Windows Live goes... live

Written by Wil Harris

November 3, 2005 | 11:46

Tags: #aggregation #information #live #rss #web-20 #windows

Companies: #microsoft

bit-tech reader Victor writes:

Microsoft has launched Windows Live (www.live.com), a website that’s designed to help you organize the information on the web, as well as your contacts, emails, files and slew of other information. Basically, it's a personalised homepage.

All you have to do is login with your Microsoft Passport account and you are set to go.

Currently, the features of the site include:

Live.com beta: Basically a web-based information collection centre. It allows you to put the sites that you would like to be organised on the page, get the content pushed to your page, subscribe to the RSS feeds you want.

Windows Live Mail beta: A web-based mail client. It allows you to check your POP email without using any programmes such as Outlook. It allows you drag and drop emails with Google-Mail-esque technology.

Windows Live Safety Centre beta: A free web-based security centre. It provides security information as well as checking and cleaning viruses online.

Windows Live Favorites beta: Take your favourites around the world. This feature allows you to access your favorites online.

Windows Live Messenger beta: Basically a renamed MSN Messenger, but it is supposed to include a lot of new features that allows you to share files and information Currently it’s unavailable.

Windows OneCare Live beta: Another PC protection programme. An all-in-one programme that includes firewall, antivirus, and PC tune-up.

Windows Live Search beta for mobiles: Basically providing information on the Live webpage into your handheld, cellphone and mobile devices.

One little aside - website is currently not available with FireFox. You will encounter a little note on the top of the page says “Firefox support is coming soon. Please be patient :-)”. It’s good to know that Microsoft is slowly recognizing the growing power of the FireFox user. Let’s hope that when the product is finally launched, it will be fully supporting not just FireFox but all the other web browsers. For once, Microsoft might be doing something to stick with open web standard.

bit-tech's comment - This is clearly MS' first attempts at getting into the information services market. Many feel that the next big boost to web growth will be through personalisation and aggregation, and this is Redmond's take on that.

Interestingly, although you get a funny message accessing the site through FireFox, accessing through Safari on the Mac just shows you the Windows Live logo and nothing more. It seems MS aren't about to go that far with their open standards!

What are your thoughts on the new site? Let us know your opinions in the News Forum.
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