Outlook.com is out! Now ask the Outlook.com team your questions!

[throwawar679]

is outlook.com completely done? I was hoping to see some cooler transitions with the drop down menus and going from folder to folder. Also, when's skype calling coming? because i can't see that option yet!

[margrave]

I wish it would connect to exchange email... it is all the same company after all.

[Jose_49]

Please.... I know it's kind of an eye candy.... but make a black theme! :p

[lexecutil]

Is there (or will there be) a way to rename a live id/hotmail/outlook account to an @vanity-domain account? I have an old hotmail account that I'd like to rename and as far as I can tell I can only rename it to an @outlook.com account at the moment.

Alternatively I'd like to be able to add my older Hotmail account as an alias on a newly created vanity domain account (which uses Windows Live Admin Center), however this seems to be impossible without deleting the hotmail account and waiting for the roughly year long stand-down period (and missing any emails that come in during that time!).

Thanks for answering our questions!

[grayscale]

I would want a better explanation as to how my Facebook account is integrated to Outlook, i.e. what information is included on my e-mails that are taken from my Facebook account and a more elaborate privacy options when it comes to that. I like the People app but I don't want Facebook crossing my e-mails.

As of recent, it continues to have problems fetching my Yahoo e-mails, or is it a problem of Yahoo and not yours? It'll be sad if I can't continue importing my spam.

The interface looks good. I love the simplicity.While I was able to rename my MS account to the new Outlook, therefore keeping my 25GB SkyDrive space, there are those who weren't able to do that. Maybe a one-time offer to merge two accounts can be possible?

Overall, I love the new service.

PS. It's a long shot, but...dark theme, please? :D

[Calum Veteran]

Hi, I like the new Outlook but it would be much more convenient and organized by moving the options Send, Save draft, Spell check, etc. to the right hand window on top of the Subject Field

I'd just like to add my opposition to this suggestion. I love what the Outlook team have done by incorporating these options into the top bar. I would be very unhappy to see these options moved.

[PC EliTiST]

@Windowslive.com - @Live.com - @Hotmail.com - @Outlook.com

Do you have any intention to unify all these addresses in the future, eventually? I think I have one email on each one... It's not a problem, of course. I'm just curious...

By the way, I was one of those who were asking for a better, lighter, minimalistic UI and finally, I got it and I'm happy.

[grayscale]

I'd just like to add my opposition to this suggestion. I love what the Outlook team have done by incorporating these options into the top bar. I would be very unhappy to see these options moved.

This. Every message related option on the top bar, and text-related options on below the subject field is better. It'll be too cluttered if it is placed on top of the subject and the top bar will have little to no use.

[Manish]

Will Outlook.com ever support IMAP?

Will Microsoft develop an official solution to allow access to Hotmail and/or new Outlook email accounts for Mac users who don't want to use (only) the web interface? IMAP would be the ideal solution, either that or a clever plugin for Mail to enable Exchange ActiveSync support.

[Auroka]

- I'm new when it comes to using aliases. Is it possible to send using an alias on WP7?

- Is the ability to "Rename your email address" a permanent feature or is it going to disappear once Outlook.com is out of preview?

[FrancoisC]

Already asked, but IMAP support, even if we have to get "Hotmail plus" ( or in this case Outlook plus I guess...) would be something a lot of people would like.

[ingramator]

1) Is the space you're allowed to use for email unlimited or what?

2) The interface now contains only the top most bar with ninemsn as a form of advertisement, will there be any more in the future

BTW LOVE the UI!!

[Thingol]

E-mail with Windows Live accelerator does not work with IE 10 on outlook.com. Please fix it.

[Smenus]

Will Microsoft develop an official solution to allow access to Hotmail and/or new Outlook email accounts for Mac users who don't want to use (only) the web interface? IMAP would be the ideal solution, either that or a clever plugin for Mail to enable Exchange ActiveSync support.

Or, no need for a plugin; just enable standard Exchange!

(I admit, I don't know much about Exchange vs Exchange Activesync, so I apologise if this isn't possible)

[StevenJ]

I use an .edu Outlook email, both as a staff member and as a student. However the layout used is similar to the Outlook program and is not similar to Hotmail. Would we be able to start using the Metro layout? If so, how? Or is this something that the school itself needs to approve/deploy?

