Microsoft formally released its new Web-based email service,Windows Live Hotmail, and while it improves over previous Microsoft Web-based mail, it’s still not as good as Gmail.
Windows Live Hotmail is certainly prettier than Gmail. It looks more like a PC-based mail client than a Web-based service. Gmail, by contrast, is about as plain as it gets.
But when you get past the nice-looking interface, Windows Live Hotmail is far inferior to Gmail. Gmail, for example, can be turned into a kind of universal email center. It can check your POP 3-based email accounts, and you can read that POP 3 email right inside Gmail.
Windows Live Hotmail can’t do that.
You can also turn Gmail into a POP 3 account, so that you can use it with any email client, just like any other POP 3 account.
Again, Windows Live Hotmail can’t do that. There’s going to be some kind of connector to integrate it with Outlook. And a new client will replace Outlook Express and the Windows Vista Mail client that will integrate with Windows Live Hotmail. But if you have any other email client, you’re out of luck.
Both Windows Live Hotmail and Gmail are free, so I’ll continue to use both. But if Microsoft wants to beat out Google for the best Web-based mail service, it’s still got a way to go.
We do actually offer POP Aggregation but it's limited to premium users for now.
http://mailcall.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!CC9301187A51FE33!39706.entry
Just out of curiosity, what email client are you wishing you could use (other than Outlook or Windows Live Mail)?
POP is a pretty useless protocol IMHO. Your messages don't roam and neither does unread state.
I agree wholeheartedly with this article. Because I have been a Hotmail user since 1995, I do have the ability to retrieve my e-mail from Outlook, however, usually it's an added service that costs a fee (which is quite ridiculous given I can check my Gmail for free using outlook or any other client).
As far as another commentor's statement that POP3 is a useless protocol, I couldn't disagree more. POP is very standard. With well-written clients like Outlook (ok, one could argue whether Outlook is well written, but I like it when I'm on a Windows OS), you can tell the client to leave your mail on the server, thereby allowing you to later retrieve that e-mail via a web interface later. I personally hate the IMAP4 protocol because when you delete a message, it isn't really deleted, but is left in your Inbox struck-through until you manually Purge it. Seems like extra work.
G-mail is nice. I can also use GSpace and upload files to it. My storage is ever increasing, starting at 2GB and is now at close to 2.9GB. What would I need that kind of e-mail storage for, I don't know. But being able to use GSpace as a portable Internet hard drive is nice when something just won't fit on my memory stick.
Not to mention a built-in (though somewhat feature-lacking) chat interface with no client to install, what more could I want? Why junk up my computer with MSN, AOL, Yahoo!, etc. (or even Trillian, which costs money if you want a decent client and you have to keep upgrading when one of the former three try to block Trillian's access to their network.)
But perhaps the single most reason that Gmail is better than Windows Live Mail (formerly Hotmail), is Gmail's spam filter. It is infinitely better at filtering spam than Hotmail has ever been. I have 6888 messages in my Hotmail inbox with about 3000 of those messages being spam. And thier "Mark as Junk" mail feature just plain doesn't seem to work. If I spent all my time telling Hotmail which domains from which to block mail, I'd never do anything all day along except manage my e-mail. With Gmail, no problem. Just check the Spam folder once a week or even once a month, take a quick look around and click "Delete All Spam". I have only ever found one message marked as spam that was an actual message that I wanted. Now that's pretty good.
If they implemented an evolution connector for free then I'd use it. For people who have been using evolution (or outlook etc) and have all their mail organized nicely and tasks syncing with their smartphones the thought of going to a mere web (and now desktop) based interface which doesn't even support mult-level folders or tasks whatsoever is crazy.
In my opinion: If the implement POP access it matches Gmail. If they give me a free evolution connector (or whatever client you like using) it beats Gmail. But right now I'll stick to my domain's POP account and Evolution under Linux (in spite).
Forgot to mention,
If you use any of these free services, part of the deal is Gmail or Microsoft OWN your email, not you. Don't go sending any soon to be patented IP/ideas or product designs, or anything at all that you want to be copyrighted because by sending it to or from one of those free services you've just given it away for free without a legal leg to stand on. They can legally patent any IP you send, even if you patent it but you sent it with one of those services before the patent or trademark was in effect they can challenge your patent.
my name is fergus, i believe that the prime minister will take care of the water crisis. hopefully this will not impact aquariams or other rectangular object holding water and fish.
fergus out
my name is fergus, i believe that the prime minister will take care of the water crisis. hopefully this will not impact aquariams or other rectangular object holding water and fish.
fergus out
As i am an occasional user, I have been caught in the web of this new "live" thing..please let me know how to go back to my old hotmail...can't find my way out...thanking you in advance,
your older pal. Cheers, Ingrid
As i am an occasional user, I have been caught in the web of this new "live" thing..please let me know how to go back to my old hotmail...can't find my way out...thanking you in advance,
your older pal. Cheers, Ingrid
I would like to return to my old hotmail, thnakyou
I would like to return to my old hotmail, thankyou
being able to delete my email with the del key of my keyboard.. yes please.
and yes, windows live hotmail can read pop3 accounts, also, why do I want to check my hotmail in a pop3 program when the web interface itself is basicaly a pop3 program? the option would be nice but I can live with it. I have officialy switched from gmail back to hotmail. this is great
how do u get on it
Another Microsoft disaster
Another Microsoft disaster
Does anyone know how to get back to the old Web 1.0 version of Hotmail??? Please let there be a way!
it's bad bad bad no good
I do not like the new stuff! How do I get back my old Hot mail account?
i am not satisfied with live hotmail and i want to use just hotmail thanks can you switch me back to it
why is it whenever i try to send an email to someone with a hotmail account in mexico i get a failure notice? please help!
from this link i can read my hotmail inbox if hotmail is blocked