It will be interesting to see if in the future Microsoft adds support for Skype, like it does with its unified communications tool Lync in Office 365.

It's hard for me to imagine ever giving up Gmail because of how entrenched I am in the Google ecosystem.

Microsoft doesn't have this pull for me, but for new users it has added its SkyDrive cloud storage product out of the box. Quick access can be made to SkyDrive directly from the toolbar, and the service can be used to create and send documents via your Outlook.com address.

Unfortunately Microsoft hasn't updated the design or interface of SkyDrive yet, so switching between the two will feel like an unconnected experience.

I won't be swapping my personal email to Outlook.com anytime soon, but if Microsoft continue to add features to its cloud products who knows what the future might bring.