Is this the end of “Windows Live” as we know it?

Feb 22, 2012 10:12 am by | 23 comments

The future of Microsoft’s consumer online services, especially around SkyDrive, are arguably brighter than they’ve ever been. This week’s announcements that SkyDrive will finally provide a full client experience, with sync capabilities, folder upload, larger file sizes, and more, while perhaps long overdue, are welcome.  That Windows Live Mesh will be folded into SkyDrive, providing remote access and file syncing is awesome news, as we’ve feared for the future of Ray Ozzie’s baby for quite some time now.

Hotmail, too, while it is going to continue to have perception problems, has made great strides over the past couple of years, and is emerging as a powerful new tool built for today’s email: a junk mail catcher and a “gray mail” manager, with threaded conversations and a clean new look to bring web based email into the next generation.

But, as we’ve noted here before, it’s Microsoft SkyDrive and Microsoft Hotmail now.  What we’ve known as Windows Live Essentials have been separated out from the web services, and new versions of Mail and Calendar and Photos, etc., are just about to be unveiled as part of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview.  There won’t be much/any need for Essentials on Windows 8, as the company (and, they hope, the world) moves to Windows 8 and Metro style apps.

We’re seeing other indications that the “Windows Live” brand may be on its way out, too.  Just recently a reader noticed that the icon for sharing content on video music site Vevo had changed from “Windows Live” to “Hotmail”:

hotmail comment…even though that box brings up the Messenger connect dialog:

hotmail comment 2

Maybe just a coincidence, or maybe further indications that a full on move away from “Windows Live” is occurring.

For most of us, anymore, Windows Live means Essentials.  The term “Windows Live Hotmail” always seemed long and redundant, and we’re willing to live with “Microsoft SkyDrive”, too.  They’re web services, and since they connect up to everything from an iPad to a Blackberry, it makes sense to drop the Windows Live branding.  And with Windows Live Mesh being assimilated into SkyDrive, that leaves one less Essentials service to worry about.

Messenger is a story unto itself.  In many parts of the world, “to MSN” had become a verb, and it was questionable whether rebranding Messenger as Windows Live made sense to begin with.  Now, with Skype looming, that powerful brand well may (and probably should) come to the forefront, with Messenger either being rebranded as a Skype product, or just folded into the Skype client.

Windows 8 is going to bring “fast and fluid” Metro styled apps that perform most if not all of the functions we get from Essentials today, and a clean new Photos app and a new mail interface are going to help to make Windows 8 shine.  Notably, at Build and in subsequent discussions about Windows 8, the words “Windows Live” are barely mentioned.

But there’s a big problem, of course.  If history is any indication, XP, Vista, and Windows 7 are going to be the dominant operating systems for years to come.  This week we found out that Microsoft is extending the support of Vista and Windows 7 for a full ten years, and if they go the way of XP, they’ll be in full use for a long time to come.

What we really need is a way to run Metro style apps on Windows 7, so that app fragmentation doesn’t occur, but that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen, even if it were possible.

So what does that mean for Windows Live?  What happens to Essentials?  Will we be using legacy versions of Writer and Movie Maker in 2015 or 2020, while Microsoft innovates on a Metro style platform?  Microsoft just spent the last 5 years cleaning up redundancies between Outlook and Outlook Express and Windows Mail in Vista and Windows Live Mail; they’ve solidified the orgs so that these siloed applications have come together.  But now what happens?  Will we have one Microsoft developing for Metro style and Windows 8, and another to service XP, Vista, and 7?  Microsoft’s hope, of course, is to get everyone on Windows 8.  Is that going to happen?

We sure wish we knew.

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  • Chris

    Microsoft can’t make up their minds!

  • http://www.windowsobserver.com/ Richard Hay

    If they move on I hope we also keep Writer, Movie Maker and Photo Gallery – those apps have become daily essentials (pun intended) for many people over the last few years.

    • Chris

      Movie maker (the new “live” version) is a sham. Removed many core features like timeline. Hell even iMovie has Timeline and Apple is all about keeping it simple. Seems like MS wanted to drink the Apple cool aid and failed big time.

  • http://doctorwhofan98.wordpress.com/ doctorwhofan98

    A few weeks ago, the Hotmail Facebook page changed from “Windows Live Hotmail” to “Hotmail”. It is kinda sad… I like the Windows Live name. I hope Hotmail and SkyDrive will be accessible from each other (preferably via the header) because it is really useful being able to switch back and forth between them.

  • Chris

    To be honest why do we even have Windows Live? Screw the EU. Integrate the services in like they should on a consumer OS. If the EU has a problem with that give them a note saying “Welcome to 2012″

    • cuz84d

      I’m sorry, but the whole reason for less integration was so that they could slim down the OS, get rid of the crap and allow people to install it at will.  Its been really nice seeing newer versions of programs that only got bundled with the OS and were *NEVER* updated.. Windows Live changed that. Not to mention it had more to do with the IE antitrust issues.

  • Asmodai

    I’m excited about the changes to Hotmail and Skydrive but I also hope they continue to update Windows Live Mail for Windows 7 as I don’t intend to upgrade my non-touch PC’s to Windows 8 (though a Windows 8 ARM Tablet may be in my future).  The web apps are great at work or on foreign systems but I really don’t like using Web Apps on my home PC and offline capability is a must on my laptop.

