MSN USA is a leading web portal and related collection of Internet services and apps for Windows and mobile devices, providing access to news, weather, sports, entertainment, money, and many other topics for millions of people each month in the United States. Here’s a look at what MSN offers Americans today.
A Brief History of MSN in the US
Microsoft first launched MSN USA as an online service provider in 1995 to compete with AOL and other emerging internet companies. It quickly grew to become one of the most popular online destinations for email, general web access, and later custom portals tailored to individual interests. Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, MSN was the main homepage and starting point for internet use on Windows PCs and helped introduce many Americans to the concepts of browsing the web.
While individual usage has declined some in recent years due to the increasing use of dedicated apps and services, MSN still powers the start experiences and core online functionalities for Windows and Bing. It also continues reaching millions every month through various properties and products.
News and Information Aggregation
One of MSN’s strongest offerings remains its ability to aggregate top news stories and other timely information from various sources for visitors. When you go to msn.com, you’re instantly presented with a stream of curated headlines across entertainment, technology, lifestyle, finance, and other categories.
All the headlines are prominently displayed with links to read full articles or watch videos so you can easily discover what’s happening around the world and in your local areas. MSN works with hundreds of news partners and uses AI to keep tabs on trending subjects and keep the homepage feeds up to date throughout the day.
Staying Informed with MSN News App
For an even more streamlined news experience, consider downloading the MSN News app. It offers a similar style interface that’s optimized for phones and tablets. Stories are aggregated based on your interests which you can customize within the app settings. Push notifications also allow the app to alert you when major breaking stories happen.
The MSN News app makes it effortless to browse headlines, videos, and full articles on the go without having to visit the full website. It’s a great companion if you want quick access to headlines throughout the day without any distractions from other areas of MSN.
Entertainment Options with Movies, TV and More
In addition to staying informed, MSN USA offers plenty of entertainment options through dedicated sections for movies, TV shows, music, and celebrity news. Within each category, you can find highlights of the latest films in theaters, the most popular shows on streaming platforms, top songs on the charts, and the biggest stories about your favorite stars.
If something catches your eye, MSN USA makes it seamless to purchase tickets, stream content, or learn additional details with just a single click. This helps simplify the process of finding new entertainment to enjoy without having to visit separate apps or websites. Ratings, reviews, and recommendations are also prominently featured to aid in decision-making.
For movie buffs, the movie portal goes beyond just highlights to provide comprehensive resources. You can browse showtimes at local theaters, and view profile pages for any film that includes trailers, casts, showtimes, and more. MSN aims to effectively become your one-stop shop for staying up to date on all the latest and top entertainment without leaving their website.
Reliable Email with Outlook, Hotmail, and MSN
Email remains a core service offered through MSN USA as they continue operating some of the most widely used webmail clients globally. This includes the iconic Hotmail, rebranded as Outlook.com which serves as the default personal email provider for many Windows users.
Setting up an Outlook.com email is straightforward and it offers generous storage capacities free of charge. The intuitive inbox interface makes managing emails easy across desktop and mobile. You can also attach files up to 25GB in size and take advantage of other productivity features like calendar sharing.
For those who prefer a slightly different look and feel, MSN also oversees the original @msn.com email addresses. This option provides a similar set of functionality compared to Outlook but with customized branding. Both Outlook and MSN email services aim to strike the right balance of being intuitive yet powerful.
Additional Valuable Apps and Tools
Rounding out what MSN USA offers Americans are some other helpful apps and services developed by Microsoft available right on the MSN homepage or through the Microsoft Store. This includes MSN Weather which gives vibrant forecasts, conditions, and radar maps for any city.
Its predictive capabilities make planning trips easier than other weather apps. Other handy utilities include MSN Money for tracking stocks and funds along with financial calculators, MSN Quiz that hosts thousands of trivia challenges, and MSN Games with a variety of casual puzzles and brainteasers.
These apps are generally supported by advertising but provide excellent functionality for their intended uses at no direct cost. They represent MSN’s ongoing commitment to creating value-adding tools across different categories on top of its flagship news and email products.
Bing Search powered by MSN
MSN USA is deeply connected to Microsoft’s Bing search engine, which is directly integrated into the MSN homepage search bar. Conducting searches through MSN will bring up Bing results, allowing users to easily find information on any topic from within the familiar MSN portal. Bing prioritizes relevant and reliable sources for natural language queries, ensuring MSN searches provide high-quality results.
Interactive Maps with MSN Explore
For visualizing locations and travel plans, MSN Explore offers highly detailed maps of places around the world. Users can search for any address, city, or point of interest to see it plotted on the map along with satellite imagery. Interactive layers are available for traffic, public transit routes, and more. Users can also save maps to view favorite spots offline. The attention to detail in MSN Explore makes it a handy companion for exploring new destinations directly from your web browser.
Photo Storage with OneDrive and MSN Photos
MSN USA offers integrated access to Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage service, which includes 5GB of free space for photos, documents, and other files. Uploading media to OneDrive keeps it securely backed up online and accessible across all your devices. MSN Photos then presents users’ OneDrive images in a visually appealing grid that can be shared or downloaded at full resolution with a single click. Both services work seamlessly together for simple photo organization and access through MSN.
Careers and Education Resources
Jobs and education continue to be large areas of focus for many Americans. MSN USA helps by regularly spotlighting top career opportunities, advice, and recruiting events. Qualified schools and academic programs are also promoted through dedicated sections. MSN works closely with recruitment partnerships, job boards, and institutions to ensure these resources stay well-stocked with up-to-date listings relevant to users’ locations and interests.
Shopping Made Easy with Deals and Stores
For online or in-store shopping, MSN USA rounds up the latest coupons, promos, and exclusive sales from major retailers on its digital deal page. Users can seamlessly click through to complete purchases and always get competitive prices guaranteed to be among the lowest available. Dedicated storefronts are maintained for top shopping categories to showcase must-have items in one centralized virtual mall.
Community Platform with MSN Forum
To bring people together, MSN USA operates an active community forum where users can participate in public discussions on various topics, post questions, and share opinions. Forums are moderated and organized into topic categories ranging from relationships to technology. Both casual conversations and serious debates take place daily, creating a sense of belonging among participating MSN members from around the United States.
In Conclusion
Through constant innovation spanning several decades, MSN USA has cemented itself as one of the most extensive online platforms in the United States. Whether you’re looking for up-to-date news, reliable email, endless entertainment, or useful apps, MSN strives to serve those needs and more for its many American users through both desktop and mobile experiences. Expect it to continue evolving to remain as Americans’ preferred cross-platform information gateway for many years ahead.
