Windows Live Writer Beta

[G_C]

If you're an avid blogger like myself, then you definitely have to check out Microsoft's Windows Live Writer. Although currently in Beta version, it already looks like a very powerful and convenient tool to satisify your blogging needs. Although I have some gripes with it, on the whole, it looks like a very nice product.

You can download it for free at: http://dev.live.com/blogs/devlive/archive/2006/08/14/44.aspx

 

[ahtum]

"Windows Live Writer Beta" lmao i remember something funny about it :p

 

[snike]

What does it do?

 

[G_C]

What does it do?

It's Microsoft's blog editor that lets you create new blog entries and modifying existing ones without logging onto your actual blog site, all while using a convenient, MS Word-like interface. Once you are done typing up your post, you can have it published with a simple click of a button.

One of the nice features about this product is that before you start editing your blog, it will download some of its HTML code, so when you type up a new post, you will immediately see what the final version would look like (so you don't need to post first and make changes later).

 

[gamehouse]

Interesting. Thanks for bringing it up for all of us.
GH

 

[navjotjsingh]

BTW which blog types it support?

 

[G_C]

Well, being a Microsoft tool, it inevitably supports Live Spaces. Apart from that, it definitely supports Blogger (I use Live Writer to update my blog, which is hosted with Blogger), but I suspect it also supports all the major blog systems out there (Wordpress, etc).

I haven't tried it for video- or picture-blogging - however, it definitely has a function to easily insert images. I don't think it supports inserting videos at this point, though - but then again, I haven't looked at it from that angle.

 

[G_C]

My only gripe with it is that it doesn't support uploading images to Blogger - if you try to do that, it will inform you that this blog does not support image upload and you have to go and do it manually from Blogger, which kind of defeats the purpose of using WLW if you're into posting pictures in your blog.

Also, Blogger disabled WLW posting on my blog today after I was notified that my blog is showing "spam-like" activity. Since WLW bypasses the verification process (where you have to type in a word before you can post something), I suspect my continued use of WLW may have alarmed Blogger, so now the most I can do with WLW is publish a blog entry in the form of a draft and then manually turn the draft version into the final one using Blogger's interface.