The new web interface mimics the Metro styled layout and theme that exists in Windows 8 and subsequently, Windows Phone 8.
Last week, Microsoft took the lid off its brand new e-mail service -- Outlook.com. The move is meant to add another piece to the new Windows experience puzzle that will launch in a few months. The new web interface mimics the Metro styled layout and theme that exists in Windows 8 and subsequently, Windows Phone 8. In this rather bold attempt to show the companies new-found direction, Microsoft will soon be scrapping the Hotmail branding and pushing Outlook as its new mail service for the Web, desktops, tablets and phones. Here’s a quick tour of the new features and what it means to Hotmail users.
Social network on one platform
Since many of us already use our social networks as a source for contacts, Outlook.com bakes this right in, giving you access to your contacts from Facebook, Flickr, LinkedIn, YouTube and the like. You can chat with your friends directly in Outlook itself without having to open the individual sites. You’ll also get status updates and other information depending on which ones you configure to receive.
Access to MS Office apps
You can now open, edit and share MS Office files right from within your browser itself. Just like Google Docs, any attachment you receive in a mail can be viewed directly online without having to download it and view it. Also, if you need to edit it, the file gets uploaded to Skydrive and then opens up in a web version of either Word, PowerPoint, OneNote or Excel, allowing you to edit the document directly even if you don’t have Office installed on your PC. These Web apps are part of the new Office 365 that will launch, along with Windows 8.
Skype integration
One of the big features of Outlook.com is Skype integration. You can now directly make Skype calls from within the browser itself without having to install the application separately. This means you’re no longer dependant on whether the application is installed or not.
Auto segregation of e-mails
A very handy feature that automatically sorts newsletters, offers, social media updates, etc and lets you automatically sort by a particular category. All these are stored in separate folders although you can choose what goes where and customise it to your liking.
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