Microsoft may redesign Hotmail and rebrand it to Newmail

It's about time Hotmail got an overhaul and Microsoft seems to be tying an overhaul in line with their Metro UI format. According to Liveside.net, Microsoft is redesigning Hotmail to be "fast, fluid and intuitive". The design resembles that of the Metro UI. The new design is also what Microsoft uses in some other services like your Microsoft Account and your Microsoft Profile Page. The page has a minimalistic design with a header that's green for Hotmail. The header is in different colours for different services, for example, SkyDrive will have a blue header. On the left is the name and the logo of the service and clicking on the name and logo will present you with a menu in Metro UI format. The menu contains items like Hotmail, People, Calendar and SkyDrive. The middle section of the header will have tabs for e-mail functions like Inbox, Compose, etc. and on the right, there are tabs to bring up WebIM (Messaging).

Will this be Hotmail? (Image credit: Liveside.net)

The new Hotmail UI is reported to be fully customized, not only for traditional keyboard and mouse-based devices but also touch-based devices. Furthermore, it also looks like the service will now be called "Newmail". Initially, the service will be opt-in, so if you don't want to switch over to Newmail right away, you have the option of sticking to the old Microsoft format for a little while longer, though how much longer hasn't been specified. You can create a new e-mail address with Newmail, but you will still have access to all your old emails and contacts. Furthermore, Newmail will let you connect and chat directly with Facebook and Twitter, and by syncing your Newmail and Facebook accounts, you will be able to update your profile information and your contacts' information automatically. While the header for the new Hotmail design was green, Newmail contains a blue coloured header.

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It is not known when Microsoft will roll out the new design as well as Newmail, but it will be interesting to see if existing Hotmail users make the switch, or switch over to a rival e-mail service like Gmail. Do you still use Hotmail? What do you think of Newmail? Let us know in the comments section below.