14 DAY TRIAL // Windows Live Photo Gallery is synonymous with the evolution of the Windows Photo Gallery, the default image viewing and editing application built into Windows Vista. Essentially, Microsoft has poured a healthy dose of steroids into Windows Photo Gallery and added the application to the online suite of programs and services under the Windows Live brand umbrella. In accordance with the Redmond company's business strategy of Software plus Services, Windows Live is nothing more than the operating system in the cloud designed to be bridged with the Windows client platform.
In this context, the products and services from the company's cloud operating system will do nothing more than connect Windows Live with Windows. Following the availability of the public beta for Windows Live Photo Gallery, concomitantly with the release of the unified installer for Windows Live, users have started sending feedback to Microsoft asking for integration with additional websites such as Flickr or Shutterfly. The Redmond company responded to the input through the voice of Dave Block, Windows senior product manager.
Block stated that Microsoft does not at this point in time plan to permit Windows Live Photo Gallery users to export images to websites outside of the range of Windows Live. The application currently provides the ability to publish photos to galleries on Windows Live Spaces, or videos to Soapbox on MSN Video. But while the publishing process involving Windows Live Spaces and Windows Live Photo Gallery is streamlined down to the basics, further evolution is not envisioned by Microsoft at this point.
Windows Photo Gallery in beta came as a response to the shortcomings of the digital photo management offered by Windows XP. In this respect, the gallery, along with the Live upgrade are indeed a step forward adding the ability to archive, search, tag and edit images. Microsoft has also simplified the import process and extended support for file formats. The company even took it one step further and placed Windows Live Photo Gallery into the cloud.
Windows Live Photo Gallery can be downloaded from here.