The Windows Live team is publishing a bugfix update for Windows Live Essentials 2011 (Wave 4). The quick fix update, rolling out in two stages, fixes several problems in Messenger, Photo Gallery, Mail and other applications.



Arthur de Haan, Windows Live Test and Service Engineering, summarizes the changes:

• Mail: We fixed a sorting issue in the Sent items folder and improved the upload reliability and instrumentation in Photo mail.
• Messenger: We fixed a couple of stability issues and made various changes for improved voice and video quality. We fixed an issue that was causing sound to be lost after upgrading, and we improved performance when displaying the MSN Today page in the main window.
• Photo Gallery: We implemented various bug fixes for crashes related to launching Photo Gallery through Autoplay and facial recognition.
• And more: We made many other usability, performance, and stability improvements across the suite of Windows Live Essentials apps.

Download the Windows Live Essentials Wave 4 QFE2 update now.

 

The Windows Team Blog has released some interesting statistics about Messenger's new Facebook Chat integration feature as well as other social services in the newly released Windows Live Messenger 2011:

• More than 10 million people have connected Facebook to Windows Live
• More than 250 million chats between Messenger and Facebook
• Conversations have lasted more than 1.5 billion minutes
• Over 1.6 million people have connected YouTube to Windows Live
• Over 700,000 people have connected MySpace to Windows Live
• Over 10 million active Messenger customers on BlackBerry devices, over 5.2 million active Messenger customers on iPhones and over 1.2 million active Messenger customers on Nokia smart phones

Already there appears to be a re-birth for Messenger now it has become part of newer social trends, including our increasing demand for integration and portability.

Read the full story at the Windows Team Blog

Did you know that you can switch languages in Windows Live without having to reinstall the Essentials suite? In this tip, let’s take a look how this works:

1. Exit any running programs of Windows Live Essentials (e.g., Messenger, Mail, etc).
2. Click Start, Computer. (Windows XP: Start, My Computer.)
3. Open Local Disk (C:), Program Files, Windows Live, Installer.
4. Double click the LangSelector.exe file.
5. In the appearing window, choose your favorite language.
6. Now click OK to confirm your change. If the language pack is not yet installed, it gets downloaded automatically.
7. As soon as the progress dialog has closed, you’re ready to use Windows Live Essentials in the changed language!

Tip: In your Control Panel, open the Regional settings section. You will find a shortcut to change the Windows Live language there as well!

You may change languages as often as you want to, without rebooting your computer. To follow the steps above, you need to have Windows Live Essentials 2011 (15.4) installed. This version is available for free download at explore.live.com and runs on Windows 7 and Vista.

Did this work for you?

When will Messenger Plus! Live be updated for yesterday's release? Good question. The short answer is "we just don't know", but a little insight might provide some of you with some hope.

Patchou, the creator of Messenger Plus! Live would typically release a beta build when any Microsoft published Windows Live Messenger would hit the web. Well the public beta was back in June and there has been no sign of an update to Messenger Plus! Live, so what's the problem? For a start Patchou originally complained about developing with the pubic beta on his blog, however there has been some significant organizational changes around the application that need to be considered too.

Just to point out, Patchou has told me nothing here, I am merely speculating on the limited evidence available and what the community is saying. I imagine Patchou wishes to protect his interests and not release a build that is not ready for public consumption (the whole application is getting some very big new features) and it could be several months before they are ready for distribution.


There is a walk-around! - At least for previous betas

Phew! Users can activate the software manually, although not all features will work and doing so is entirely supported. The changelog for Messenger Plus! Live 4.85.386 states:



Unfortunately I could not get this to work on the final release of Windows Live Messenger 2011. Hopefully this post will address some of you Googlers wondering what has happened to your favorite Messenger extension.

This is a post to alert anyone who may not have realized that the new Windows Live Messenger 2011 no longer allows users to a display a friendly name. Alternatively Microsoft now display your real name, which is linked to your Windows Live profile and instead allows customization through the personal message feature.

There is no walk around around the change if you use the latest version of Windows Live Messenger. It is also important to note your display name will automatically change to your real name when you sign in, making it visible to all your contacts. There is an element of privacy invasion, so be warned if you don't wish to reveal your real name of Windows Live Messenger - update your Windows Live profile before downloading the new version.

Windows Live Messenger build 15.4.3502.922 has been released as a final non-beta build, the first major update since January 2009. The release was part of the official release of Windows Live Essentials 2011.

