Microsoft continue to roll out brand new everything’s, as they rebrand their entire line to go with their new Metro style. This week brings the new Outlook.com to us and a rebrand of Hotmail. Outlook gives us more of what we’ve already seen from the brightly coloured tiles to the minimilist menus and options that work so well. Lets be clear this isn’t something new it is just a skin to cover Hotmail, you can keep your hotmail and just start a fresh with Outlook or you’re given the option to link you Hotmail to a new Outlook address.

There really isn’t much here thats new it’s more like a spit polish. Everything just feels better as if its found where it always meant to be. On your left you’ll find the classic Side bar with inbox and usual selection of boxes that fill with forgtton emails and documents. To the right is communication panel to which you can add contacts from Facebook and Twitter, along with account settings, social management and chat.

Outlook now copies Windows 8 & WP7 as Contacts Become People

The top bar has quick selection for calendar, skydrive and your contacts. Contacts on a whole has gone through a dramatic redesign, it now copies that of WIndows 8 & WP7 with its new name of People. Your People now appear to the left with name and face tile. The obligatory add contacts from your network appears before you so that you can tell everyone and his uncle that you’re now part of outlook.

Integrated Skype

With integrated Skype included in this package Outlook has joined the big leagues with Gmail and is now no longer the point and laugh pop3 account it once was – Hi Yahoo Mail!

Will I use it more because of these changes? I doubt it, I’ve used Gmail for so long my hotmail/outlook is linked to it, to feed my mail to one place. this may differ for you and others but my opinion is nice change but your about 3 years too late.