In addition to sending e-mail, users can start a text IM or voice conversation from within Microsoft’s Windows Live Mail Desktop application, which is now in limited beta testing.

Windows Live Mail Desktop offers an improved photo sending and viewing capability, allowing photos to display within an e-mail, rather than as attachments.

Windows Live Mail Desktop offers an Outlook-like experience for viewing multiple e-mail accounts, though free users will see graphic ads displayed within the program, as evidenced by the Windows Live add on the right.