Notable changes:

• LiveSide reports Dell is pre-installing Windows Live Essentials on all new machines.
• A-Patch has been updated for the new build, but is limited to 5 features. There also appears to be problems removing advertisements as the patch can only now remove the advertisement and not the space it holds.

Download Windows Live Essentials 2011
Download offline installer (English)
View the announcement at the Windows team blog

The public beta of Windows Live Essentials Wave 4, which includes Windows Live Messenger was updated this evening, addressing several bugs while adding new features to the previous build.

Most significantly Messenger now includes full Facebook intergration, allowing you and your Facebook friends to talk between clients, a feature heavily requested and even implemented by third party developers:



According to the Inside Windows Live blog:

• Messenger is quicker at loading information, signing in and uses 30% less CPU for video messaging
• Facebook intergration has been further implemented, starting today in the US, UK, France, Brazil, Germany, and Russia

More information soon.

The sleek design and simple interface of the Windows Live Messenger iPhone application attracts users of its desktop counterpart as well as new users looking for a more streamlined IM program. The application is free and can be downloaded from the App Store within seconds.

After the sign-in page, where the user can sign-in with their Windows Live ID or Hotmail account, the social tab will be displayed. This is where the user will be able to view updates and links from friends posting from social network sites such as Facebook or MySpace. These social networks can be set up in the user’s online Windows Live profile.

The friends tab includes a searchable friends list and a quick way to add friends. The user has the option to add a message, but the only information needed is the friend’s email address. To start chatting with a friend, the user simply taps the friend’s name and the application will bring them to a new chat window. The chat tab will keep up with all of the user’s chats. Each chat uses the iPhone’s QWERTY keyboard along with an easily accessible emoticon keyboard. IMs are viewable through push notifications even when Windows Live Messenger is closed.

Users are also able to swap pictures with their contacts. Pictures can be uploaded directly from the iPhone to Windows Live Messenger, where the user can create albums and add captions.

The user can access their Hotmail account directly from Windows Live Messenger. Notifications are displayed for new emails so the user can check and reply to emails without leaving the application.

Windows Live Messenger for iPhone is a multi-functioning, efficient IM client that allows users to carry their messenger in their pocket.

When Windows Live Messenger for the iPhone was announced I was somewhat under-whelmed - what could Microsoft do that third-party products had not already? Well it turns out not that much. But if you only use Windows Live Messenger as your only IM client then keep reading.

eBuddy and Meebo produce some of the finest examples of instant messaging applications for the iPhone. Feature rich, highly-polished design and an user-friendly interface are at the core of these products. Microsoft may be late to the game, but that doesn’t stop it providing solid competition. The main difference? Windows Live Messenger for the iPhone is very specific in its features and is designed for users of the desktop client. So let's take a look at what the app has to offer.


Going social

The social pane, introduced in Windows Live Messenger 2011 also makes an appearance in Messenger for the iPhone, delivering updates about your friends from various social networking websites. The feature is nearly identical to its desktop counterpart and so if this has become an essential part of your IM experience, I would recommend this iPhone app above any other web messenger straightaway. However, if you're like me and don't find the content relevant, you may just skip this part of the application altogether.


Contact list

Your Messenger buddies are organized much the same way as Windows Live Messenger itself. A list of contacts, the way you like systematized will be right at your fingertips, along with an individual personal message, display picture and status. Adding a new contact is a simple operation. This highlights what is great about the app: Microsoft are not attempting to offer a watered down substitute - this truly is Windows Live Messenger in your pocket.


The contact list will feel familar


Conversations

Chatting can be summed up in three words: straightforward, clean and modern. There is no cluster of buttons to search through - each message is color coded, the conversation layout varies on who is speaking, while switching between the QWERTY keyboard and emoticon panel is nothing short of design genius. This is a true example of where less is more.


Chatting has never been simpler with this well designed user interface

Push notifications are a significant plus, as is being able to manage your logins from multiple locations. A list of active conversations makes it easier to shift through friends with whom you are talking, while simultaneously displaying their current status.




Windows Live Messenger specific features

• The social pane to show what your contacts are saying on other social networking services
• Photo sharing to swap your favorite photos and images with your friends
• Organizing your contacts how you wish - via their display name, your personal name, groups and the favorites section
• The ability to nudge your buddies

To sum up ...

