Bye, bye Hotmail....hello Outlook

DAILY DOT COM - Microsoft Inc. is parting ways with Hotmail.  Over the next few months, the tech giant will invite Hotmail users to test a new web-based version of Outlook.

Microsoft said its new service, available to preview at Outlook.com, would reimagine the way people use email and be the first major improvement in eight years.

Existing users will be able to keep their Hotmail addresses, but new users will have to choose an Outlook domain.  Hotmail was created in 1996.  It's still the world's largest online mail service, according to comScore, with some 324 million users.  But it's not as modern as other, newer e-mail services as say Google's fast-growing Gmail.

According to Microsoft, the new Outlook e-mail system has a cleaner interface, and has social aspects built in.  Users of the new Outlook can connect their e-mail addresses with Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, and Twitter contacts.

The new service also allows easy use of Microsoft's Internet-based products, like SkyDrive for storing documents, Office Web Apps for working away from a PC and will eventually have Skype video chat built in.

If you haven't noticed the change yet, don't worry it's coming.  Eventually all hotmail users will be forces to switch e-mail systems, but so far no firm deadline from Microsoft.