Windows Essentials 2012

Pros

• Excellent Starter App Package
• Seamless SkyDrive Integration
• Photo Gallery Contains Many Features
• Live Mail Included
• Powerful Windows Movie Maker App Included

Cons

• Simplistic Live Writer App
• Essentially Irrelevant Live Messenger

Windows Essentials 2012 is that year's version of the Windows Essential software suite, which is a series of Windows apps that includes a number of highly useful apps like Photo Gallery, Live Mail, Movie Maker, and SkyDrive. It also includes some apps that have less appeal, but Windows isn't about to give up the market in the areas where their apps are weak. These include apps like Live Messenger and Live Writer.

The two highlights of this software package are certainly Movie Maker and Photo Gallery. They have been updated significantly from their previous versions, and they are optimized in this version for Windows 8 systems. The controversial Ribbon interface from Microsoft is used in these apps, but it has been streamlined into near perfection.

While SkyDrive seems like it could be an exciting app in the suite, it's surprisingly boring considering that it actually does its job well. It's basically Microsoft's version of Dropbox, and it sets up a folder on the cloud that can be accessed by multiple systems.

Unlike Mac OS systems that natively come with the Apple Mail app, there is no default mail app that comes with Windows. However, this software package includes Windows Live Mail, which is a great alternative for those who don't want to use Outlook or who don't have the option.

If you had to name the single best app in the suite, in terms of features and performance, it would have to be Windows Movie Maker. It is technically only a basic tool for editing video content, but this version comes with many upgrades and a plethora of helpful tools. Thanks to the power of hardware acceleration, this app can optimize and hasten the encoding and exporting processes. For those who use equipment that lacks stabilization features, the software has a stabilization function built-in. The UI has been upgraded with audio integration. An audio wav form mirrors the timeline of the video so you can visualize the audio.

Live Messenger didn't change much from the previous version, and it has essentially become irrelevant in the market of chat clients. The software has some fairly standard yet useful features like chat logging, Facebook integration, and tabbed chatting. Unfortunately, it just doesn't stand up to industry benchmark chat apps.

Live Writer is another area this suite falters a bit. It's basically a blogging tool that has extremely basic text editing functionality. It does feature the ability to integrate a blogging service like SharePoint, Blogger, or WordPress, and you can use the software to edit your blog's theme, add posts, and insert photos into your posts. Of course, there are a number of blog writing apps that are better, and most simply use the client of the service they use.

Pros

• Excellent Starter App Package
• Seamless SkyDrive Integration
• Photo Gallery Contains Many Features
• Live Mail Included
• Powerful Windows Movie Maker App Included

Cons

• Simplistic Live Writer App
• Essentially Irrelevant Live Messenger