Windows Live Installer

Infobox Software
name = Windows Live Installer



caption = Screenshot of Windows Live Installer
developer = Microsoft
latest_release_version = Build 12.0.1471.1025
latest_release_date = November 6, 2007
latest_preview_version = Build 14.0.5025.904
latest_preview_date = September 17, 2008
operating_system =
genre =
license =
website = [http://get.live.com/wl/config_desktop Windows Live Installer]

Windows Live Installer (previously "Windows Live Essentials" and integrated with the "Windows Live Dashboard" application) is a service by Microsoft which aims to offer integrated and bundled e-mail, instant messaging, photo-sharing, blog publishing, security services and other Windows Live entities into a "seamless whole." [ [http://www.microsoft-watch.com/article2/0,1995,2008695,00.asp?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Microsoft Seeks Testers for Windows Live Essentials] ]

Currently this service allows users to select and install the following Windows Live software applications:
*Windows Live Family Safety
*Windows Live Mail
*Windows Live Messenger
*Windows Live Movie Maker (Beta version only)
*Windows Live Photo Gallery
*Windows Live Toolbar
*Windows Live Writer
*Microsoft Office Outlook Connector (Beta version only)

Windows Live Installer and its applications (except for Windows Live OneCare Family Safety) support 64-bit versions of Windows Vista. [ [http://get.live.com/betas/installer_release_notes Windows Live Installer release notes] ]

History

On August 25 2006, Microsoft began seeking testers for their invitation-only Windows Live service named Windows Live Essentials. It was very similar to Google's Google Pack. The service was integrated with Windows Live Dashboard, which offers a handy view of what services the user already has and what new Windows Live softwares and services are available. Windows Live Dashboard required users to sign-in with their Windows Live ID to check whether the service has been downloaded or not. At that time, web-based services such as Windows Live Hotmail (then "Windows Live Mail") was also part of the list.

However, shortly after its initial beta release, Windows Live Essentials became unavailable and the website was redirected to Windows Live Betas (then "Windows Live Ideas"). Subsequent reappearance of a version of Windows Live Dashboard is seen with the initial "Windows Live 2.0" Suite installers from Windows Live Messenger 8.5, Mail and Writer that was released on May 30 2007. Windows Live Installer have been significantly updated with the subsequent "Windows Live Wave 3" release of applications, with the new inclusion of Windows Live Movie Maker and Microsoft Office Outlook Connector to it's suite of products.

Screenshots of the original Windows Live Essentials website and Windows Live Dashboard application are shown below:

References

ee also

*Windows Live
*Windows Live Gallery

External links

* [http://get.live.com/wl/all Windows Live Installer website]