Watch CBS News

The New Hotmail: Better Than Gmail?


If you don't already have a Hotmail account, it's high time you got one. Microsoft's newly updated Web-mail service is now available in more than 220 countries, and it offers a number of features you can't get in Gmail.

For one thing, Hotmail is a lot easier on the eyes. I'm not saying Gmail is ugly -- well, yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. Hotmail employs an attractive interface that should be instantly familiar to anyone who's ever used Outlook Express or Windows Live Mail.

Other Hotmail perks:

  • Folders! Need I say more?
  • Did someone send you a YouTube link? View the video right inside your inbox, without having to jump away to YouTube proper.
  • Thanks to SkyDrive integration, you can send up to 10 gigabytes' worth of photo attachments. I believe the current Gmail cap is 25 megabytes.
  • The "Social updates" view lets you filter your inbox to show only messages that come from the social-network likes of Facebook.
Like Gmail, Hotmail can send and receive messages from other e-mail accounts (AOL, Gmail, Yahoo Mail Plus, etc.). It also lets you open, edit, and share Office documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Bottom line: there's an awful lot to like about the new Hotmail. I'm not saying you should ditch Gmail for it, but who couldn't use a spare e-mail account -- especially one that's this slick? [via Web Worker Daily]

More on BNET:

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.