I must admit, I think that Windows Live Writer is the greatest blogging tool since sliced bread. It’s quick, easy to use, and works perfectly with WordPress. (In fact, it’s what I’m using to post this article right now, and have been using to post my articles for the past couple months or so).

So, I was delighted to see that Microsoft has just released a “Technical Preview” of the updated Windows Live writer on June 2, which I just found out about today via Lifehacker:

On June 2, Microsoft released a "Technical Preview" to Windows Live Writer. It’s somewhat of a beta release, but you can download it from Microsoft here.  Note: this can likely be downloaded from anywhere, but this version is only available in US English.  I can’t speak of its stability with your environment, but it’s been fine for me with Windows Vista and a WordPress 2.5 blog.

There were two types of updates in this release: those for traditional users of the product and those for developers who create WLW plug-ins.  The following are the updates for traditional users; if you’d like to read about the features for developers, see the official information or Windows Live MVP Scott Lovegrove’s synopsis.

You can find more information, including a fairly extensive list of updates at the Lifehacker post here: Beta Beat: Windows Live Writer Tweaks, Tips, and Updates