As I've said on this blog before, Microsoft has really started to take aim at Google and make some real progress in doing so. Out of habit I am still doing the majority of my searches via Google (can't wait for a real Live Search toolbar for FireFox), but when Google is giving me poor results I jump over to Live and get some pretty good results.
Then their map offering is just better. I took some directions from Google Maps from my employer to a local hospital... and needless to say they weren't close. And that isn't the first time that has happened. You'd think I'd learn.
I also like the user interface to Live Mail better than I like the interface to gMail, but until Live Mail fixes some fundamental flaws in its infrastructure, I won't be switching.
About the only thing I use from the Google family that Microsoft doesn't have an answer for is FeedBurner. And they have done nothing but blow me away in their response to some issues I've been having with their service.
But for this post I am using "Windows Live Writer". Basically lets me open up a Windows application, write my post (with very good add-ins and support for some advanced HTML) then it will communicate with my blog and write a post.
It allows me to save drafts and such as well. Which is nice because it will stop me from having a post hidden from view while I'm working on it. I can just work on it local to my PC.