This article has been re-published with prior permission from MakeUseOf.
By: Dave Parrack
Microsoft has been busy improving Outlook.com, making significant changes to the UI and introducing several new features. The company is now keen to release the new Outlook into the wild. However, the new features clearly need to be tested first, which is where you come in.
Despite the rise of social networking and messaging apps in recent years, email is still important. These days it tends to be used for more formal lines of communication, which means it’s more crucial than ever to have a solid and dependable email provider. Such as Outlook.com.
The Outlook.com Beta Is Now Live
Microsoft has launched the Outlook.com beta. This is “an opt-in web experience where you can try out new product innovations and let us [Microsoft] know what you think.” The company has made some improvements to Outlook.com and is eager to learn what users think of them.
The first set of changes include an upgraded search function, the option to see and attach files faster, suggestions as to what to add to your emails, smarter photo management, more robust customization options, and the ability to add GIFs and emojis to emails without much effort.
To join the beta you just need to toggle the “Try the beta” option once it appears in the top right-hand corner of your inbox. You can switch between the current version and the beta version at will. This means you can check back regularly to see what changes Microsoft is making.
Microsoft is rolling the Outlook.com beta out slowly, so if you haven’t yet got the option to give it a try you should see it appear within the next few weeks. The onus is then on you to give Microsoft your opinion on the beta, with the company promising to “read every piece of feedback”.
Gmail Suddenly Has Serious Competition
Gmail has owned the competition over the last 10 years. However, Yahoo recently launched a new version of Yahoo Mail which doesn’t suck, and now Microsoft is vastly improving Outlook.com. All of which is good for consumers, who now have several solid email services from which to choose.
