When I first tried out Windows Live Mail Desktop beta, I never could get it to install on any of our PCs at work. WLM beta install attempts were similarly unsuccessful. I speculate that the domain GPO for Windows Update conflicts with WLMd's attempts to set up Microsoft Update.
However, on machines that have not had WLMd installed before and are on a domain the install is successful and it has been completed now on two PCs. I am now able to use it at work and evaluate its usefulness here. One important reason why I would want to use it is because Outlook is such a prima donna when it comes to working with IMAP mail. Even with Outlook 2007 it constantly complains that it can't connect to the server and goes offline. Microsoft needs to bash the OE/WLM and Outlook teams' heads together. OL2007 has improved IMAP support but it's still a notch behind WLM in this respect. It seems Outlook is still too much geared towards corporate Exchange server and that functionality for other types of servers is an afterthought.
Anyway now that I have WLM working in our workplace I will be evaluating it very seriously for our use and if MS can fix some of the well known issues such as RSS feeds it should be a very good alternative for some of our users.
(Post errors fixed and text justified using the new beta build of Windows Live Writer. 6 Sept 07, 2:17 pm)
