Microsoft takes beta wrapping off Google Pack rival

 

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 7 Nov 2007 at 09:16

Microsoft has fully launched a compendium of Windows Live software to rival the Google Pack.

Microsoft's mix of on and offline apps are all homegrown, unlike the Google Pack, which contains several third-party applications such as Skype, RealPlayer and StarOffice.

The Windows Live software includes the desktop Mail application that can be used to manage both POP3 accounts and webmail, including Hotmail and rivals Gmail and Yahoo Mail.

Also included is a Photo Gallery tool for editing digital photos, and the confusingly-titled Writer, which allows users to pen blog entries from their desktop, although not word processed documents.

The OneCare Family Suite provides a bevy of content filtering and reporting tools, including a rather onerous feature that allows parents to block their children from signing into their instant messaging application from any computer. Rounding off the desktop software are familiar applications such as Windows Messenger and the Toolbar.

The pack also includes three online services, which comprise of a new event-planning tool, Hotmail and Windows Live Spaces.

Microsoft is reportedly planning a big online marketing push to drive visitors towards the new services, with the aim of achieving 10 billion page impressions.

You can download the software with one unified installer here.