Windows Live Wave 3: Coming to testers near you soon
The leaks are picking up. Windows Live Wave 3 -- the next version of Microsoft's Windows Live software and services -- is finally expected to move into broader beta testing in the coming weeks.
Microsoft is expected to refresh all of its core Windows Live services, plus the common installer, as part of Wave 3. There is a new version of Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Photo Gallery and more that are in the pipeline. Microsoft has hinted that it will be revamping Windows Live Spaces, its blogging/social-networking platform, in a major way as part of the Wave 3 release. In addition, all of the core Windows Live services are expected to get more profile-centric as part of the next wave.
But another reason that Wave 3 is worth watching is because of its ties to Windows 7. As Microsoft Live team members outlined in their Live Wave 3 planning memo a year ago:
"While Windows Live is a service that is available across devices, we know most customers connect to their services on a Windows PC using Internet Explorer. We have a unique opportunity to provide a seamless experience for customers who choose to use our services with Windows and Internet Explorer.
"While we will target a seamless experience on Windows Vista, we will make a bet on the Windows 7 platform and experience, and create the best experience when connected with Windows 7. We will work with the Windows 7 team and be a first and best developer of solutions on the Windows 7 platform.
"Our experiences will be designed so when they are connected to Windows 7 they seamlessly extend the Windows experience, and we will work to follow the Windows 7 style guidelines for applications. We will work with the Internet Explorer 8 team to make sure we deliver an experience that seamlessly extends the browser with our toolbar and other offerings.Search and MSN."
With Internet Explorer (IE) 8 Beta 2 expected to hit any day now, it will be interesting to see what kinds of features, if any, the next version of IE includes that are related to Windows Live Wave 3. From the planning memo:
"Many customers will use Internet Explorer to connect to our services. We have a unique opportunity to extend the browsing experience for customers using Internet Explorer with our toolbar and additional services that enhance the browsing experience. What scenarios and features will we enable that are unique for customers using Internet Explorer? How should our web-based experience change if the toolbar is installed? How do our services make the browser experience better? "