Testing windows live writer

So this is just a test.  I want to see if it works :)

Edit: I decided to download ' Windows Live Writer' after reading about it on Lifehacker.   I thought I'd want a decent little app that I could run in the background so I could add posts to the blog without having to navigate (and forget!) my Blogger password.

Anyway, I finally downloaded it today, and installed it, and my first impressions are quite good! 

Installation & running for the first time

After I had finally found where to download ' Windows Live Writer' (WLW), the installation was pretty painless.   

Running WLW for the first time, it asks you for some details about your blog.  As I'm a "blogger beta", I didn't opt for the 'Spaces' sign up (this is for those who don't have a blog, but want one on Windows Live Spaces).  After entering my details (wrongly), i finally got into WLW and was confronted by a blue-ish word-like application. 

Interface

To be quite honest, i hate the blue appearance of WLW, and would really like to de-clutter the interface.  You have the normal "File | Edit..." menu which you get on most apps. 

Below that, you have the WLW menu.  Create a new post, edit a post, save drafts etc.  You also have  a "layout button.  This is cool, purely because the main editing window reflects what your blog looks like, with all the same styles, fonts & layout! You can change this, just incase you don't like it!

You also get the standard formatting tool bar (bold, italics  etc).  And then, cluttering up the right hand part of the app, you get 2 boxes. One allows you to open or create posts (identical to the top tool-bar), and the 2nd box allows you to insert links, pictures, tags or maps.  But these are pretty much covered in the formatting toolbar, so it duplicates itself.  D' oh!

Usage

Using WLW is very easy.  Once you've set up your blogs, it's a case of creating a new post.  Spell-checking (how handy), and then clicking 'publish'.  It really is as simple as that.  Obviously, it can get more technical depending on your blog!

Conclusion

Well I've used WLW for about half hour, had a quick flick through the menu's and options, and it does seem like a very handy tool!  Especially for setting our your layouts.  I really like the way it let's you see how your post will look like as it uses the same styles as your blog.

This is just my first impressions.  Ill post a more in-depth look at a later date.

 

EDIT: I've just realised that WLW doesn't allow for 'Blogger Beta' Labels, so for the time being, i'll stick with the browser based posting.  Meh!