Outlook

Outlook

Microsoft just unveiled the new face of Hotmail — Outlook.  It sports the new Metro design you find in Windows 8.  It's clean, it's beautiful but still has the Hotmail innards which I hope to be improved very soon. I think one of the general theme of Metro is the ability to unify your third party accounts like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn in one roof.  It's the same with Windows Phone and it's also the same with Windows 8 and I think that is a really major feature that sets apart from other operating systems.  Read The Verge's article on a more detailed review here.  More screenshots after the break.

via The Verge

Inbox

By default you'll be taken to your "Folders" and "Quick Views" section and the reading pane is set to the right.

Messaging

Clicking on the messaging icon on the upper right corner drops the messaging section.  You can chat to your Facebook friends directly from there.  Looking forward to Twitter and Skype integration.

Mail, People, Calendar, SkyDrive

Clicking on the  arrow beside Outlook logo at the upper left of the screen brings down tabbed sections of Mail, People, Calendar and SkyDrive.  Another indication that Microsoft is tying all of it's services.  SkyDrive will also get Metro soon.

Metro SkyDrive

via WinSource

Compose

I especially love it when comping an email.  It's got a huge white space, clean and clutter-free!

Colors

Basic theme colors are available on the gear icon with up to 12 color to choose from.  Outlook also gives you the option to register a new @outlook.com email address.  If you have an existing Hotmail account, you have the option to bring that to Outlook.

Personally, I haven't switched yet to Outlook but I'm slowly migrating contacts and threads from my Gmail account.  Furthermore, I think I like the idea of going Microsoft all the way.  Internet Explorer 10, please be awesome!