Hotmail's Days Are Numbered: Microsoft Introduces Outlook.com

[Rob Williams]

Microsoft has today announced Outlook.com, an e-mail service built on top of the well-known name from the company's Office suite. At some point, Outlook.com will replace Hotmail.com, but at the moment users are free to use either or - your e-mail will exist in both. In that regard, you can consider Outlook.com to be just a new interface.

Read the rest of our post and then discuss it here!

[Rob Williams]

So I've been looking through this a bit further, and I have to admit, I'm impressed. I am not about to move over from Google given our entire staff is locked-in there, but I might just setup an account here for a personal account and see how it goes.

[Tharic-Nar]

I guess another important point is the reputation of hotmail. It's a 90s throwback and invokes non-too-fond memories, all the growing pains, disputes, and a lot of spam. The modern service is much better compared to its legacy namesake. By switching over to 'Outlook' - it is effectively starting with a clean slate, albeit a familiar slate. Sure, many of the technically knowledgeable persons will see right through this, but from a public perception, it's a new service.

[MacMan]

"However, if you already have an @hotmail.com e-mail address, that will always remain; it'll simply redirect to Outlook"

Thanks, that's the most important question I had since I have several services linked to one of my three Hotmail accounts. I was a little worried there for a moment, so thanks again.

UPDATE: I just updated to Outlook and I must say... I love the new look and feel of the thing, but one thing I don't like is that it doesn't work well at all when using my browser of choice... Opera! I can't seem to open up any of my mail? When using Explorer, Safari or Chrome everything works like a charm.

[Rob Williams]

Originally Posted by Tharic-Nar

I guess another important point is the reputation of hotmail. It's a 90s throwback and invokes non-too-fond memories, all the growing pains, disputes, and a lot of spam. The modern service is much better compared to its legacy namesake. By switching over to 'Outlook' - it is effectively starting with a clean slate, albeit a familiar slate. Sure, many of the technically knowledgeable persons will see right through this, but from a public perception, it's a new service.

The biggest issue with Hotmail for me was the fact that it'd eat e-mails that were legitimate. When we coded our on-site survey years ago, we had to write a special rule just so that the e-mails would make it to their @hotmail destination. We didn't have to do that for any other service.

There have also been problems in the past where people on @hotmail would send me an e-mail, and I'd never receive it, and vice-versa. I ended up losing a lot of respect for Hotmail at that point. I remember once a friend dropped by - unannounced - really early in the morning, so that we could go get suited up for a wedding that was to happen weeks later. Lucky me, I went to bed just three hours prior, and had no idea he had plans to drop by because Hotmail ate the message he sent days earlier.

Originally Posted by MacMan

Thanks, that's the most important question I had since I have several services linked to one of my three Hotmail accounts. I was a little worried there for a moment, so thanks again.

Yeah, even Microsoft's not that dumb ;-)