Outlook 2011 uses Webkit to render HTML

A little tidbit from the Microsoft gathering this evening.  While demonstrating Outlook for Mac and the HTML rendering engine, Microsoft employees revealed that instead of using the Word HTML rendering that previous versions of Mac Office used (and the PC version as well), Microsoft has moved over to Apple’s Webkit rendering engine to render HTML mails.  Outlook 2011 also uses WebKit to create HTML mail.

For those of you who didn’t like Entourage’s HTML mail, Outlook’s WebKit mail, you are in for a pleasant surprise.

Why is this a big deal?  This is the first time that Microsoft has used Apple’s Open Source Webkit framework in their products.  It will be interesting to see if Webkit spreads to other areas.

Office 2011 ships tomorrow and starts at $110 for a 2 license student edition.