WINDOWS LIVE ESSENTIALS 2011 RELEASED

Microsoft has released the final version of it's popular Windows Live Essentials software.  This updated software installs Microsoft Instant Messenger, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Windows Mail, Writer, Family Safety, Windows Live Mesh, Messenger Companion, Bing Bar, Outlook Connector Pack and Silverlight.  All of this in one easy to install package.  Microsoft has made it so during the install you can choose which pieces to install, so installing the entire suite is not mandatory.

Messenger has been updated, but has a few glaring criticisms.  First is the use of nicknames or screen names.  Trying to be more like Facebook and LinkedIn, Messenger uses your real name.  Second is the inability to hide that you have a webcam.  No more lying that you don't have one as the person you are chatting with can now tell if you do or not.  And lastly, Microsoft has removed the ability to have one-way cam chats from Messenger.  These have long time Messenger users up in arms and vowing to find an alternative.

Live Mesh is a weird mix of peer to peer syncing, cloud syncing and remote desktop access.  The cloud syncing has 5GB on "SkyDrive", however it's not part of the real SkyDrive Microsoft uses for Hotmail photos and Windows Live Photo Gallery.

Live Photo Gallery has some much needed improvements including face recognition and geo-tagging.  One of the nifty new things it does is something called Photo Fuse.  It allows the user to create a composite photo out of a series of photos fairly easily.

The Bing Bar is somewhat dissapointing.  It doesn't look right in Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) and is completely off in the beta of IE9.  It also slows down the browser almost to a crawl.

The rest of the suite has had some minor updates as well.  Overall, if you have a current version of Microsoft Live Essentials installed, wait for the next release or just install those pieces you want. [Ars Technica] [Download]