Microsoft's Outlook.com scores 1 million users
(CBS News) Microsoft's new email service, Outlook.com, has been hailed a success. The site garnered 1 million users in about six hours, according to a tweet the company sent out on Twitter.
Microsoft launches Outlook.com to rival Gmail
CNET: Microsoft Outlook.com hands-on
"One million people have signed up for a new, modern email experience at Outlook.com. Thanks!" @Outlook tweeted.
Microsoft launched the new email service, which will replace Hotmail, Tuesday. The email service features a clean design, integration with Word, Excel and PowerPoint, a new photo viewer, Skype calls inside the inbox and the ability to pull contacts from Facebook and LinkedIn.
Critics have given the email service mostly positive reviews, but the question remains if Microsoft can chip away at Google's market share. According to the search giant, Gmail has 425 million active users.
While there are many similarities between the Outlook and Gmail, Microsoft has the benefit of owning and partnering with several popular products, like Office Suite, Skype and Facebook.
Users can open Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint documents from an email, then view and edit documents online. Skype video chats can also be launched from the inbox. However, that feature is not yet live. The company says the feature will be available "soon." Microsoft's cloud storage service, SkyDrive, is also integrated into Outlook.com.
