On the path to Wave 3, the Windows Live collection of services and applications debuted into Beta earlier this year, and has been crawling toward RTW ever since. As of December 15, 2008, Windows Live made yet another step forward, but still managed not to lose the Beta tag. At the start of this week, Microsoft introduced the Windows Live Essentials Beta Refresh. A number of Windows Live applications, including the company's instant messaging, email, and photo viewer clients are now available for download as Beta Refresh builds.

“About three months ago, we released public betas of the Windows Live Essentials – our suite of downloadable programs for your Windows PC, including Messenger, Mail, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Writer, Toolbar, and Family Safety,” a member of the Windows Live team revealed. “Since then, we’ve received a ton of great feedback and we’ve been using that information to update these programs. We’re getting very close to the final release. But before we get there, we’re refreshing the beta versions one more time, to make sure we’ve ironed out all the kinks.”

In mid-November, Brian Hall, general manager for the Windows Live Business Group, ripped some of the traditionally default components of Windows out of the operating system, and moved them into the Cloud under the Windows Live Essentials brand umbrella. At that time, Hall indicated that the move was focused on stretching the next iteration of the Windows client into the Cloud.

Windows 7 will not feature Messenger, Mail, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Writer, Toolbar, or Family Safety as components, and all items will be available exclusively via Windows Live Essentials. “We’re working hard to get the final versions ready to go as soon as possible. So, let us know what you like and don’t like, and if you’re running into any issues that we need to take care of before we take the 'beta' tags off,” the Windows Live representative added.

Windows Live Essentials Beta Refresh is available for download here.