New Hotmail Integrates Office Features

angry tapir writes "Microsoft is set to begin rolling out the latest enhancements to its Hotmail (warning: interstitial ad) web mail service, with an aim to reduce clutter and make it easier to send photos and handle Office documents. Microsoft is making a Web-based version of Office available from within Hotmail's Web interface that allows use of Microsoft document formats such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote."

sigh...

[AlexiaDeath]

They are several years late. Again. And Google gives me a lot more formats, all of the OO ones for example and an online PDF reader, best thing since sliced bread. And it does this without the need for closed clumsiy plugins like MS-s silverlight.

Re:Wannabee fools.

[Attila Dimedici]

Microsoft has been 'me too' since early days. Microsoft's strategy has been to let some other company prove there is a market for a particular function then write a competing product and gradually improve it (and modify the OS so that the competitor doesn't run as well) until they take over the market (see: Excel, Word, Internet Explorer...to name a few). It doesn't always work (see MS Money).

Re:Losing

[FuckingNickName]

Yeah, that's just a mixture between your and Google's incompetence. If you put it in quotes, nearer 383,000. If you browse to the last page of results, about 199.

Re:Wannabee fools.

[Anonymous Coward]

Huh? I thought that was Google's strategy?

Google Groups, Maps, Blogger, AdWords, Gmail, Desktop, Talk, Youtube..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_acquisitions_by_Google [wikipedia.org]

Maybe they copied it from Microsoft.

Re:Spam?

[NatasRevol]

Not only spam, but everyone can read your spam, and your email, and your online office documents!

The last paragraph of the article:
"Later this year, Microsoft plans on introducing SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encryption for Hotmail, although the company has not decided whether it will be optional or not, Mehta said."

Nice.

Re:sigh...

[AlexiaDeath]

Nice, yes. But not enough to cause mass move over from Google.

Re:Late, yes...

[jslater25]

Don't forget that Hotmail (or is it Windows Live or Windows Hotmail Live or Windows Live Mail? I can never remember!) STILL doesn't support IMAP. So while Microsoft is busy trying to integrate most Microsoft Office products (Outlook integration requires an annual fee along with additional software), they continue to lag behind the competition in other areas.