Given my job is working with bloggers on behalf of the Windows Live team, I thought it appropriate to conduct some outreach to my own blog. Note, incredibly biased post to follow:

The Windows Live product teams have just released updated builds of Windows Live Writer (blogging client), Windows Live Messenger (IM), and Windows Live Mail (used to be “Windows Live Mail Desktop”).

Go check them all out – I have been using the new build of Writer for some time now and it is a marked improvement over the previous build released towards the end of 2006. Not only UI (it adopts many of the general Windows Live UI tricks and enhancements for a nice, smooth, bluish glass feel), but there are some very nice functional enhancements under the covers, plenty of good plugins available, and excellent support for Wordpress, Typepad, and other engines.

All in all, well worth the download if you are a Windows user and blog on almost any service.

WriterSplash_thumb

Some early commentary and notes from other bloggers:

LiveSide: http://liveside.net/blogs/main/archive/2007/05/30/windows-live-writer-beta-2-_2D00_-updated-finally.aspx

Neowin: http://www.neowin.net/index.php?act=view&id=40634

Mary Jo: http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=483

Scoble: http://scobleizer.com/2007/05/30/microsoft-releases-new-windows-live-writer/

Mashable: http://mashable.com/2007/05/30/windows-live-writer-new-release/