SAN FRANCISCO - Internet giant Yahoo Inc has announced that it is upgrading its e-mail client, Yahoo Mail in order to make it more efficient and almost as fast as desktop e-mail. This new-look Yahoo Mail starts as a beta from today.
The new Yahoo! Mail beta has been speeded up and thus provides faster service. There was a paucity of speed on Yahoo Mail, since the interface was somewhat cluttered and this meant that more users were drawn to the speed and relative simplicity offered by Gmail, Google's e-mail client. The new features that have been added to the beta of Yahoo Mail include drag and drop e-mail organization as well as message preview. The Sunnyvale, Calif-based Company said that this beta was the most significant enhancement since the inception of Yahoo Mail in 1997.
It also said that Oddpost, a Yahoo subsidiary, provided the technological expertise for this enhancement. Announcing the beta, Ethan Diamond, director, product development at Yahoo! Mail said, “This beta gives people a faster and more dynamic way to experience Yahoo! Mail, yet continues to offer the same features they rely upon today: great anti-spam and virus protection, tons of storage, its all there. We're looking forward to receiving feedback on the beta as we continue the development process."
Some of the new features in the beta are:
* An easy-to-use interface that is fast and looks and works like a desktop client
* Drag-and-drop message organization
* A reading pane in which messages can be instantly viewed.
* Speeded up e-mail headers, bodies, and attachments
* Automatic checking as well as delivering mail
* Multiple messages can be viewed at the same time
* Extra protection from spam and viruses
The new features are available as beta to a limited number of users in the United States only. Yahoo said that in the coming months, the beta would be available to users all over the world. The new Yahoo Mail is accessible on Firefox as well as Internet Explorer.
