Windows Live Writer Blogging Made Easier

Recently I started to look at Windows 7 and I wanted to look at the new Microsoft Live Messenger. So when I downloaded and started to install everything I notice it asked if I wanted to install Windows Live Writer. Having looked at a number of blog posting apps and deciding that they were all lacking I was hesitant to install it. But I like to try new things before deciding if I like them or not so I let the installer rip.

 

To my surprise I have been more than impressed. Having worked in Microsoft Office, like many of us, I am fairly tied to the keyboard layout and hot keys, as well as I write to my blog and I like to see how my posts will look in respect to my layout and template.

 

The initial configuration asked me for a few details about my blog and some information for logging into it. Then it downloaded my template and articles and all kinds of stuff, all of which only took seconds, and I was ready to go. So I typed out a simple test and hit the preview tab and I was just stunned, staring me in the face was a perfect preview of my blog and my post. Perfectly rendered. Which if you know blogger their own preview tab doesn’t do that good of a job. I would think since I have a Blogger blog and not a Microsoft owned and operated one, that I would have sub par integration. But it seems to integrate better than the built in blogger one.

 

Another great feature is the fact that it is a rich client editor so I can do spell checking and the like with full office integration which is what I would expect.

 

It even has a tagging section at the bottom allowing me to pick the tags for the post from my existing set, or add a new one if I like.

 

One thing that is lacking is the fact that I can’t add custom tags, similar to block quote tags which are included with a simple click, I do have some custom tags for code blocks, which though it would be convenient it is no show stopper for this editor.

 

Anyway If you are an avid Blogger or contributor to the blogosphere I would recommend Windows Live Writer above all the other blog editors to date.