Microsoft Goes Cold On Hotmail

[webfact]

Microsoft goes cold on Hotmail

SAN FRANCISCO: -- Microsoft is pulling the plug on Hotmail, one of the early leaders in web-based email, and plans to transition the service's more than 350 million users to a new email service called Outlook.com, the software giant announced Tuesday.

The new service will, as its name suggests, tie in with the Microsoft email program of the same name that is part of the company’s popular Office suite of business software.

Microsoft touted the new system as the biggest change in web-based email since the introduction of Hotmail in 1996. Microsoft bought the company a year later for an estimated 400 million dollars.

According to a blog posting by product manager Chris Jones, Outlook.com combines contact information from emails and popular social networking services such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus.

Featuring a minimalist design, the new service boasts powerful tools for sorting emails, including automatic recognition of newsletters, social media updates and junk mail that, according to Jones, accounts for some 70 per cent of inbox content.

The service also automatically recognizes emails with photos, documents or shipping information attached and sends these to pre-selected folders.

While the free service is ad-supported, Microsoft said that unlike Google’s gmail service the ads will not be related to the content ofusers’ emails.

-- The Nation 2012-08-01

[woodyleonhard]

Outlook.com has a lot to recommend it, but tying into Office Outlook isn't in the cards. The most you can get from Office Outlook is a text (CSV) file of your contacts, which can be imported into Outlook.com. In all other respects, as best I can tell, there's no connection between them.

[nickcar]

Hope they at least have the equivalent of hotmail connector for outlook.

Nick duncan

[david555]

before they stopped outlook express in XP and switch hotmail to Windows live ... and now what goes happen with a switched Hotmail adress to Win. live mail .??

[Pib]

I logged on using my live.com User ID. The Outlook web interface looks pretty simple...maybe too simple....not many options...plenty of ads on the right side. I sent an email from Outlook.com to my Gmail address to see what email address showed up (like did it now have a @outlook.com in the address). Nope, it showed up as my live.com email address. Not quite sure what MS is doing here...doesn't seem like much of any change.

[david555]

On another article somwhere they stated that microsoft keep the Hotmail.com & Livemail adresses unchanged for using in their new outlook , so seems true

[rotary]

I wonder if Microsoft will keep going down like Kodak did over a long period of time until it's the end?

[Hamlet07]

before they stopped outlook express in XP and switch hotmail to Windows live ... and now what goes happen with a switched Hotmail adress to Win. live mail .??

normally a configuration fro your IP /Cobol/Pascal.....yada yada

[horsewell]

I never had a Hotmail address (for any length of time). I used Yahoo back in the day, before Gmail. Accessing Gmail by my mail client and redirecting Yahoo and Gmail where compelling features, before hotmail opened it up to non paying accounts. Google also offered a lot more space, even though I never use more than 5-10% of it.

Hotmail is like a throw back like myspace and it's good that Microsoft is leaving it behind. There is the possibility that it could be better as outlook.com, however, I'm a sceptic. If it's compelling enough I am always willing to change.

Like everything with Microsoft no matter what you hear and read you always have to wait and see.

[tombkk]

If I have such an outlook.com account, will it understand POP3 and IMAP4? IOW can I use a professional email client to check my mail? That would be an improvement over hotmail.com.

[schondie]

I wonder if Microsoft will keep going down like Kodak did over a long period of time until it's the end?

A very sensible statement as the upcoming Win 8 is looking like a dead duck already, a la Vista (IMHO better than Win ME but still a POS compared to XP or 7).

What the hell are you playing at Microsoft?

[KeyserSoze01]

If I have such an outlook.com account, will it understand POP3 and IMAP4? IOW can I use a professional email client to check my mail? That would be an improvement over hotmail.com.

Nothing has changed. It's the same service with a new URL and new skins on the old interface. You can use the classic Outlook application to connect to the service just as with hotmail.

[hml367]

Exchange ActiveSync.

My Outlook 2013, Live Mail, Windows Phone 7.5, Windows 7, Windows 8 are all working well with the new look of Hotmail/MSN/Outlook.

I use People, Mail, Calendar, and Tasks in all across 2 computers and my WindowsPhone and they are working well for me.

MSPain

[easyas]

I set up an Outlook.com account OK. I then tried to access it from Outllok 2007 as a POP server. Set everything up OK, sent test message from Outlook 2007, got message saying unable to log on to Outlook.com as either user name or password was invalid. Tried several times weith minor tweakings to Outlook 2007 account details - same result every time! Logged into Outlook.com directly using same user name and password to find all the test meassages Outlook 2007 sent in inbox. Puzzle that one out please people!

[tombkk]

If I have such an outlook.com account, will it understand POP3 and IMAP4? IOW can I use a professional email client to check my mail? That would be an improvement over hotmail.com.

Nothing has changed. It's the same service with a new URL and new skins on the old interface. You can use the classic Outlook application to connect to the service just as with hotmail.

Too bad. I don't use Outlook, I use POP clients. Hotmail cannot be POPed, AFAIK.

[bendejo]

Looks to me that MS plans to turn the old Outlook software into a what google cloud stuff is supposed to be.

[hml367]

If I have such an outlook.com account, will it understand POP3 and IMAP4? IOW can I use a professional email client to check my mail? That would be an improvement over hotmail.com.

Nothing has changed. It's the same service with a new URL and new skins on the old interface. You can use the classic Outlook application to connect to the service just as with hotmail.

Too bad. I don't use Outlook, I use POP clients. Hotmail cannot be POPed, AFAIK.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/hotmail/send-receive-email-from-mail-client

MSPain

[tombkk]

If I have such an outlook.com account, will it understand POP3 and IMAP4? IOW can I use a professional email client to check my mail? That would be an improvement over hotmail.com.

