EXCLUSIVE: New Version Of Windows Live Writer, with Screenshots
I got my hand on a recent internal build of Windows Live Writer, and I’m happy to bring you guys screenshots and info. First off, the new features/changes:
- Updated to the Windows Live look and feel, including the Live flair, hidden File menu, and overall more polished look
- Windows Live “Me†blog switching control
- Inline Spell Checking
- Post Synchronization / Roundtrip Post Editing
- Paste Special
- Table Editing
- Extended Entry Support (on blogs that have this feature)
- SharePoint Support
- Preferences for Window Behavior
- Insert Image Improvements: UI consolidation, easier linking to web images.
- Insert Hyperlink Improvements: Link to Previous Posts, Link Glossary
- WYSIWYG Template Robustness: No temporary post on many blogs, including WordPress
Now for the screenshots, which will run through most of the new features:
First off, the new interface:
Note the blue flair design seen on everything Windows Live, the lack of the File/Edit/… menu, and the new Insert Table and Insert Tags links in the Sidebar and new toolbar buttons. The View button replaces the old button that listed the current view status, and Tools takes you to preferences or spell checking. The paintbrush icon is to customize the window color, and that folder icon reveals the File Menu (hitting ALT does it, too).
Here are the other interface elements (File menu and publishing options) expanded:
Here you have the insert image dialog, which has a tab for inserting an image from the web, including previewing it, seeing the dimensions, and setting link options:
The tag editing UI:
Inserting a Windows Live Map into posts (you can even set and customize pushpins!):
Here’s what the map looks like in Writer:
And here’s the map I created:
The Split Post button, which uses a blog’s “More” or “extended entry” feature:
The category picker:
It’s been moved to the bottom with the other publishing tools (including a way to set the publish date without opening the entire publish pane). It doesn’t do categories the way WordPress does (where a category can be nested underneath another one), it is improved.
The interface in black, thanks to the color picker:
I wish Windows Live software would speak to each other, and all use the same colors I choose, but at least they let me choose it in the first place, which is nice.
I like the new blog picker button, which includes the logo for your blogging service:
Also, I like switching between post drafts easily:
It’s not quite tabs, but it works well.
Inline spell checking:
And tons of options for tables:
And finally, the image editing options:
Verdict: They’ve gone and taken what might be the best blog editing tool out there and made it better. It looks better, has a few good new features, works better connecting to your blog (no more Temporary Post For Style Detection), has an even easier and better organized interface. Great work!
I don’t know when this will be available, or if the next version you see is a somewhat different later build, but it should be great either way.
This entire post was written in the new version of Windows Live Writer.
I want! Nice review.
Comment by Bob | February 28, 2007
Nathan just a FYI, this build was first shown at the beginning of February at http://www.live-writer.de/
Comment by Chris Overd | February 28, 2007
[...] InsideMicrosoft, ×חד ×”×‘×œ×•×’×™× ×”×—×‘×™×‘×™× ×¢×œ×™×™, ×ž×¤×¨×¡× ×”×™×•× ×¤×¨×˜×™× ×¢×œ ×”×’×¨×¡× ×”×—×“×©×” של כלי עריכת ×”×‘×œ×•×’×™× ×©×œ MS (×’× ××ª× ×©×•× ××™× ×ת כל כתבי ×”×˜×›× ×•×œ×•×’×™×” ×©×ž×ª×ž×©×™× ×‘×‘×™×˜×•×™ ”×”×¢× ×§ ×ž×¨×“×ž×•× ×““? בכלל, כל ביטויי ”×”×¢× ×§ מ…“ ×”× ×›×œ כך 2001. ×©×’× ×–×”, להגיד על משהו ×©×”×•× ”כל כך xxx“ ×–×” כל כך 2003). בשורה ×”×ª×—×ª×•× ×” ×”×—×‘×¨×™× ×˜×•×¢× ×™× ×©×”×›×œ×™ ×”×›×™ טוב בשוק לכתיבת ×¤×•×¡×˜×™× × ×”×™×” הרבה יותר טוב. ××– ×ין לי ×ת ×”×’×¨×¡× ×©×œ×”× ×™×©, ×בל × × ×¡×” לעשות השוו××” בכל ×–×ת. ×”× ×” ×”×§×¨×™×˜×¨×™×•× ×™×: [...]
