Microsoft has decided that Windows 7 won't include built-in programs for e-mail, photo editing, and movie making, as was done with Windows Vista, CNET News.com has learned.
The software maker included Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Mail, and Windows Movie Maker as part of Vista, but later chose to offer separate downloadable Windows Live programs that essentially replaced those components with versions that could connect to online services from Microsoft and others.
Microsoft told CNET News late Monday that it has decided to remove those features entirely from Windows 7 and instead offer only the service-connected Windows Live versions as optional free downloads. Earlier on Monday, Microsoft had declined to say how it was handling things.
In a follow-up interview on Monday, Windows Live general manager Brian Hall said Microsoft made the decision to remove the tools from Windows for several reasons, including a desire to issue new operating system releases more quickly than it has in the past. The move also removes the confusion of offering and supporting two different programs that perform essentially similar functions.
"It makes it much cleaner," Hall said.
Lastly, he said, making the Windows Live tools completely separate from the operating system paves the way for Microsoft to work selectively with specific partners.
"We can do things with specific partners to enable really great experiences that might be hard in Windows," Hall said.
Antitrust rules make it hard for Microsoft to tie operating system features to specific services.
Microsoft last week rolled out the latest "Wave 3" releases of its Windows Live programs, adding Windows Live Movie Maker to the mix of programs, which includes Windows Live Photo Gallery and Windows Live Mail as well as blogging tool Windows Live Writer and instant messaging program Windows Live Messenger. While Windows XP and earlier releases had an instant messaging program built in, Microsoft took out that feature in Windows Vista.
Hall said it was too soon to say if the "Wave 4" release would precede Windows 7 or be coincident to it. Microsoft has said it will have Windows 7 on the market by January 2010, while CEO Steve Ballmer has said he is pushing for a release next year.
"We'll do Wave 3 and then we'll figure it out," Hall said.
It remains to be seen just how Microsoft will distribute the Windows Live programs in conjunction with Windows 7-based PCs. Presumably the company could strike deals with computer makers or retailers to include the software, or links to download it.
Microsoft on Wednesday said it is ready with a new update to its Windows Live suite of applications.
The so-called Wave 3 releases include updated versions of Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger, and Windows Live Writer, as well as a new online movie making tool (as it hinted it might). Windows Live Movie Maker brings some, but not all of the features found in the movie-making application built into Windows, adding the ability to post videos to Microsoft's Soapbox video-sharing site, but notably not to Google's much larger rival YouTube. (The update to Windows Live Writer, however, does allow videos to be posted to YouTube, as well as Soapbox.)
"You'll find new features across the products and most notably, Windows Live Messenger has been almost entirely redesigned," Windows Live VP Chris Jones said in a blog posting.
The new look for Windows Live Messenger. Of the Windows Live desktop applications, Messenger got the biggest update.
(Credit: Microsoft)The new programs are in beta form, so Microsoft is warning that people other than advanced users might want to stick with the old versions for a bit.
"Microsoft encourages interested Windows Live customers and the tech-savvy community to test the new features and functionality," the software maker said in a statement. "It is recommended that consumers wait until the products are final before downloading."
In addition to updating the desktop programs, Microsoft is also expected to make updates to its online services--things like Windows Live Hotmail and Windows Live Spaces.
Microsoft rolled out its first generation of Windows Live products when Ray Ozzie announced its Live push in November 2005 and started issuing a second generation of products in June 2007.
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