William Computer Blog

Windows Live Mail Beta

On December 6, 2005, I received an invitation to become a tester of Windows Live Mail (formerly code-named Kahuna). Windows Live Mail is a web-based email service by Microsoft. Windows Live Mail is rewritten from scratch with a new user interface and a lot of AJAX goodies.

Just like Microsoft Outlook 2003, Windows Live Mail Beta feature a new three-pane display. With three-pane display the email folders, list of emails (inboxes), and email content (reading pane) is stacked vertically.

The use of AJAX in Windows Mail Beta is to create a desktop-like email application. You can now drag and drop email in Windows Live Mail. For example, you can create a new folder called important emails and you’d like to move emails that are important to that folder, all you have to do is select the email and then drag it into the important emails folder on the left. The ability to select more than one email is also implemented. So it is possible if you want to drag and drop more than one emails.

The AJAX is also use for the search feature of Windows Live Mail. When you search, a new search folder is also created on the left pane with messages matched with the search result. Unfortunately, you cannot save the search folder. It would be a very nice feature to allow users to save the search result into a folder that is automatically updated with matched search results.

You can also right-click an email to reply, reply all, forward, mark as read, mark as unread, delete, print, and view source an email.

There is a new Calendar service, which I cannot write because it gives me the “Page cannot be displayed” error.

Sending an e-mail with Windows Live Mail also featured address auto-complete. You can start typing a name and a list of names will pop-up. But this is an old feature, gmail already featured those.

Now, I’m still waiting for an invitation to Yahoo! Mail beta. I heard it’s really cool.

• December 19, 2005