Pingback by Own the tools, Own the developers » Bitterness Inc. | February 28, 2007
[...] There’s now a new version of Windows Live Writer being developed and the Inside Microsoft blog got their hands on a copy of it and played with it a bit. Verdict: They’ve gone and taken what might be the best blog editing tool out there and made it better. It looks better, has a few good new features, works better connecting to your blog (no more Temporary Post For Style Detection), has an even easier and better organized interface. Great work! [...]
Pingback by Microsoft Weblog » New Version of Windows Live Writer | February 28, 2007
Looks like a great update to the software. Any ideas when it will be available for public download?
Comment by Jason | February 28, 2007
[...] WLW并没有æ»ï¼Œè€Œä¸”它的新版本应该ä¸ä¹…å°±å¿«å‡ºçŽ°äº†ï¼Œå› ä¸ºåƒæˆ‘ä¸€æ ·çš„ç”¨æˆ·ä»¬ç‰ä¸æ€¥äº†ï¼Œå› 为这篇新版的截图åŠåŠŸèƒ½è¯´æ˜Žæ—¥å¿—也已ç»æœ‰ä¸€ä¸ªå¤šæœˆäº†ã€‚ [...]
Pingback by 期待新版的WLW at E-space | March 29, 2007
[...] might remember that back at the start of March, Nathan Weinberg put a post up showing off the current internal build of Windows Live Writer. Well, since then, there was been nothing new that has been shown by anyone, until now. The [...]
Pingback by LiveSide - News blog : New Windows Live Writer Screenshot | April 30, 2007
[...] Março, Nathan Weinberg publicou algumas imagens mostrando o atual build interno do Windows Live Writer na época. Desde então, não apareceram novidades que valessem ser mostradas para todos, até [...]
Pingback by Blogador - AMXBR.COM » Arquivo do Blog » Nova imagem do Windows Live Writer | April 30, 2007
为什么还没有æ供下载
Comment by hookle | April 30, 2007
[...] 05月01日消æ¯ï¼šä½ å¯èƒ½è®°å¾—3月刚开始的时候，Nathan Weinbergå‘布了一篇泄æ¼Windows Live Writerå†…éƒ¨ç‰ˆæœ¬æˆªå›¾çš„æ–‡ç« ã€‚è‡ªä»Žé‚£æ—¶å¼€å§‹ï¼Œå†ä¹Ÿæ²¡æœ‰ä»»ä½•çš„新消æ¯é€éœ²ã€‚澳大利亚MSDNåšå®¢ [...]
Pingback by Live Writer新版本截图出现 - 17Tech.COM 挖新闻 | April 30, 2007
[...] for new features aren’t going to be addressed in this release. Heck, I even know what it looks like so in my mind it’s time to stop dangling the word soon in front of us hard-working bloggers [...]
Pingback by Just Thinkin’ » Blog Archive » I Love/Hate Windows Live Writer | May 3, 2007
Look very good! It is possible add Polish spell check?
Comment by Robert Stuczynski (Noise) | May 4, 2007
[...] para todo bloguero. Mientras sale la nueva versión de este editor, podemos disfrutar algunas capturas de lo que será el WLW [...]
Pingback by DigiZen: Un blogfesor aprendiendo » Capturas de lo que será el nuevo Windows Live Writer | May 4, 2007
[...] much(Windows Live Writer rocks as well!). Oh, and btw, they’re teasing us with a lot of yummy screenshots, but holding back for some reason they won’t [...]
Pingback by YuviSense: Kid in Tech » Blog Archive » Wordpress 2.2 and Windows Live Writer | May 23, 2007
Is anyone else wondering what to do with that big search box at the top?????
Comment by Ioannus de Verani | May 23, 2007
Who can give us a weblink to download this new edition.Who can share with us. Hope the new edition will give us many surprises and available as soon as possible,we are waiting so long time
Comment by Nimrod_Yuan | May 29, 2007
[...] we get the first view of the new UI, and if you haven’t seen any of the previous screenshots (here, here), the new UI is quite different to the original [...]
Pingback by LiveSide - News blog : Windows Live Writer Beta 2 - Updated Finally | May 30, 2007
[...] program has loaded we get the first view of the new UI, and if you haven’t seen any of the previous screenshots, the new UI is quite different to the original [...]
Pingback by Windows Live Released 3 New Betas » D’ Technology Weblog: Technology News & Reviews | June 3, 2007
[...] 程åºåŠ è½½åŽçš„全新UIå¯ä»¥çœ‹ä¹‹å‰çš„截图（这里和这里），新UI与之å‰çš„Beta版本具有很大的ä¸åŒã€‚（点击å¯ä»¥çœ‹å…¨å›¾ï¼‰ [...]
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