  • technogran

    Good post full of the questions that I have been asking myself of late. My gut feeling is telling me that your right, Live is dead in the water but as you say, Live Essentials will have to continue in some form in order to be available to Vista and Windows 7 users. Will there be updates to them all, or will they remain as they are at the moment. Will versions of Live Writer be available to download as a stand alone Metro app? So many questions and so far, no answers..

  • Damaster – LiveSide.net

    In Windows 8 they have also been referring “Windows Live ID” as “Microsoft ID”. Which makes sense given it connects Xbox LIVE as well.

  • CustomComputers

    Good thinking Kip. I think we saw this coming some long time ago. I stated after 5000 employees went out the door, Live Spaces was discontinued, and more ties to Facebook began “Windows Live is beginning to look like Windows Dead”
    Windows 8 with finger prints to clean off numerous screens is not being accepted well with our clients. In fact one bank IT person recently told me they are exploring a total switch to open source.
    When I see what Google has done with G+ in the last few months tieing it all together with simplicity it may well be time for MSFT. to throw in the towel.

    • Tuxplorer

      All my clients are so extremely excited about Windows 8! It’s going to be the most innovative, revolutionary and greatest OS ever. In fact my clients are moving away from the shitty and stinky Google crap like rats deserting a sinking ship. LOL! Thousands of them have moved from Gmail to the beautiful Hotmail. Google’s EVERY SINGLE attempt except web search has been an epic failure. Microsoft on the other hand are so versatile and integrated.

      Microsoft’s ecosystem is a million times more attractive than its pathetic competitors. Open source stinks donkey balls. Open source is an EPIC FAIL.

    • Tuxplorer

      All my clients are so extremely excited about Windows 8! It’s going to be the most innovative, revolutionary and greatest OS ever. In fact my clients are movingAll my clients are so extremely excited about Windows 8! It’s going to be the most innovative, revolutionary and greatest OS ever. In fact my clients are moving away from the shitty and stinky Google crap like rats deserting a sinking ship. LOL! Thousands of them have moved from Gmail to the beautiful Hotmail. Google’s EVERY SINGLE attempt except web search has been an epic failure. Microsoft on the other hand are so versatile and integrated.

      Microsoft’s ecosystem is a million times more attractive than its pathetic competitors. Open source stinks donkey balls. Open source is an EPIC FAIL.

  • http://twitter.com/bart_willeman Bart Willeman

    I think a new suite of apps is coming for Windows Vista and 7. All will be rebranded according to what you see on Windows 8. Not so sure there will be much support for XP as that operating system is one, I am sure, Microsoft would love to leave behind.

  • http://jvd897.blogspot.com jvd897

    I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if Microsoft just abandoned the Windows Live Essentials suite tomorrow. The fact that it’s updated so rarely — even for simple bugfix releases — gives me the sense that Microsoft has been focussing their energies on the new Metro-style apps for a while now. I use Windows Live Mail/Messenger 2011 every day, and I’ve often thought about posting feedback/bug reports for them, but I always worry I’d be wasting my time.

  • Anonymous

    MS themselves are to blame for the demise of Live Essentials. First they change the entire UI of Live Mesenger, drop lots of features and turn a decent lightweight app (WLM 2009) into a horrible one (WLM 2011). And then they stick the annoying Ribbon inside every Windows Live app. Finally they dropped XP support. All these stupid changes led to less and less people using it. And no open feedback program, no blog, no input from users, nothing.

    • cuz84d

       U realize that XP is so last decade ago.

  • metromalenyc

    I’m thrilled with the changes that Microsoft is making. They’re changes that a lot of us have longed for for a while–more integration and stronger branding. I’m really looking forward to Windows 8 (or whatever they call it). I’d prefer they call it something else though, since it’s so different. I like the name “Mosaic”, since it uses colorful tiles… but it looks like they’re going to stick with “Windows.”

  • jjacob2k9

    so what happens to a fansite named and based on a brand that no longer exists? has liveside been discussing this amongst themselves? maybe take over winrumors for tom since he’s busy at the verge now?? ;)

    • http://www.LiveSide.net Kip Kniskern – LiveSide.net

      We’re LiveSide, and as always, focused on Microsoft’s Live initiatives. While Microsoft may drop the “Windows” part of Windows Live in their branding, they’ll still be focused on live services, and so will we :)

      • jjacob2k9

        k cool ;)

  • Guest

    I believe it will be:
    - Dedicated apps for Windows 8, iOS, Android
    - Web apps for all other systems
    - The WL Essentials bundle will probably slowly die

  • JSYOUNG571

    I have no intentions on giving Microsoft more money. Right now my computer and laptop has Windows 7 OS and Office 2007. My computers originally had Windows Vista on them when I purchased both in 2007. I really found myself not using nothing but Windows Live Messenger out of the Windows Live Essentials. I was using Writer until they closed Windows Live Space. I have never found any use for Movie Maker, and Skydrive, Facebook & Google+ has taken the place of Windows Live Photo Gallery.

    I am not sold on Windows 8 yet.  It will be a while before I even consider moving toward the next OS.

                                 

  • http://gregsedwards.wordpress.com Greg Edwards
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