Windows Live Messenger for the iPhone is a masterpiece as far as its development team should be concerned. It is lightweight yet feature rich, which is exactly the point of having IM on the go! I honestly hope they never add another feature, as the app provides everything I need (and a little more) in Messenger. Microsoft has hit the right target demographic as I expect the average age of its mobile users is higher than those who use its desktop equivalent (I don't need skins or scripts here, thank you very much).

I rarely give Microsoft great credit for Windows Live Messenger, but for once I'm happy to provide some positive criticism. So if you are an iPhone owner and Windows Live Messenger is the only IM client you use then by all means download Messenger for the iPhone.

So, what's your opinion?

View Windows Live Messenger for the iPhone at the Apple App Store

A public beta of Windows Live Messenger 2011 has been released by Microsoft. Coming part of an extensive package of Windows Live Essential's new betas, Microsoft's IM client has received an array of new features and improvements for users to test before the application's official release expected mid-August.


Some observations we've made

• The build number is 15.3.2804.607.
  
  
• Display names have been replaced by real names associated with that particular Windows Live ID. This is a significant change, most probably associated with Messenger's social networking push. Some users however, have expressed concerns over the idea, with worries over privacy for those who choose not to publish their real identities.
  • Microsoft MVP CookieRevisied has criticized the feature, stating: "This isn't about 'getting used to changes' or 'getting rid of the old and going forward in time', or even a 'personal taste of a feature' or whatever, this is all about privacy!"
  
  
  
• The multiple location login feature introduced in Windows Live Messenger 2009 has received further integration, allowing you to control all devices currently connected to Messenger. This works particularly well if you're using the Messenger for iPhone app released this week.
  
  
• The contact list has received several UI modifications, allowing you to remove the "social pane" feature and maintain the classic design using several columns for organizing friends.
  
  
• The main contact list features a larger square advertisements, while the text promotion feature at the bottom of the conservation window has been replaced by an image banner. [Read our previous discussions on the new Messenger advertisements]
  
  
• Contact sorting has become highly customized. You can order your contacts by their online status, if they are favorites, by specific groups, who you appear offline to and "others".
  
  
• The UI has remained mostly unchanged in terms of color scheme and layout. Previous Windows Live betas have witnessed significant UI modifications.
  
  
• Facebook is fully integrated into the build. Status updates are synchronized and you can share information between the applications.
  
  
• Toast notifications are larger and more rectangular, featuring a more simple design:
  
  
  
  
• Keywords are underlined within conversations which then become searchable. Links to YouTube and other services also receive thumbnail previews which then play embedded into the client (pretty cool, even if it is a little buggy at the moment).
  
  
• There has been no word on whether a compatible Messenger Plus! Live will be released for the beta. Based on previous releases however, Patchou is likely to provide a beta build within the next couple of weeks.

Community impressions

Having kept a close eye on the Windows Live Essentials beta page all of yesterday I was excited when my download started at around 19:30 (BST). The installer was simple to say the least: it lacked any sort of solid GUI and after waiting a long 20 minutes for it to complete I was ready to sign in.

My first impressions were positive, the layout looked slick and although the social pane was hardly relevant (just having Facebook notifications in it would be ideal for me) I quickly switched to the classic contact list and marveled at the obvious implementation of sorting contacts into columns - why didn't they think of this before!

The honeymoon period quickly ended however, as the program began to repeatedly crash upon signing in. Then the impressions of others began to hit my computer screen thick and fast: most of which were negative - issues over installing, signing in and the privacy changes plagued any new positive features. Yes Messenger is buggy but I'm trying to forgive it, after-all it is a beta for a reason.

ZDNet blogger Zack Whittaker likened the Essentials beta as “watching a clown run across a minefield.” While Peter Bright over at Arstechnica praised the small design decisions noting a "cleaner and crisper" appearance that incorporates more whitespace. There has been a mixed set of opinions.

From experience there is typically a lukewarm response to any sizable Messenger upgrade. Microsoft however, are moving in a new direction and it seems like the right decision. The Windows Live Messenger 2011 public beta is no panacea to the IM/ social networking gap, but Microsoft seem to be the only company attempting to change that position in order to fire some energy back into its flagship instant messaging service.


Screenshots

Screenshot: Installer privacy settings
Screenshot: Social pane
Screenshot: Classic contact list
Screenshot: Contact list - large contacts
Screenshot: Multi-column contact list
Screenshot: Conservation window
Screenshot: Tabbed chatting
Screenshot: Facebook integration
Screenshot: About window

View our gallery of screenshots for the previous leaked beta back in March
Download Windows Live Essentials Wave 4 beta