You all can now stop with all the Hotmail jokes. Microsoft today unveiled it's new webmail platform, Outlook.com, and it looks incredible. Seriously. In keeping with the transformation of all of Microsoft's software properties, Outlook webmail takes on the clean and simple design of Microsoft's Metro UI. Anyone who's had anytime with Windows 8 or Windows Phone 7 should have a sense of Outlook's design.
It's not just a pretty face, either. Instead of revamping Hotmail or its Windows Live mail, Microsoft decided to build a new email product from the ground up. An intense focus was placed on the inbox, social, and unobtrusive ads.
Microsoft wants users to see any much of their email as possible, that's why the inbox feels so expansive. It's clear Gmail is the main target for Outlook.com. To battle against gChat, Outlook has built-in Facebook chat. There's also Skype integration.
In an effort scrap the clutter of the web email experience, Microsoft says you'll only see advertisements on the far right pane—never in your personal conversations or invading your inbox. It's also developed some cool mail-sorting features that will automatically organize your email depending on its sender:
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The service is in preview, but you can go to Outlook.com and sign up for an account before all the @outlook.com email address are gone. Check out a video tour below.
