Chapter 5: Using Windows (Live) Essentials

In This Chapter

arrow.png Windows Live is dead, long live Windows Live!

arrow.png Beating the tiled programs with Windows Essentials

arrow.png Getting Windows Live

arrow.png Using Windows Live

I have good news and bad news.

The bad news: Windows Live, the hodge-podge bundle of unrelated programs and services that Microsoft clubbed together in one (actually, many) of its frequent re-branding exercises, is pretty much dead. While Windows Live Essentials were hyped as one of the great reasons to buy Windows 7, in Windows 8 they’re going the way of the do-do. Sic transit gloria computerii.

The good news: Several of the Windows Live programs are considerably better than their Windows 8 tiled counterparts, in many respects, at least for now. Windows Live programs aren’t going away. If you don’t mind running orphaned programs on your desktop, a handful of Windows Live programs, in particular, are worth picking up.

Just as this book was going to press, Microsoft released two updated Windows Live programs — Photo Gallery and Movie Maker — and renamed the whole bundle. Where once we had ...

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