[leviathan18]

I have a very old hotmail account from 2001, I have a skydrive account linked to it with 25gb.

So when I read about the new outlook I created a new account, but I dont know how to port all the stuff I have from my previous account, specially my skydrive account with my 25gb.

[Maksim Tretiakov]

1) Any plans to support IMAP?

2) Photos in contacts

3) Custom fields in contacts

4) More than 3 e-mail in contcts

5) Opening messages in new windows. I often need to compare 2 or more messages or copy some information from one message to another, and outlook.com doesen't allow to open more than 1 message. I have to open second browser window, type outlook.com and select message. Or just look at the past message when I starting a new one. Is it so hard to implement this or you guys with Win8 team are stuck in 70's with lack of multitasking?

6) Any plans to release a new e-mail client for Windows 7 without metro interface (I know that you love it, but you should keep UI constant inside one version of OS)

7) Can you add more contrast to folder list? I barely can see grey captions on light gray background. It's hard to use.

8) New calendar?

9) Please rewrite contacts|people - they are horrible. I know that you are stuck to Outlook field structure, but even Outlook 2000 allows more fields.

10) Set prority for e-mail

[djdanster]

Is there an in-line translate feature? So for example if there is a client who sends me an email in a different language does Outlook automatically pop a box saying "Would you like us to translate this into English for you?". If not that would be a great feature!

[wrack]

Will you modify contacts so we can see all fields that are available & visible? It would be really good to have some harmony between Office Outlook, Windows Phone and Hotmail Outlook.

Why is it that the top bar always overlays the content on my Windows 7, IE9 browser. It normally goes away after few hard refreshes but it is very annoying,

[Fred Kwok]

I haven't try the new Office Outlook. Does it start to use Free Tag / Categories instead of Folders?

I found that Folders is a very very old Technology. We can easily get loss when we want to organize tones of email.

Nowadays, we do not find email manually, we search instead. I found that the hierarchical folder structure didn't help.

[dopydope]

1. Save attachments (photos/documents) on skydrive

Would be great to have a way to either automatically or manually (configuration based) save mail attachements to skydrive. For example i would have system-created folders in skydrive such as "Outlook photo attachments" and "Outlook documnet attachments" in which i can save outlook attachments with a simple click (or automatically at reception)

2. Switch reply/replyall/forward

Provide a way to swithc between reply/replyall/forward *after* having started to type ... the same way gmail lets you do, by just adding or removing the relevant recipients

I.e. you chose "reply" to a message then you realise you want to reply to everyone but you have already type your message. Is a pain to copy/cancel/replyall/paste/send. Should just be replyall/send

3. Support pasting mailto:

Simple one, just support pasting a mailto:address@host.com shortcut in any address field

4. Contact details on hovering an email recipient

When viewing an email, hovering on a recipient should display a basic contact card, at least showing name/email address, and that contact card should allow to easily select and copy the recipient email address, and maybe provide shortcut actions (like Office Outlook/Lync does ...)

5. Fix delay on send

Clicking "Send" on a message is usually a little bit sluggish. Should be quicker.

6. Allow Undo on Send

Provide a grace period to undo send for a couple of seconds

Apart from that .... LOVING IT !!! keep up the good work !

[andrewbares]

6. Allow Undo on Send

Provide a grace period to undo send for a couple of seconds

On mobile devices, they could use the accelerometer to detect if you threw your device against a wall, indicating that you didn't mean to send the email, and then it would undo.

[bjoswald]

Why do I always get a "temporary issue" error when I try to rename my Hotmail account?

[Mstrlink1]

I check my e-mail alot when im bored, can you please add a small game in the margin, like snake, hangman, trivia, etc? Btw i'm a big fan of the new look. Thanks for your consideration.

[BajiRav]

1) Did you consider the consequences of people renaming their accounts? Windows Phone devices need to be reset, XBox needs to be reconfigured, .. Would have been nice to get them reconfigured automatically

I renamed my Hotmail to @Outlook.com a few days ago and Xbox was automatically configured on next boot. I only needed to reset Windows Phone. :)