Hotmail Quick Add
One of the new features of Windows Live wave 3 that I haven’t seen any coverage of yet is the “Quick Add” feature of Hotmail so I’ll take you on a tour of it in this blog entry. When you compose a new email in Hotmail the “Quick Add” bar will appear on the right-hand-side:
The enables you to conduct searches (using Live Search) and embed the results into your email so let me show you an example of that!
Imagine I’m writing an email to my friends to try and arrange a meal and I want to suggest a restaurant that we can go to. Let’s hit the “Restaurants” button in the Quick Add box and search for Italian restaurants (because I do love Pizza):
The results get displayed in the Quick Add bar. We get plenty of results back from that and moreover (here’s what I really like) they’re all really close to where I’m sat right now composing this email. I’m on London’s Southbank and all of those restaurants are within reach:
I think I want to go for Carluccios so I hit the “More Info” link and I get a new page from Live Search showing me more details, reviews and a map to the restaurant:
OK, I’m happy with Carluccios so back in the Quick Add bar I hit “Insert” and all the info is entered into my email along wit a link to all the details:
And that’s it, job done – that’s very cool indeed. I think I’ll be using this feature a lot.
-Jamie
Jamie Thomson 
Seems like a great feature! When I compose an e-mail i don’t get the Quick Add bar shown, I don’t even get the messenger thing that you have there! But I’m really very excited to see that happen one day :)
Marwan
November 13, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Great post about a great new feature! And nice use of the snazzy image tilt features of the new Writer beta. :-)
Marcus
November 13, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Great post Jamie! I didn’t know this! Now all we need for us users who like to stay at the desktop is this feature to be added to Windows Live Mail! (As a matter of fact, when it was in its Desktop incarnation, it did have a search facility built in which I made a great deal of use of when composing my e-mails, but because other users didn’t like it, it was withdrawn! Doh! What should have been done in my opinion was leaving it in and giving users the choice of using it or not, in fact they did this at one point during the beta stage.
I would like to see it return.
technogran
November 14, 2008 at 7:40 am
Great Jamie!!!
Domenico
November 21, 2008 at 12:55 pm
This feature was demonstrated at CES this year and most people thought it was awesome. It starts rolling out to the broader hotmail base over the weeks ahead, and I agree I think it will be a big hit.
Marcus
January 13, 2009 at 11:52 pm
I’ll be all over this. Any plans to bring it back to the WL Mail client?
Greg
January 14, 2009 at 3:07 am
yes Greg I agree! I loved this feature when it was inside Windows Live Mail! I know that some didn’t but the option to disable it was introduced for those users who didn’t like it and that worked well. I was gutted when it was taken out! I only access my Hotmail via Windows Live Mail so I wouldn’t use get to use this feature.
technogran
January 14, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Now where did I see a video of this? It showed exactly what you’ve written about here. Must play with this further. Good blog. It’s great to see so many people writing about, and testing these things out.
Jen
January 14, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Oh, and Marcus is right about the pictures. I wish I could get mine to look like that. Is there a drawing feature within the Writer? No, don’t tell me. I must look for myself! Perhaps you can "import picture" or something. Hmmm…
Jen
January 15, 2009 at 12:00 am
Mmmmmm… Carluccio’s – Great post – The feature has a couple of quirks, but I have confidence they’ll find a solution for when they ocassionally pop up (TIP: If you don’t get your neighborhood, try adding your zip code or postal code to your query)
Braden
February 6, 2009 at 8:32 pm
I would like to know how to close the "Quick Add" pane.
Mike
February 11, 2009 at 7:32 pm
how do I get rid of the Quick add pane? please help!!!!
Rosie
February 18, 2009 at 12:41 am
I too LOATHE this new feature and desperately want to get rid of it. Help please.
Anna
February 18, 2009 at 10:24 pm
I have kept hotmail since its inception over all other emails for the simple fact it "had" a wide viewing / compose area and the main reason I suggested and referred it to all my friends who used other forms of email. This has ceased until we have the option to remove Quick add. There are other things (everything) in the new Live Email I wish removed or changed back to the last version but I fear this is not the place for other complaints.
tommy
February 19, 2009 at 6:54 pm
"Quick Add" is one of the most annoying useless waste of space options I have seen, ever. Can "Quick Add" pane be closed, removed, deleted, never to be seen again?
