• Lifehacker, Thursday, June 17, 2010 1:11 PM

How does the recently relaunched Hotmail measure up to Gmail? Lifehacker subjects the rival services to a comprehensive review. "Hotmail's Office integration is very well thought out and offers some noted advantages over Gmail and Google Docs, though it is worth noting that some features (such as collaboration) are available in Google Docs as well," it writes. "Although Gmail is fast, it's the speed in which it lets you work through your inbox that gives it a leg up over Hotmail."

Furthermore, "Gmail excels in getting out of your way. Hotmail, on the other hand, likes to sit and chat." Translation? The general downside of Hotmail is that "It always wants to help you do this or that and inform you of every little choice it makes ... While it seems this exists to assist the less tech-savvy in their foray into the world of email ... the interruptions begin to feel relentless when all you want to do is reply quickly." For the record, Lifehacker admits to favoring Gmail, "because, well, we like it." "Nonetheless, there are some great new additions to the new Hotmail and things are still missing from both."

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