Are you a Hotmail user?  If so, then you will eventually have to switch to Microsoft’s newest webmail service – Outlook.com

Hotmail has fallen far: nearly a decade ago, it was sitting on top of the webmail heap… until Gmail surged to the top.  Microsoft even tried to rebrand it as Microsoft Live, but it failed to gain its original mojo back.  You will notice a new interface, a lack of display ads, and a much cleaner presentation.  The result is a 30% increase in the number of viewable messages.  Another major feature of Outlook.com is social network integration.  Instead of the standard email inbox, users will be able to view status updates and content from Facebook, Google, LinkedIn and Twitter – automatically sorted as well.  Microsoft will also enhance the service with Skype.

Outlook.com users will also be able to use free web-based versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. Microsoft will also provide additional storage space for attachments through its SkyDrive service.  New users will be assigned an @outlook.com email address, but existing users can keep their @hotmail.com, @live.com and @msn.com addresses as well.