I walked away from my desk earlier today and when I returned to my browser a few moments later it had changed and looked clearer, neater and a bit boxier… hotmail (and Windows Live) had undergone a paintjob - no trumpets and bells, just quietly during the course of the day. I like the fact that I can choose (in options) the colours/tone/look of my page. There is something for everyone, the same dependable blue (with whacky Web 2.0 orange text for differentiation), a beautiful oriental cherry blossum pink, a funky grey, eco grassy green, purosefully purple etc.

See the image below for a taste if you have not yet logged on!

The image refresh isn’t a rebranding it’s a paintjob and specification update. In 2007, Windows Mail and Hotmail underwent an rebrand where they joined to become Windows Live Hotmail. Beta.