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Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) - Computers - Nairaland

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Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by Maleeq(m): 6:15pm On Jul 31, 2012

If you’ve been on the Internet for a long time, there’s a good chance Hotmail was your first email address. Launched in 1996, Hotmail was bought by Microsoft the following year, and the service has gone through myriad changes since then. Today, Microsoft is making its most radical change yet to the 16-year-old email service.

For starters, the Hotmail brand is toast. Microsoft is rebranding the service under the Outlook banner, moving the service to Outlook.com. The Hotmail site will still be there, and users won’t be forced to make the switch — yet — but the message is clear: Going forward, Microsoft email is called Outlook. You’ll still be able to keep your Hotmail address, and even use it as the one all your friends and family reply to, but your account will be an Outlook.com account.

But now Microsoft is literally pushing those ads aside, replacing those display ads with Google-like keyword-based text ads that run along the right side of your message pane. Those ads will be tailored to you based on personal data, and they’ll get even more specific when you click on a message.
“Wait a second,” you say. “Isn’t this kind of ad targeting exactly what Microsoft criticized Google of doing in amusing ads like ‘Gmail Man.’” Absolutely true, but Microsoft gives itself a get-out-of-jail-free card: It will only serve you and ad within a message when it’s a newsletter or some other form of “official” communication (like from your bank). For person-to-person emails, the ads disappear in lieu of something else.

New Features


That being one of Hotm… er, Outlook’s most interesting new features: social integration. For whomever you’re conversing with, Outlook imports their most recent tweets and Facebook updates, along with links to profile pages. You can even Like, comment, retweet and @reply straight from the pane. Of course, it’ll only do this if you enable Outlook to scan for public content on either service, something you can disable later.

The first thing you’ll notice after making the transition (by selecting “Upgrade to Outlook” in your Hotmail settings) is the new design. Hotmail, which evolved greatly over the last decade but retained the same overall look, has finally gotten an extreme makeover.
Clean Interface

Outlook’s austere blue-themed design will be recognizable to anyone who’s seen Windows Phone or Windows 8, and it makes the whole experience feel much more calm (Hotmail has always been the “noisiest” of the three major email services). And you can switch the blue color for something more to your liking at anytime.

Two great features about the new look:
1) It keeps things clean by offering you just one action item when you have nothing selected: compose a new message. And,

2) The layout is relatively tight compared to Gmail, minimizing the amount of “chrome,” navigation items and white space on the top of the page. You’re here to see email, so email is front and center.

Expectedly, you can launch Windows Live Messenger to start a chat at any time, and Microsoft says Skype support will be available at launch. With Skype integrated, you can start a Skype conversation with someone straight from an email. Once Microsoft completes its acquisition of Yammer, you’ll probably see similar functionality with that service.

Leaving Hotmail Behind


Hotmail was at times an albatross and a best-kept secret about Microsoft. After a long period of neglect, it improved greatly over the last few years, imitating the best features of its competitors while retaining features (like one-click rearranging) that keep fans of traditional email clients happy. As a result, Hotmail is still the web’s largest web-based email service, with 350 million users, according to comScore.

With the transition to Outlook, those users are in for a shock, but when they see what Microsoft’s got in store, I suspect many will see it as a pleasant surprise. Microsoft’s mail service has never been this clean or usable — or looked this similar to Gmail — before. The lack of clutter is greatly appreciated, and you have to give Microsoft credit for removing things like the big “SkyDrive” icon up top (we’re here for email, thanks).

It’s in the differences, though, where Outlook shines. The social integration is an excellent idea — after all, if I’m conversing with someone on email, what that person is sharing on social networks becomes more actionable than if I’m just seeing random things in a newsf eed. Suddenly realize in mid-sentence that it’d be better to talk to the person? Just use Skype.

