New Movie Maker Tuned for Windows 7, but Not Bundled
Microsoft this afternoon released the new Windows Live Movie Maker,
an overhauled version of the movie-editing software that had long been
included in the company's Windows operating system. The new application
has been optimized for the upcoming Windows 7, but rather than being
bundled with the operating system, it's being offered for free download
as part of the Windows Live Essentials package.
Among other features, the software offers the ability to publish directly to YouTube, and to import video from Flip and iPhone cameras. An AutoMovie feature promises to help people create videos in less than a minute with transitions, a title, captions and a soundrack. The software also supports the sharing of movies across televisions, computers and mobile devices.
One bummer for Windows XP holdouts: The new Movie Maker works on Windows Vista and Windows 7, but not earlier versions.
Kip Kniskern of LiveSide.net, who tried the software in advance, gives it a positive review. "Actually if anything it was TOO easy to manipulate – we tried to figure out how to change transitions for a few minutes before realizing it had already changed," he writes. He notes that the software uses an interface similar to the "ribbon" navigation bar in the latest Microsoft Office programs.
More details on Windows Live Movie Maker on the official Windows Live blog.
Microsoft has been coming under increasing pressure to curtail its practice of bundling ancillary applications with its operating system, particularly in Europe,where the company recently proposed a " browser ballot" as a compromise to resolve complaints about its inclusion of Internet Explorer in Windows. The landmark U.S. antitrust case against the company ultimately didn't forbid that practice, but antitrust regulators in Europe -- emboldened by the courts there -- have been taking a harder line.
Read more of Todd Bishop's posts at TechFlash.com, and follow him on Twitter @toddbishop
Chris R on August 20, 2009 at 09:25 AM
A nice upgrade from the original movie maker. As clumsy as it was, I enjoyed using the old movie maker. It was so simple. The time-line was missing from the original release of the new version and I am really glad they decided to add that feature
Doug L on August 21, 2009 at 01:10 PM
It is a sad state of affairs when a company can't bundle freebies with their product for concern they will be sued. The consumer suffers.
Jeremy Wa on August 21, 2009 at 01:40 PM
Since the famous Kodak case of the 50s it is the state of affairs that when a company bundles "freebies" with its products in restraint of trade, it is a monopolist.
Microsoft attempted to monopolize the computer software business on two continents. For these market abuses, it was restrained and fined $billions by the DOJ and the EU.
M$H!T is a rogue, out-of-control, abusive company whose major successful products have been stolen from others. M$H!T's only competitive advantage seems to be theft.
Those products that were not stolen have been market and financial failures : Xbox, Zune, Vista, SPoT, LiveSearch, PlaysForSure, WinMo, Encarta, Money, etc. Xbox has had a 54% failure rate: http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/43661/98/
M$H!T has a very well deserved reputation for conceiving, designing, engineering, marketing and selling shoddy and tawdry, junk. (Each step in its product development process is value reductive.)
What would you expect from a company led by a bloated buffoon like the Senior BloatMeister Ballmer, the epitome of anti-cool.
Art on August 21, 2009 at 02:01 PM
Mr. Wa's first two paragraphs are accurate. The first paragraph is definitely on topic.
Would Mr. Wa like to tell us the products that MS stole (as opposed to bought,licensed, or reverse engineered)? I'll grant him Stacker. But other MS products (Visual Basic, SQL Server, Internet Explorer) were licensed or acquired in completely legal above-board transactions.
Perhaps he is thinking of the original purchase of Q-DOS from Seattle Computer Systems? Again, legally licensed. Or the allegations that Windows NT was based on VMS? AFAICT the entire case rests on the fact that David Cutler was instrumental in the development of both.
The rest of Mr. Wa's post is simply a troll and does not deserve rebuttal.
ajacksonian on August 21, 2009 at 03:08 PM
I will wait on Win7 to go through two service packs and then see how it is doing. Still on XP and that waiting on Vista to get 'fixed' saved me a nightmare of trying to switch to it. I would like an updated version of MM but, its not a critical app for me. Sitting tight is the key with MS - if it isn't fixed by a second service pack, then stay right where you are.
Bruce on August 21, 2009 at 03:46 PM
Wahhhhhh ....
Adding features to an OS to make people want to buy it instead of a competitors OS is no more a crime than BMW adding an iPod connector to a BMW to entice people to buy BMW's.
Microsoft hatred is a disease. Even Linus Torvalds has said so.
http://www.osnews.com/story/21887/Linus_Microsoft_Hatred_Is_a_Disease_
Get cured.
Eric on August 21, 2009 at 06:15 PM
He was probably thinking of something like this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stac_Electronics
This pattern of idea-thievery and shady dealing was repeated many times in MS history. Don't buy the trade-magazine myth-making about MS, their clout via. the threat of yanking ads is immense.
RC on August 22, 2009 at 09:53 AM
Mr. Wa's opinion was stated so rationally and fairly that no one could argue with it. It is surely sound thinking.
Anyway, I don't really think the Live Essentials suite is an effort to curb EU bundling restrictions. That would seem to be more browser and perhaps security software focused. Rather it allows them to do a couple things more easily: One is that they can update the software more regularly and not have the old version baked into the OS. The other is they can design the software to be available across multiple OSes. Movie Maker is restricted to Win 7 and Vista for a couple reasons, but most of the Live Essentials Software works on XP as well. It's a much cleaner way of approaching the development and distribution of these programs than bundling them.
bluetooth software on September 16, 2009 at 02:42 AM
Thanks for the review as I was looking to change the movie maker for my windows7 but after reading the review on this I would definately have a look on it....
LORDHDZ on February 20, 2010 at 12:15 AM
People People People.... Microsoft needs to worry about MAC, Google, INTEL and LINUX... what do these threats have in common??? Linux Kernel is the answer.... What else do they have in common, GOOGLE number 1 search engine $500 a share on the stock market, meaning they got money for the advertisement [Not that the other don't] But their $$$$ are in category with Microsoft $$$$. 2/ INTEL Makes CRAZY [I7] CPU's AND DON'T BE A HATER SAYING NO! [YES AMD IS BOMB as well BUT we aren't talking about AMD now], MAC has a nice style of presenting ideas... yes they cost a lot BUT their like buying a BENZ, Last Forever, ESPECIALLY their batteries. LINUX LINUX LINUX, what more do you want than an opened community, AN EQUALITY GOVERNED BY NO ONE, POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS... ADD LINUX, GOOGLE AND INTEL.... I SEE A FUTURE THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS
MAC %20 [If even]
MS %20 [will take what mac cant handle] or [Buy Mac Out Completly]
GOOGLE %20 [Google Chrome OS = LINUX GOOGLE STYLE]
INTEL %20 [Mandriva]
OPEN SOURCE COMMUNITY LINUX %20 [Probably Ubuntu or Linux Mint]
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usa wholesale dropshippers on March 31, 2011 at 03:41 AM
Still now after the launching of windows 7 which is more than two years, no update comes of a Windows Movie Maker. However this utility should be bundle free with windows 7. But don't know why Microsoft separate it, as they give it free with windows XP and vista.
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