Microsoft has announced changes to Windows Live software, which you can see at Get Live.

Windows Live makes it easy to store and manage your communications and information, and share what’s going on in your life with the people who mean the most to you. Many of you have already tried out new versions of our web services – Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Spaces, Windows Live SkyDrive beta, and the new Windows Live Home page beta. These have been designed to work together with a common navigation, so it is easy to switch between your e-mail, your space, your files, and your photos—from any browser.

The company is releasing beta versions of “a new generation of Windows Live software designed for your Windows PC that makes it easier than ever to get connected to Windows Live or other services”.

This suite includes Windows Live Mail (Hotmail); Windows Live Photo Gallery, for photo sharing; Windows Live Writer, which allows you to publish to a blog; Windows Live OneCare Family Safety, parental controls; and a new version of Windows Live Messenger (8.5).

The company says, you’ll be able to install the entire suite of these downloadable Windows Live services at one time, from one place, “instead of going through separate installations for each service. Of course, if you don’t want the entire suite, you can still get each application individually”.

Can’t wait.

Windows Live is Microsoft’s big new idea for challenging the likes of Google in online software services.

Microsoft will now allow you to test out the new suite of Windows Live software at http://get.live.com/wl/all.

Windows Live makes it easy to store and manage your communications and information, and share what’s going on in your life with the people who mean the most to you. Many of you have already tried out new versions of our web services – Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Spaces, Windows Live SkyDrive beta, and the new Windows Live Home page beta.

[Now] we’re releasing beta versions of a new generation of Windows Live software designed for your Windows PC that makes it easier than ever to get connected to Windows Live or other services. This suite of software includes e-mail (Windows Live Mail), photo sharing (Windows Live Photo Gallery), a great publishing tool that lets you post directly to your blog (Windows Live Writer), parental controls (Windows Live OneCare Family Safety), a new version of Windows Live Messenger (8.5), and more.