Profotog
February 22, 2009 at 1:05 am
I totally hate its wasted space too and also want to get rid of it.. HOW?!?
michael
February 22, 2009 at 1:41 pm
I just send feedback through help->About, but perhaps this is a better channel. I can’t believe that having a non-collapseable, non-customizable "Quick Add" area was added to hotmail. This is in direct contrast to the highly-customizable appls MS usually produces. The result is a terrible user experience, where a rarely used (and not very useful) feature accounts for 20% of the desktop space. This will drive customers away. Just read the feedback below.At least 95% of time, users just want to compose a simple text email in a clean environment.
Jason
February 27, 2009 at 8:29 am
Hotmail Quick Add is the most distracting and annoying feature ever…i hate it..please tell me how to get rid of it !!!!!
Peggy
February 28, 2009 at 7:41 pm
I’ve just spent a couple of hours trying how to find out about Quick Add. Or rather how to get rid of this unless feature. Or turn it off.There does not appear to be any way whatsoever to remove it. This is a complete waste of time & all users should have an option to turn it off. What fool decided to add this without any turnoff or removal option.All of "HELPS" are usless as they don’t explain how & why is stupid change was made.Please at least give us the option to close it down, or at least to be able to reduce it so that the body of the message is restored to its previous size.This decrease in functionality is a complete waste of time. Please immediately shoot the people responsible………..
John
March 5, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Like many that have posted comments here, I too do not like the Quick Add pane. I have read the comments below, but I still do not know how to get rid of this. Please post it again if you know how to remove this option. Thanks a bunch.
Tien
March 7, 2009 at 2:09 am
Qick Add = Crap = waste of screen space. put in option to have or not have it.
Al
March 11, 2009 at 6:29 pm
I cant stand quick add it cuts my e;mails in half ive just wasted hours trying to get rid of it aaargh! its driving me completely crazy and it takes up sop much goddam space NOOOOOOOOO!
Anne
March 12, 2009 at 8:55 pm
use hotmail on a eeepc laptop and you really start understanding how annoying this feature is even the right side advertising is annoying, eeepc have a 7 inch screen why don’t we have an option where to place all this crap, prefered it all on top of screen so at least there was sufficient room to compose or read emails, anyway i LOATHE this new feature even the right side advertising and desperately want to get rid of it
Edwin
March 20, 2009 at 1:35 pm
I hate this quick add feature on Hotmail. As stated it takes up too much room. Maybe with enoughcomplaints they’l remove it.
Jennifer J.
March 26, 2009 at 1:03 am
I’ve used Hotmail for years, but it’s just getting more buggy than ever, not to mention features I hate. Why do I have to have quick add when I’m typing an email? If I want to know where to eat, do you really think I’ll need to add that to my email? Then all these must close brouser messages and restart is driving me nuts. Give me a small easy to use, bloat free email I like. You’ve made a monster, not a program I enjoy using.
Bobbie
April 4, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Instead of searching the web in Quick Add, I’d like to be able to "Quick Add" photos and files from by SkyDrive. Is that possible?
James
April 7, 2009 at 3:00 pm
James,No, its not possible. I’ve been after the same for a long time now.-Jamie
Jamie
April 7, 2009 at 3:05 pm
I cannot believe the gall of you guys. I paid for a year of upgraded hotmail to get rid of this kind of crap on my mother’s account, and here you go and add a completely useless feature that takes up a third of her screen when she is composing messages. Microsoft will die a slow and painful death unless you guys hire some product designers who don’t have their heads up their asses. I will be switching her to gmail as soon as possible.
Marilyn
April 9, 2009 at 2:28 pm
Marilyn,Who is "you guys"? Do you mean me? Please don’t assume that I work for Microsoft.
Jamie
April 9, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Any way to remove the "Quick Add" feature?
