Stay connected
Windows Live has e-mail, sharing, and lots more—totally free
Windows Live helps you communicate, share, and stay in sync.
When you’re e-mailing a friend to make plans for dinner, wouldn’t it be great to put a map in your e-mail message?
Well, you can—with Windows Live Hotmail. That’s just one of the ways Windows Live brings together the tools you need to stay in touch—e-mail, instant messaging, photo sharing, social networking—and puts them in one convenient place on the web.
And beginning with Windows 7, some features that were in previous versions of Windows—like Windows Mail and Windows Photo Gallery—come as a free software download from Windows Live. It's called Windows Live Essentials, and it's designed to help you keep your life in sync.
From the web to your desktop (and back again)
One sign-up gives you instant access to all the free online services Windows Live has to offer. Once you download Windows Live Essentials, you can use and manage your Windows Live stuff on your PC, even when you’re offline. And since Windows Live is a web-based service, you'll also be able to send e-mail, share photos and files, and check your calendar from any computer with an Internet connection.
With Windows Live Mail, part of the Essentials download, you can manage e-mail accounts from several providers in one place on your desktop. Your mail and calendars will automatically stay in sync on your PC and the web. How handy is that?
Social networking
Windows Live takes social networking to the next level, linking up things like e-mail, blogging, and groups.
It's a cinch to invite more friends to that night on the town—Windows Live Messenger lets you send an instant message to up to 20 people at once. You can also see what's new with your contacts (and whether they're online).
And what about all those photos you'll surely take during this fun evening? Transfer them to your PC and use Windows Live Photo Gallery—part of that free Windows Live Essentials download—to edit and tag them. Then publish them to Windows Live or another photo sharing service. Of course, you control who sees the pics: just you, just your contacts, or everyone.
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An Internet connection.
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A Windows Live ID. Create a Windows Live ID now.
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Windows Live Essentials. Get Windows Live services and downloads.
