Google’s webmail strategy can be described in one word: Gmail. Yahoo’s can be described in two words: Yahoo Mail. Both companies started and continue with the same name, address, and overall good service. Enter Microsoft. Their strategy can’t be described in one or two words, though they’d now like to try with three: Windows Live Hotmail. We’ll need a paragraph summarize what that means.

First there was Hotmail. Next was MSN mail. Wait, I think those were both available at the same time. Then I believe their ‘Live’ platform was launched, not sure if Hotmail and MSN mail still exist, but I do have an MSN address (never use it). Now, Microsoft has changed it all to ‘Windows Live Hotmail‘. The fact that I’m a tech savy person, and I’m always uncertain what Microsoft’s e-mail offering is, should worry Microsoft. If people like me don’t know, how would an average person that doesn’t try to keep up with this stuff have a prayer?

It seems every time Microsoft realizes their webmail strategy (or their strategy for anything web-based) isn’t working the way they’d like, they re-brand it, move stuff around on the screen, and declare it awesome. And every time, no one cares, they just get more confused. The best analogy I can come up with is the proverbial ‘Monkey f&*%ing a football (try visualizing that, it makes the comparison much more clear).

So what does this have to do with Vista? Well, that Windows Mail program that came with Vista, replacing Outlook express, is now going to be replaced with ‘Windows Live Mail’. Seems a bit ironic since the only reason you should need it is if your computer isn’t Live on the internet all the time (if it was, why wouldn’t you use the awesome web interface?). Will Vista’s SP1 replace Windows Mail with Windows Live Mail so Windows Mail is no more? Time will tell, but there’s a good chance Microsoft will change the name to their mail system by then, so it’s probably not worth thinking about.