Philip
April 29, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Hi guys, how do I remove the Quick Add featureso I can have a wider area of my email and/or pictures for viewing?Thanks friends2370@hotmail.com
A
May 1, 2009 at 6:44 pm
Hello, I also wish to remove this annoying feature from my computer, but see no way of doing so. Please add a removal feature. And for future new add ons, dont assume everyone likes ‘ new’. ‘If its not broke, why fix it’, as the saying goes.
Unknown
May 5, 2009 at 2:59 pm
I agree. Please add an option to delete feature to the quick add . I hate this feature.
Unknown
May 5, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Ditto from me!! Why do I HAVE to have this annoying feature? Shouldn’t I have the option of removing it from my e-mail if I want? I want more space to view my letters, so PLEASE add a quick and EASY way to remove this…a "push one button" option would be great!
Marilyn
May 12, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Yes this thing takes up to much space and I don’t use it, been trying to get rid of it, some one tell me how.
Terence
May 14, 2009 at 1:56 am
i cant find my quick add pane on my hotmail can someone show me how please, i need it , so important..thnx…- cakecastle1@hotmail.com
cakecastle
May 19, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Seems to me like they took it out and replaced it with an equally large ad. I’ve never had problems with my reading space, so I really don’t know what everyone is complaining about. Get a larger monitor if you’re complaining about losing that bit of space.Also, please make the pictures straight in future blogs… It really doesn’t look good and is just overly-distracting for trying to read through a review (essentially) and having to adjust your angle every paragraph and picture.
Sapphire
May 31, 2009 at 1:56 pm
We don’t need a larger monitor. Just remove the useless "features" like the quick add pane and we will have the equivalent of a larger monitor. An improvement would be an option to close or delete this quick add box.
Carol
June 11, 2009 at 8:10 pm
I was also looking for a way to get rid of quick ad. Can’t believe it has to be there.
RANDY
June 12, 2009 at 2:37 pm
the quick bar it doesnt shown,please help me
Besart
June 14, 2009 at 5:43 pm
it doesn’t show on my own. what should i do?
Shaunee'
July 20, 2009 at 12:11 am
I do not want Quick Add on my email page. It makes the writing pane too small to see my reply to an email on one screen. I have to scroll down. I think this feature should be optional!
Marie
August 7, 2009 at 3:01 pm
I want Quick Add off my email page, it is useless to me and takes up too much space!
Karen
August 14, 2009 at 9:35 pm
I too would like that ‘Quick Add’ bar off my page too.Anyone know what that ‘Mark as Read’ option is once you opened an email?Why can’t they have some basic staff like – Add Star- Save font & color settingsOften I have to click several times to open an email. It says something like ‘javascript;;’ on the status bar.I really dislike the way hotmail is detiorating. At the same time I don’t like gmail’s grouping format of emails. and Yahoo mail has so much spam.I am very certain that the hotmail developers themselves don’t use hotmail as thier primary email account.Over the last couple of years Hotmail is going to the dogs.
Rajan
August 27, 2009 at 8:13 pm
This quick add bar is just setting us up for flashing, spinning and every sort of future advertising. The reason MSN is not responding to its customers, is to keep the quick add bar running long enough for people to accept it as the norm. They have been trying for years to find a way to advertise on everyones E-mail page. This the way these slim balls work.
Leon
December 5, 2009 at 4:47 am
Leon,Are they slime balls because theywant to show you advertisements?
Jamie
December 5, 2009 at 10:27 am
Why does MS not want to respond to so many requests to install an option to remove QUICK ADD?
Frank
December 18, 2009 at 1:50 am
please help me, I have the windows live hotmail, but I can’t find the quick add in my mail…i don’t have it. plz, how can I get it in my mail??? answer to my email (exempellos-flickan@hotmail.com)as soon as possible.. I’m waiting.. Thank You~
R.
December 21, 2009 at 7:59 pm
how do you get rid of the obnoxious thing
Robin
January 15, 2010 at 5:00 pm
I hate quick add. Does anyone know how to get rid of it. It is taking up all my screen space that I want to use for messages.