With features like those, Microsoft’s web email service is much improved, and I’d even say superior to Gmail in many ways. If users are to have any issues, it’ll probably be with the Outlook name. The brand generates a lot of bad blood among users, and people inherently fear sweeping changes. At least in this case, things get better on the other side.
Source:
Goodbye Hotmail, Hello Outlook.com - Mashable
Goodbye Hotmail, Hello Outlook.com - zdnet
Microsoft Outlook.com - cnet
Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by Olisa74(m): 7:34am On Aug 01, 2012
I am so not liking the new interface. It all feels like a step backwards to me. Seems like we might just have to get used to it though. undecided
Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by Maleeq(m): 9:10am On Aug 01, 2012
Olisa74: I am so not liking the new interface. It all feels like a step backwards to me. Seems like we might just have to get used to it though. undecided
I guess you and I would disagree on one more thing: I like! I Like!! grin

It's still a preview, surely a lot of suggestions would be received, a lot of tuning/tweaking would be done, but you got to give it to it, it does pack some "cool" features (like the social network integration) that other mail services would sooner than later adopt.
Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by moonraker(m): 10:07am On Aug 01, 2012
I see the windows 8 concept written all over this service!!!
Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by Businesstools(m): 10:11am On Aug 01, 2012
Adieu Hotmail.
Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by Nobody: 10:37am On Aug 01, 2012
GMAIL ALL THE WAY. grin

1 Like

Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by ebamma(m): 10:41am On Aug 01, 2012
if them like make them change the name to coolmail,nothing concern me,am okay with my gmail
Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by KINGwax(m): 11:03am On Aug 01, 2012
Olisa74: I am so not liking the new interface. It all feels like a step backwards to me. Seems like we might just have to get used to it though. undecided
you said worse abt nairaland

1 Like

Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by KINGwax(m): 11:09am On Aug 01, 2012
Brand_new: GMAIL ALL THE WAY. grin
i also have a gmail account, but with those new features integrated into outlook which includes popular socials sites cyberway, how is gmail 'all the way?' stop d sentiments jare.
Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by Afam4eva(m): 11:13am On Aug 01, 2012
Let me check it out.
Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by Afam4eva(m): 11:20am On Aug 01, 2012
These people are really taking after gmail both in look and feel and verification. Thumbs up Gmail.
Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by Skywalker5(m): 11:42am On Aug 01, 2012
Wow this is really cool. There is something different about what Microsoft is developing nowadays. Has anyone seen Microsoft server 2012? It just like windows 8, they are all different from the one before them. more like apps. the outlook.com email looks professional
Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by Bawss1(m): 1:38pm On Aug 01, 2012
Erm, can anyone here put up screen shots of the new Outlook.com ?
Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by Skywalker5(m): 1:51pm On Aug 01, 2012
Bawss1: Erm, can anyone here put up screen shots of the new Outlook.com ?
you can try it out.its free. i just registered.
Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by Maleeq(m): 1:53pm On Aug 01, 2012
Bawss1: Erm, can anyone here put up screen shots of the new Outlook.com ?
If you browsing from a PC or suitable device, check the screens here: outlook.com Screens
Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by chudeTV: 12:18pm On Mar 26, 2015
Watch this video tutorial on how you can set up Microsoft outlook with ur email account

http://chudetv.com/How-To-Configure-Outlook-With-Your-E-mail-Account_v1084
Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by babafunny(m): 12:30pm On Sep 18, 2015
Hotmail Sign In,Hotmail Inbox Mail, this webmail service provider has been increasing in popularity and usability. Sign in Hotmail Account, Hotmail App.. for more details, follow the link below
http://www.techvaid.com/hotmail-sign-in-www-hotmail-com-sign-inlogin-hotmail-sign-in/
Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by Funnybro(m): 9:33am On Sep 22, 2015
In this article, I will show you the simple workaround that will help you solve your hotmail sign in issues once and for all using Hotmail password reset, for more follow the link below
http://www.techvaid.com/reset-hotmail-password-wwwhotmailcom-password-reset-signin-problems/
Re: Outlook.com: Microsoft's New & Better Email Service (goodbye Hotmail) by devintristan: 2:17pm On Jun 12, 2020
Outlook is great and all, but your emails can still be deleted without you knowing about it. And that' why it is important to know how to recover deleted emails in outlook. It will save you a lot of nerves and your emails will be completely fine.

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