Windows Live Essentials 

Microsoft's answer to why it didn't include major apps, like an E-Mail client, with its latest operating system release (Windows 7). Windows Live Essentials includes a bunch of things such as Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Movie Maker, Windows Live Photo Gallery and Windows Live Messenger. Don't let the similarities fool you though. The Windows Live Essentials apps are ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE compared to their predecessors (which were included built in to Windows Vista). This is the key reason I choose not to upgrade to Windows 7, because they will not include the awesome apps that are included with Vista.

Windows Mail (Windows Vista included app), for example, works similarly to Mac OS X's Mail app, which is amazing and the standard for all E-Mail clients, however Windows Live Mail (included with WLE and the only option for Windows 7 users) puts the entire view in a totally un standard, confusing format and doesn't even save contacts correctly if your using Windows 7, as 7 does not include an address book (or even a calendar for that matter). That's just ONE of the horrors that await Windows 7 owners looking into downloading Windows Live Essentials since Windows 7 does NOT include major features like previous OS's. If your on Vista or even XP, STAY AWAY FROM THIS CRAP. The only thing it has of value to you is Windows Live Messenger, ignore the other crappy features, they are less useful then dial-up.

Windows Live Essentials by iBoy2G January 22, 2011