Outlook.com vs Gmail, the new Hotmail vs Google mail

Outlook.com

Microsoft has decided to revamp its Hotmail platform and make it Outlook.com . The new platform has brought a quite evident change in the design (the new Outlook.com is very close to the aspect of Windows 8 apps ) and promises to incorporate some important updates, such as the possibility of making calls through Skype from the mail tray. Microsoft's idea is to abandon the outdated and outdated image that many users have associated with Hotmail for a new style. We offer you a comparison of this new platform against Google mail, Gmail .

Interface

The two platforms work with a fairly clean interface , in which most of the space is used to present the different emails. The general impression is that Gmail has a more sober design , while the new Outlook.com opts for a more colorful design . One of the advantages of the new Outlook design is greater clarity when managing the different options within the message, which are written in the top bar. In the case of Gmail, the options appear in the form of buttons that you have to get used to.

Gmail customization

Personalization

Regarding the customization options, Outlook.com allows you to change the dominant color on the page (the theme), but it does not allow you to change other aspects such as the wallpaper. Gmail offers numerous funds of various types , which allow for further customization.

Contacts in Outlook.com

Contact management

Leaving aside the numerous problems that the previous version of Outlook.com is still suffering in the accounts of many users, the contacts proposal is very similar to what we can find in Windows 8 . The design is very similar to what an application would have and various actions are carried out from the "People" window, such as sending an email message or starting to chat, writing messages on the Facebook wall or reviewing personal data. In this case, it seems to us that Outlook.com has managed to place itself in an advantageous position , since Gmail contacts are simple and with a somewhat limited interface.

Instant messaging

At this point, Outlook.com also wanted to test a proposal similar to the one that exists in the Windows 8 messaging app by integrating Messenger into the mailbox. Many users are still experiencing problems with this service, but even in those cases where it works normally, it must be recognized that the use of Google Talk within Gmail is more agile and practical. It will be necessary to see the way in which Skype is integrated into Outlook.com (Microsoft wants to introduce this tool in the coming weeks) and the possible improvements in Messenger chat, but for the moment Gmail is taking the lead.

Facebook logo

Integration with social networks

Gmail has the great advantage of being integrated with the social network Google+ . But in the case that you use Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn more often , Microsoft has made considerable efforts in recent times to integrate these networks within the mail. As we had anticipated before, we will have the possibility to write on the Facebook wall through contacts or write a tweet from Outlook.com.

Network storage systems

Both Outlook.com and Gmail are closely tied to Microsoft's and Google's respective storage systems . SkyDrive and Google Drive have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Space and limits

At this point Outlook.com is above Gmail as it offers "virtually unlimited" space. For its part, Google mail has a limit of 10 GB of free space . Be that as it may, it is very difficult for us to reach this figure in a short time, so the aspect of space is not so important.

Spam

Junk mail

The treatment of spam has improved greatly in recent years in both services, although especially in the case of Hotmail , which was associated with a rather negative image in this regard. One of the most interesting changes is the concept of gray mail , a feature that allows Hotmail users to automatically unsubscribe from services that send unwanted messages (in this case we are not talking about spam, but for example subscriptions that are no longer necessary).

Final assessment

In short, Microsoft has managed to take an important leap with its new mail platform (especially if it manages to fix the problems that many users haunt and that have generated not a few criticisms). Its flashy and attractive design can cause Hotmail to shed its image of an outdated and spam-ridden service and regain lost ground to Gmail. How about? Do you think Microsoft has leapt above the Google Mail with its new platform?

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