Hotmail Revitalized in Lieu of MS Office 2010 Release

Microsoft recently unveiled a whole new look for its very popular online email service, Hotmail. Heading the list of new features is "Sweep," which automatically prioritizes emails into categories. The Hotmail update is just one part of Microsoft's plan to improve all of its Windows Live products over the next several months.

Designated Emails Marked with Priority

The new Sweep feature automatically designates certain kinds of emails low priority. Think of it like a weekly Best Buy or grocery store flyer; you signed on to the mailing list, but these emails certainly aren't as important as messages from family and friends. (Source: arstechnica.com)

In addition to Sweep, Hotmail now boasts a considerable 10GB of storage for each email. That means you could conceivably receive 200 attachments at 50MB a piece. In sending these kinds of messages Microsoft will use the SkyDrive online storage feature.

Improvements Offer Better User Control

SkyDrive appears to be the future of online email for Microsoft. The new service allows users to store large files online, to help Hotmail users create their own image galleries.

While most email services put strict restrictions on the size of pictures that can be uploaded and sent, SkyDrive allows users to post a picture online and then send a link to a friend. If a viewer wants to download the picture, they can do it after viewing, rather than being forced to download each image as they arrive in the inbox.

The same strategy is being extended to video via YouTube and Hulu services.

Hotmail is also now better integrated with Microsoft Office. Those who download Office 2010 Web Apps will be able to easily open, edit and share documents and spreadsheets of all kinds right in their inbox. (Source: businessweek.com)