I'm posting this with Microsoft's new Windows Live Writer, a handy desktop application for those who hate using Web-based blog-posting interfaces.
I've been happy enough with TypePad's Web editor, but I do adore Ecto on the Mac (my previous post on nano skipping was Ecto-ized). I've had trouble finding anything as good for Windows (I had to abandon the PC version of Ecto due to excessive flakiness), but Microsoft's new blogging app has potential. It seems stable, and is very easy to use, though it's no Ecto (yet).
Microsoft has been churning out all kinds of free-software goodies (using the "let's throw stuff on the wall to see what sticks" approach) lately. It is finally working on a new e-mail app to replace the God-awful Outlook Express, for instance. The new app generates all kinds of weird error messages I don't see in other e-mail programs, but I love the fresh, clean (and customizable) interface.
E-mail users should watch America Online, by the way.
AOL is making more and more of its stuff free, and its e-mail service is arguably the one to pick over Google, Yahoo and Microsoft (if you're after free Web-based e-mail, that is) for one key reason: It's IMAP-based, which means e-mail stays on the server yet can be accessed with any desktop e-mail program.
This makes managing mail on multiple computers easy (via a Web interface instead of a desktop app, if you choose) and protects archived mail in the event of a hard-drive crash. This is what I like about my e-mail provider, FastMail.FM, but I do have to pay for it.
Update: After using Microsoft Live Writer for the day, I'm impressed enough to wager it will replace my Web-based editor for routine use. MLW isn't anything flashy, but does what it has to do, easily and reliably (so far).
Second update: Windows Dead Writer
