After a long wait since the last build of Windows Live Mail desktop beta, the new free email client from Microsoft Windows Live Mail has launched into beta. Designed to succeed Outlook Express on Windows XP and Windows Mail on Windows Vista, it replaces Windows Live Mail desktop as Microsoft's in-development free email client.

In case you missed it during the Windows Live Hotmail announcement, the press release contained a brief sentence relating to the Windows Live desktop email client, now just called Windows Live Mail - "Windows Live Mail, a free consumer e-mail client that will be the successor to Outlook Express and Windows Mail on Windows Vista".

Nothing is ever simple with Windows Live, and the latest naming / product change to Windows Live Mail is another fine example. Why you would ever reuse a name that was used by a different yet similar product for the previous 15 months we're not quite so sure. Here's an attempt to try and address some of the confusion that's already showing. Our questions and the responses we got back are below.

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Yes, the week has only just begun and already we have a new beta build to play with. The latest beta refresh of Mail Desktop (Build 1034) includes:

• Virus scanning of attachments
• Photo Emails can be sent via POP accounts
• RSS syncing - the ability to sync all your RSS feeds at once
• Autoupdate - now you can opt-in during setup to receive update notifications through Automatic Updates
• Contact Import improvements – any suspected duplicate contacts are identified and can be merged into one
• Performance improvements, especially around signin
• Over 1000 issues fixed!

Download now (15.5MB)

This build appears to have much improved Vista support (it now logs on), something which will undoubtably please the legions of Vista testers out there. If you have Automatic Updates disabled before you install this build, you will want to disable it again via the Control Panel once you have completed the installation

We have a QnA with the team to hopefully be posted shortly :)

Update:Tanja from the Mail Desktop team has more information on the update.