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Windows Live Mail is a Web-based E-mail service by Microsoft . A beta version was released on November 1 2005 alongside the release of Windows Live . Formerly code-named '''Kahuna''', Windows Live Mail is to replace Hotmail once it is complete. It features two Gigabyte s of storage space, automatic spell checking, custom filters, and a range of safety features. Access to the beta is most commonly available with an invitation, either sent from the Windows Live Ideas site, or from a friend who is an existing beta tester. It is also possible to sign up from the Windows Live Site. Windows Live Mail will be the successor to Hotmail, which was founded by Jack Smith and Sabeer Bhatia , and commercially launched in 1996 as one of the first Webmail services on the Internet. It was bought by Microsoft in 1997 and, by 1999, had reported more than 30 million active members. In 2004, Google announced their own brand of webmail— Gmail —boasting over 1GB of free storage and a quick, user-friendly interface. This was the beginning of a major revamp of all webmail services, including significant increases of storage and new interface designs, currently being slowly released to beta testers. Windows Live Mail Beta is Microsoft's answer to the webmail revolution, and its main competitors include Yahoo! Mail Beta, and Google's Gmail Beta. Currently, Windows Live Mail Beta is only available in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The languages supported at the moment are Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish. All the features of Windows Live Mail can be seen using Internet Explorer 6 or greater, however those using an older version or a different browser, such as Mozilla Firefox , will be directed to a "Classic Hotmail View" version with less functionality. There are plans to provide all services for other browsers in the future. FEATURES Address AutoComplete When typing an email into the Compose screen, users can input the first letter of the recipient’s name and a list will pop up with their name and Email Address . Color schemes Users can choose from a number of colour schemes to personalise their Windows Live Mail interface. Classic Hotmail View For users not using Internet Explorer 6 or higher, there is a different version of Windows Live Mail available, but without features such as drag and drop and the reading pane. Known as "Classic Hotmail View" (as opposed to "Windows Live Mail Experience"), users can also choose to use this interface if they dislike the new one. Image thumbnails Windows Live Mail automatically converts large image attachments into thumbnails for easier viewing. Images can be viewed at their full size with one click. Keyboard shortcuts Windows Live Mail provides users with keyboard shortcuts for quick navigation, as opposed to using the mouse. Reading Pane Windows Live Mail features a "Reading Pane" similar to that of Microsoft Outlook , allowing the user to read mail messages without leaving the inbox. Users can choose to have it at the side of messages or below them, or remove it completely if they wish. Rich text editing The compose UI of Windows Live Mail lets users customize their mail with various fonts, sizes and colours, and also change the alignment of text, add bullet points and much more. Also provided is a selection of emoticons for users to add to the message. Safety features Windows Live Mail has extensive security and safety features - some patented - including SenderID , SMTP Authentication , phishing heuristic detection, Bonded Sender, mailing list detection and forwarding detection. Potentially unsafe mail is caught by Windows Live Mail and does not open the message until the user requests that it do so. It has proven particularly useful in notifying users of Phishing attempts. Search capability The indexed search capability of Windows Live Mail includes searching through the address and subject headers, and for some accounts, the message content. Speed The user interface is built using AJAX technology which allows the page to load in the background, and provides a fast loading user experience. Spell checking while typing This feature can be seen in the compose UI and checks the user’s spelling as it is typed, similar to the spell checking functions in Microsoft Office applications. Misspelled words are underlined in red, and right clicking on it displays a drop down menu of suggestions. Currently, spell checking is only available for English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. However more languages are planned to be included in the future. Windows Live Mail is the only webmail service that features this. Storage Windows Live Mail Beta comes with 2 GB of free storage. A notification is sent to the user if they come within 50 MB of this limit. Various layouts |
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