Windows Essentials

Windows Essentials ( formerly Windows Live Essentials ) is the brand name of a collection of different online services and programs of the software company Microsoft.

The suite combines e- mail, instant messaging, photo sharing, blog publishing and security services.

The programs are designed to integrate into each other as well as with Windows and other Microsoft Web-based services such as OneDrive designed ( formerly called SkyDrive ), and Hotmail Outlook.com.

Product Overview

Windows Essentials includes the following programs:

The programs can be on Windows 7, Windows 8 and install Windows Server 2008 R2. The current version of the February 20, 2014 has the version number 16.4.3522.

History

The first version of the software collection was published in 2006 under the name Windows Live Dashboard. Shortly after the publication of this suite was no longer available. The Windows Live Installer (2007) was Microsoft's second collection software. With Windows Live Essentials 2009, new programs have been added and old improved. With the major update to Windows Live Essentials 2011, this software has been further improved; inter alia, the Ribbon interface has been introduced.

On August 7, 2012 Microsoft released the Windows Essentials 2012 for Windows 7 and Windows 8 The name component Windows Live has some of the programs, including the Bing Bar, removed.

Windows 8 includes a number of new apps that replace some of the functionality of the Essentials. These applications are Metro style apps and run in full screen mode on Windows 8 These include, for example, mail, OneDrive and photos.