, 2009

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Dead-Man

I originally missed this little tidbit yesterday in Mini-Microsoft’s post but was brought up short when reading Kip Kniskern’s reaction to the following regarding Windows Live Writer mention in Mini-Microsoft’s post:

Windows Live is supposed to help with building value via rich applications. Live has been broken out of Windows to free it from the consent decree and all (‘cept for sneaking a Win7 component out early, wink-wink). Messenger, Mail, Photos, Movies, and an awkward online service. And Live Writer (though rumored a dead-man walking per comments). (ed: emphasis mine)

Now Like Kip I looked through the comments on the original post and couldn’t fine any further reference to Live Writer but that said I really hope that this isn’t the case. Ask any blogger on a Windows machine what the best blog editor out there is and Live Writer tops the list. Hell even Mac fan will acknowledge how good it is and that is saying something.

Unfortunately though Live Writer has seen a few of its developers at Microsoft either head to other projects or out the door to other companies. I know that since the last release of the editor it has been pretty quiet out there regarding any news as to what is being planned for the future – if anything.

I will say though that given how much work is being done to Wordpress (the blogging platform I use) offline editors like Live Writer aren’t keeping up with all the added features to Wordpress which is really too bad. As much as I may dislike using the online editor in Wordpress it will definitely rise to the top of my options if Live Writer goes away.

I sure hope this does turn out to be nothing more than a rumor because it would really suck otherwise.

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Category: Windows Live

Microsoft takes a couple of steps forward only to screw up

Written by: StevenHodson on October 3, 2009

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Lately Microsoft seems to have been making all kinds of right moves when it comes to their software. Windows 7 is taking on the shine of a winner and programs that even a couple of years ago they would have charged for are being made available for free. Then we get this tidbit from Brad Wardell on the world of gaming and Microsoft’s Games for Windows Live certification program

“I started out as a big Games for Windows Live advocate. I intended for Elemental to be on Games for Windows Live, but then as we got closer, the Xbox group took it over more and more. And they have things where, oh, if you want to use Games for Windows Live to update your game, you have to go through [their] certification. And if you do it more than X number of times, you have to pay money. It’s like, “My friends, you can’t do that on the PC.” … If Games for Windows Live maintains that strategy and they take over, I’m done. I’m not making PC games. I would be done.”

Source: Shacknews – Stardock Interview Part 2: Brad Wardell on PC Gaming

Come on Microsoft do you really need money that bad that you are making game developers hand over another pound of flesh just to be able to add the “Games for Windows Live” tag .. well that just sucks. Big. Time.

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Category: Windows Live

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