Blogging with Windows Live Writer

I think it was about 3 weeks ago when I first received this new Windows Live dogfood called Windows Live Writer (and of which I hadn’t heard before). I downloaded and installed it and tried to use it with my WordPress blog, as well as with my MSN Windows Live Space. Since then I think I received 2 or 3 updates and since this evening Windows Live Writer beta is live.

Windows Live Writer is a sort of WYSIWYG blogging tool that allows you to blog to all major blog services like Typepad, WordPress, Livejournal and of course Windows Live Spaces. I travel quite a lot for work and being able to write blogposts while offline always interested me, that’s why the blogging function in Word 2007 beta got my attention as well. I know there are other tools as well out there, but they never really appealed to me, while Writer does.

I won’t do a whole write up about how it works, I’ll share some links in a minute with some folks that have done that already. What do I like about it?

• abiltiy to blog offline in your websites layout
• integration with Windows Live Toolbar for easy one-click blogging
• easy integration of images, and even maps from Local into your posts
• spell checker

… and the timestamp is right :-) those who tried Word 2007 beta to blog to WordPress will know what I’m talking about.

So pretty neat tool to blog with – if I may say so – but it is not over yet. Since there’s also an SDK available for Windows Live Writer. This will allow developers to extend the capabilities of Writer, like embedding images, video or audio from other online services, integration of tag services, …

Want to try it for yourself? Get it here!

Windows Live Writer on the web (expect some updates the coming days):

• Official Writer team blog
• Inside Microsoft: Windows Live Writer – first impressions
• Marketing Thoughts: Windows Live Writer
• LiveSide: Windows Live changes the way you write to your blog
• MSTechToday: Using Windows Live Writer
• The Road to Know Where: Microsoft releases new blogging tool
• Live with Phil: Write…Write…Write…

Finally LiveSide has a interview/podcast with JJ Allaire, architect of the Windows Live Writer team. Pretty interesting as well.

Last but not least, I would like to thank all you guys participating in testing Windows Live Writer with us just before release. Thanks to Miel, Chris, Pieter, Harrison, Darren, Brandon, Nathan, … and all the others who participated (well almost all).