Microsoft has launched the beta of a blog authoring tool called Windows Live Writer (direct download)
Crucially, it is compatible with any blog tool, service or application that supports RSD (Really Simple Discoverability), Metaweblog API, or the Movable Type API. That includes Blogger, LiveJournal, TypePad, WordPress – in addition to Windows Live Spaces of course.
According to the Windows Live Writer Windows Live Space (yuk name… ie it’s blog):
Windows Live Writer is a desktop application that makes it easier to compose compelling blog posts using Windows Live Spaces or your current blog service.
The tool is consumer-orientated, offering a WYSIWYG interface very familiar to Microsoft Word. It’s also being touted as having particularly good photo publishing functionality – something which I know Sofia (my consumer user!) has been complaining about since she moved from Blogger to WordPress and so I know it’s a moot point.
We’ll have to see whether or not WLW actually achieves this claim – I’ll let you know once Sofia has used the tool in anger on her own blog. However WLW prefers to upload your photos by via newMediaObject API which is not supported by all blog apps. FTP is also supported, but I’m not sure how successful that is given issues around url locations etc.
WLW also offers direct importing of Windows Live Local maps and presumably other Windows Live tools in the future.
Hey, Ben,
Mute point should read moot point – unless you were trying to shut Sofia up 🙂
The Live Writer tool looks interesting so I’ll test drive it today and see whether it would help some users.
Microsoft announced the release of the Windows Live Writer blog posting tool. The client side tool allows users to compose blog posts offline and post them to MSN, er, Live Spaces, and other popular blogging platforms (e.g. Blogger, Typepad). Live Writer sports the following features…
http://alexcastro.typepad.com/castros_blog/2006/08/windows_live_wr.html
I like it and it worked well, especially the pic resizing function. I have been moaning about this and it has been driving me nuts. This tool has fixed that matter.
Flotsam – Ben insisted that I should try this today so I do think he wants me to shut up about it 🙂
It’s pretty easy to use and certainly more usable than the WordPress edit screen. I hope M$ can fix the code that it generates as it seems to create about eight code errors per image although the page displays Ok.
Congrats on the wedding too 🙂