Windows Live Writer Beta
I'm excited to be trying a new Microsoft product called Windows Live Writer, which makes huge strides for Microsoft in addressing the reasons I use their browser with decreasing frequency in favor of Firefox and Opera.
This new package includes a number of Web 2.0-friendly tools, but for me, the selling point was the blog-authoring software I am using right now to compose this message. It's initial vision may have been as a tool for Windows Live Spaces users, but it also plays well with most major blog hosting sites, Blogger among them. But we'll see how friendly it is with the template I'm using.
The blogging software is similar in some respects to the Firefox add-on "BlogThis", but it's much more robust and WYSIWIG. Further easing my transition is the sad fact that, for some reason, BlogThis hasn't been working for me lately.
Windows Live Writer adds several buttons to IE (also the 7.0 beta, yes), such as a Mapping tool replete with many of the familiar Google maps tricks, simple photo integration, and perhaps best of all for students and educators is the Onfolio tool which incorporates a "Collection" tool that behaves in much the same way as the "Scrapbook" add-on for Firefox, and the Onfolio includes many more options and a slicker interface, as well as managing RSS feeds and a search interface for searching your feeds and any other materials you've scrapbooked into your Collection.
But really one must try it to appreciate it. You can download it here. For a more in-depth review of the toolset, I recommend Paul Stamatiou's blog, available below.
Link to Review: Windows Live Writer Beta - PaulStamatiou.com
