Microsoft appears to have pulled out of its hat an upgrade
Is your email inbox a virtual mall — a one-stop shop for all your web needs and operations? Going by the latest upgrades rolled out by Microsoft for its free email client Hotmail, and Google's attempts to steal its thunder by providing API that allows third-party applications to integrate with Gmail, the focus has shifted from storage and in-built messengers to making your inbox the centre of your web universe.
So earlier this week, Hotmail — that old email client that introduced many of us to the world of instant communication — got a makeover. Years after the email client with a proud Indian connection (courtesy, founder Sabeer Bhatia) gave way to younger, roomier and feature-rich email client Gmail, Microsoft appears to have pulled out of its hat an upgrade that is in keeping with the times.
Though Yahoo! improved its client and messenger with successful iterations and Gmail consistently offered exciting tools/features through its Gmail labs (on a near-weekly basis), Hotmail was perceived as being caught in a time warp. Hotmail's last upgrade was about two years ago — this is no less than a light year in Internet time. Not surprisingly, in India, Hotmail retains a market share of just over nine per cent. This, when Gmail and Yahoo! are pegged at around 56.7 and 56.1 per cent (does not add up because people generally use multiple IDs), the March 2010 Comscore statistics reveal. While in foreign or “mature” email markets, where Hotmail is still the leader, this upgrade must be about retaining or beating the market share of rival services, in India the task at hand is a daunting one.
So can a cooler , or ‘hotter' if you may, Hotmail win over email users? Is its latest roll-out good enough to get email users to disengage from the existing IDs, particularly now when email IDs have become inextricably linked with the way we ‘keep in touch'? Rathin Lahiri, Director Online, Microsoft Consumer and Online Business, believes that this upgrade may do the trick. Integration with other email accounts (including rivals Google and Yahoo!) and social networks, larger attachment capacity and enhanced spam recognition are key upgrades, he says.
Of the many new features (many of them already on offer in Gmail and Yahoomail), the most unique is the uncluttered email experience: better conversation views (by threading email) and one-click sweep to delete or move emails to other folders. It allows you to preview photos, view slideshows and even videos from third-party applications, all from the comfort of your inbox.
The upper-limit on attachment size offered herein is an unparalleled 10 GB. Photos and videos too can be shared through Microsoft's cloud-based SkyDrive, Mr. Lahiri explains. Significantly, the new Hotmail offers better integration with its new web-based Office suite, allowing users to view, edit and share documents in real time.
Live messenger
The upgrades have not stopped with Hotmail, Mr. Lahiri informs. Demoing an improved messenger service, he points out that it brings Video Chat in High Definition for a fully loaded experience. It allows users to share photos from SkyDrive and Facebook in real time, share and update status across social networks with a single click. An interesting feature, one that is indeed novel, is the ability to set availability status by category — that is, while I can appear active to friends, I can appear offline to co-workers, or appear ‘busy' to my boss!
Keywords: Hotmail, Windows Live, instant messaging
Now I like hotmail. Previously I was using hotmail & changed to gmail because hotmail was too slow. I hate gmail because they blocking pictures.
In this informative article most readers seem to train their attention on Astrophysics. Ms. Deepa Kurup, I appreciate your interesting piece on such a commonplace subject.
<quote>Hotmail's last upgrade was about two years ago — this is no less than a light year in Internet time.</quote>
Wrong usage of the term light year
Light year is a unit of distance (distance traveled by light in one year) and not time.
The correct expression could be, "...this is no less than a millennium in Internet time."
"...about two years ago — this is no less than a light year in Internet time"
Hi,
"Light year" is a measure of distance not time!! It is the linear distance travelled by light in one year.
Cheers..
Its sad that even though Hotmail may have upgrades, I do not find automatic email forwarding feature to Email IDs other than the one held by Microsoft (@hotmail.com, @msn.com or @live.com).
This feature was there in GMAIL years ago and helps us in forwarding emails directly to one email account (corporate company account, if you may), where everthing can be further managed.
But I dont think Hotmail does not wishe to come with this user relevent feature.
some thing good
This Hotmail is of no use. I am an old user of hotmail. After I opened my account with Gmail, I never ever thought of opening any new mail id in any others. Today I went through the new hot mail, But its of no use. The same old fashioned technology.
"Light year" is a unit of distance and NOT time!
Ooo, referring to a light-year as a unit of time, that's embarrassing.
I have found new hotmail really cool.
Aha! Hotmail is outdated. Even their global figures are inflated. Nobody I know used hotmail. Good luck to whoever wants to try the new one out...I still find it outdated.
Well, I have been using hotmail for a long time and am naturally amused. While no historian on the subject, I think msn messanger was doing a reasonable job. Any additional features are of course welcome any time.
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