Kathy
January 20, 2010 at 5:56 am
MS?? Please provide the option for those that want "Quick Add" to turn it on. And for those of us that DON’T work for you and feel the need to post how "wonderful it is", to be able to turn the blasted thing OFF. Thank you.
Dermot
January 25, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Dermot,Who are you referring to when you say ‘those of us that DON’T work for you and feel the need to post how "wonderful it is"’?-Jamie
Jamie
January 25, 2010 at 10:45 pm
TURN IT OOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ALLEN
January 30, 2010 at 11:19 am
TURN IT OOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ALLEN
February 5, 2010 at 9:06 pm
Quick Add,huh! That’s nice …. now how do I get rid of the damned thing?????
LOUIS
February 10, 2010 at 1:49 pm
Some people want the Quick Add feature and some of us don’t want it. In my case it makes my e-mail message areatoo small. Can’t understand why you haven’t made either group happy by doing nothing.
Cheryl
February 20, 2010 at 9:26 pm
JE SUIS TRES DECUE DE QUICK ADD,JE NE CONNAIT PAS ASSEZ LE FONCTIONNEMENT ET J’AI JOUE TROP AVEC.JE NE SUIS PLUS CAPABLE D’ALLER DANS MON CONTACT LIST. LORSQUE JE CLICK SUR TO OU BCC RIEN NE VIENT ET QUICK ADD RESTE TOUJOURS A DROITE AU LIEU D’ETRE A GAUCHE. POURRIEZ-VOUS M’AIDER S.V.P. JE SUIS TANNÉE DE CELA.
Caro
March 8, 2010 at 2:02 am
I too need that damned idiotic and obnoxious "Quick Add" thing gone. MAKE IT GO AWAY!!!!!!
sig
March 12, 2010 at 11:18 pm
please please please get rid of quick add…it takes too much room from the email mail text area!
Jack
March 22, 2010 at 6:23 pm
Quick Add is the most frustrating feature in Hot Mail. Not being able to remove it is so annoying. When I’m on my laptop the space for writing is extreemly small when the feature pops up. Do you know if there is a way of letting he Hotmail people know this? I’ve tried to remove it via selecting a different country but it did not work.
esther
March 24, 2010 at 7:55 am
I have not had to endure composing e-mails without being able to see the entire line at once since I was using an Atari XE. Why inflict a intrusive feature without a minimize, close, or disable button? At least allow me to drag it down so it runs left to right rather than top to bottom
Unknown
March 25, 2010 at 2:26 pm
I would rather get rid of it and have more space for composing my email. How do I get rid of it??Bill@PLaycribbage.com
Kathy & Bill
April 7, 2010 at 12:24 pm
Please provide an update so we can remove or turn off Hotmail Quick Add it takes up too much space and is annoying
Richard
April 8, 2010 at 10:54 pm
PLEASE GET RID OF IT. IT TAKES UP TOO MUCH ROOM AND I DON’T NEED IT.
Larry N Donna
April 16, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Please get rid of QUICK ADD. I can see no reason to provide a feature I hate. There is no option to hide ir delete the feature. I would have thought MS would have done more research on the proposed change before implementing this screwed up feature.
David
April 22, 2010 at 4:07 pm
ditto ditto ditto,,,..I don’t want it on…..it reduces space too much
Steven
April 22, 2010 at 6:06 pm
Very nice, but Quick Add takes up valuable screen space. How do I get rid of it?
Chris
May 5, 2010 at 2:30 pm
How do I turn it off?
Joe
May 9, 2010 at 1:58 pm
Come on Microsoft…look at the comments! When are you going to get rid of "Quick Add"?
Jack
May 21, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Quick Add is another Microsoft rib off…. All it does is take up screen space and I can’t turn it off. It would be nice to have the option to turn it on and off. But is like everything else Microsoft does, it want to control you life and computer
Larry
May 27, 2010 at 1:58 am
folks,Just to let you know, in the latest version of Hotmail (due imminently) the Quick Add bar is no longer on show all the time.-jamie
Jamie
June 1, 2010 at 6:40 am
I must say I agree with the fellow users. The," Add On" feature might be helpful if there existed the choice to use it or turn it off.
Jordan
June 2, 2010 at 4:07 am