Live.com has a new look, new config options

Windows Live basic set

Live.com is sporting a new look tonight and I like it. The new header graphic draws attention to the search box and login, two services that help drive revenue. The Live.com homepage now has five different groups of preselected gadgets for users to fill up their homepage quickly. You can choose a basic set (news, weather, stocks), a news set, sports set, entertainment set, or all of the above.

Windows Live world cup set

There is even a set of World Cup gadgets to help you track the latest soccer information on every visit. The soccer page includes videos tagged “worldcup” on YouTube, image search results for “world cup,” and world cup news stories from FoxSports, BBC, and ESPN. To answer Danny Sullivan, yes my Windows Live colleagues are doing something.

I like the new easy gadget selection to help users get over the paralysis of a blank page they need to fill with more content. Five choices keeps things simple and makes setup a lot easier.