Users of Vista will be familiar with Windows Mail, the built-in email client that has compatibility and stability problems. The primary issues with Windows Mail is that it does not work with a number of free email services, one of them being Gmail, for me that was a big issue as Gmail is my primary email service.

So what are we to do? Well, Microsoft now realizes that Windows Mail is really a piece of junk and is replacing the four month old application with Windows Live Mail Beta 2.0 (herein referred to as WLM).

WLM touts a faster interface support for both POP and IMAP email accounts which will can all be displayed in the same window. It features a more standard UI that fits in with other Live applications and looks right at home under Vista.

It also can tie in to other Windows Live applications such as Live Messenger so you don’t have to have all this stuff running separately. I like running everything separately, it gives you more control. But to each his own, I suppose.

Of course with any Beta application there are bound to be issues and bugs that crop up, Microsoft is encouraging users to report any problems to the feedback forum (I don’t anyone actually reads it) but it’s there if you want to participate.

Seen enough, Windows Live Mail can be downloaded at that link. Windows Live Mail is compatible with both Vista and XP.

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Related:

New Windows Live Suite doesn’t support 64-bit Vista

Living the Vista life without Outlook

Microsoft fixes Windows Mobile and Vista synch problem

IE7 and Windows Mail in Vista to receive ‘critical’ fixes on Patch Tuesday

Dangerous exploit looms in Windows Vista Mail

Entry was posted on Friday, June 1st, 2007 at 4:14 am under Microsoft, Vista.  Print This Post

Read more entries by Jonathan Schlaffer.