Microsoft has a whole corral of new and revised programs that are all free. As we move toward Windows 7, these programs will become more and more important. You see, Windows 7 has been stripped of all the programs that used to come with Windows. So when you installed Windows XP or Windows Vista or bought a new computer with one of these operating systems, you also got an email program (Outlook Express or Mail), Windows Media Player, and Windows Movie Maker. Windows 7 will not come with any of these. Instead you will be asked to download the programs that you need.

This may be beneficial in that you don't have to clutter your computer with programs you don't need. For instance, if you use Hotmail, Gmail, or some other online email program, you may not need OutlookExpress or Windows Mail. So you won't have to install any email program on your computer (unless you want to).
The additional Microsoft programs are all free. The problem is that computer purchasers will now have to be better informed consumers. They will have to know what each program does and decide if they need it or not. They will also have to be ready to compare products. They won't be tied to Microsoft's picture editing program (Live Photo Gallery). They will be able to use Google's free program (Picasa), Adobe's free Photoshop Express, or one of several other free programs that accomplish similar tasks.

If you want to be prepared for Windows 7, you can peruse the Microsoft website now and see what programs are being offered. You can use them now. They work with most recent versions of Windows including XP and Vista. Microsoft titles each of these programs "Live" because they are a part of what they call their Windows Live initiative. There is Live Messenger, Live Mail, Live Photo Gallery--- well, you get the idea.

You can download the programs at http://download.live.com. Here's a brief rundown of what's available. There is Live Photo Gallery and Live Movie Maker to help you edit and organize your photos and movies and then post them online or send them to friends. Live Messenger let's you chat with friends. Live Mail let's you get mail from multiple email accounts including online accounts. It has offline access and also features a built-in calendar that can be synched and shared on the Web. Live Writer sounds like a word processing program, but in fact it is a nifty blogging program. It makes it easy to write posts for any blog and will even set up a blog for you if you don't already have one. There is also a Windows Live toolbar that helps you search and keep track of Favorites. The Family Safety program lets you block websites, limit searches, and otherwise control and monitor what your children or your grandchildren do online. I've even know a few people who use this to limit their spouses Internet surfing.

These are the main programs that are currently in the Microsoft free lineup, but there's more. A program called Live Spaces will help you setup, customize, and run a webpage. Live Groups lets you create a group for anyone you want to bring together and lets you all share and collaborate activities and information online. Live SkyDrive lets you store files online and share them with anyone you choose. LiveSync lets you synchronize files between several computers so you can see your work or school files at home. No matter where you make changes, the same files on each computer in your LiveSync group are changed. In effect, if you have access to more than one computer, you can actually use this as a backup for important files.

All of these programs are free. After years of paying exorbitant fees for Windows and Office, I find it amazing that Microsoft is offering so much for nothing. I use several of these everyday including Live Writer, SkyDrive, and LiveSync. They are pretty amazing programs. So kudos to Microsoft!

Look through these program offerings and try those you are interested in. After all, the price can't be beat!