Nothing has changed. It's the same service with a new URL and new skins on the old interface. You can use the classic Outlook application to connect to the service just as with hotmail.

Too bad. I don't use Outlook, I use POP clients. Hotmail cannot be POPed, AFAIK.

http://windows.micro...rom-mail-client

MSPain

Thanks. I have also been directed this this website which says basically the same but is under the outlook.com help.

[Pib]

If I have such an outlook.com account, will it understand POP3 and IMAP4? IOW can I use a professional email client to check my mail? That would be an improvement over hotmail.com.

Nothing has changed. It's the same service with a new URL and new skins on the old interface. You can use the classic Outlook application to connect to the service just as with hotmail.

Too bad. I don't use Outlook, I use POP clients. Hotmail cannot be POPed, AFAIK.

http://windows.micro...rom-mail-client

MSPain

Thanks for above link...I just setup a POP link between my Outlook client on my computer and my Microsoft @live.com email address...piece of cake. I might actually use my Microsoft @live.com email address more now since I can now send/receive via my Outlook client..but my Gmail addresses will definitely remain my primary email addresses which is also POP linked to my Outlook client.

[Pib]

And I also just setup a Microsoft @live.com account in my Android-based phone. I setup the Account in the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync of the phone Accounts and Sync Settings area by using the general guidance in this Link.

For the Domain/User Name I used my "User [email protected]" address, then entered my Password, then entered "m.hotmail.com" for the server. I guess the "m" stands for mobile. I also tried servers "m.outlook.com" and "m.live.com" but they wouldn't work.

I then sent test emails using my phone back and forth between my Microsoft @live.com email address and my Google @gmail.com Gmail address with no problems. The emails showed up almost immediately on my phone...read and deleted them no problem.

Yeap, loving my Android-based phone more everyday.

[happysanook]

If I have such an outlook.com account, will it understand POP3 and IMAP4? IOW can I use a professional email client to check my mail? That would be an improvement over hotmail.com.

Nothing has changed. It's the same service with a new URL and new skins on the old interface. You can use the classic Outlook application to connect to the service just as with hotmail.

Too bad. I don't use Outlook, I use POP clients. Hotmail cannot be POPed, AFAIK.

i'm pop3'n my hotmail into gmail no problems...

[petedk]

I can see that the login page has changed but the actual content hasn't been changed.

Oh I had a 20 digit password on Hotmail but now they tell me that maximum length is 16 digits.

Actually I never use Hotmail except for registration on dubious websites.

[h90]

I wonder if Microsoft will keep going down like Kodak did over a long period of time until it's the end?

A very sensible statement as the upcoming Win 8 is looking like a dead duck already, a la Vista (IMHO better than Win ME but still a POS compared to XP or 7).

What the hell are you playing at Microsoft?

But in most countries new computers "must" be sold with a Windows. So they have a steady income unless something important happens (like computer will be sold with a real Linux that works).

[hml367]

I wonder if Microsoft will keep going down like Kodak did over a long period of time until it's the end?

A very sensible statement as the upcoming Win 8 is looking like a dead duck already, a la Vista (IMHO better than Win ME but still a POS compared to XP or 7).

What the hell are you playing at Microsoft?

But in most countries new computers "must" be sold with a Windows. So they have a steady income unless something important happens (like computer will be sold with a real Linux that works).

????

[happysanook]

I logged on using my live.com User ID. The Outlook web interface looks pretty simple...maybe too simple....not many options...plenty of ads on the right side. I sent an email from Outlook.com to my Gmail address to see what email address showed up (like did it now have a @outlook.com in the address). Nope, it showed up as my live.com email address. Not quite sure what MS is doing here...doesn't seem like much of any change.

they're not just going to change your email address on you. your email addy will likely always be @live.com unless you specifically register for an outlook email address.

also, they are just rolling this out...

to me it looks like a very simple copy of gmail. i guess "emulate success" is as good a plan as any.

[hml367]

I logged on using my live.com User ID. The Outlook web interface looks pretty simple...maybe too simple....not many options...plenty of ads on the right side. I sent an email from Outlook.com to my Gmail address to see what email address showed up (like did it now have a @outlook.com in the address). Nope, it showed up as my live.com email address. Not quite sure what MS is doing here...doesn't seem like much of any change.

they're not just going to change your email address on you. your email addy will likely always be @live.com unless you specifically register for an outlook email address.

also, they are just rolling this out...

to me it looks like a very simple copy of gmail. i guess "emulate success" is as good a plan as any.

I don't see the similarity.

MSPain

[happysanook]

I logged on using my live.com User ID. The Outlook web interface looks pretty simple...maybe too simple....not many options...plenty of ads on the right side. I sent an email from Outlook.com to my Gmail address to see what email address showed up (like did it now have a @outlook.com in the address). Nope, it showed up as my live.com email address. Not quite sure what MS is doing here...doesn't seem like much of any change.

they're not just going to change your email address on you. your email addy will likely always be @live.com unless you specifically register for an outlook email address.

also, they are just rolling this out...

to me it looks like a very simple copy of gmail. i guess "emulate success" is as good a plan as any.

I don't see the similarity.

MSPain

excepting the ads on the side in outlook.com, they are laid out exactly the same...right down to the little gear icon for settings and thumbnail avatar.

[hml367]

I logged on using my live.com User ID. The Outlook web interface looks pretty simple...maybe too simple....not many options...plenty of ads on the right side. I sent an email from Outlook.com to my Gmail address to see what email address showed up (like did it now have a @outlook.com in the address). Nope, it showed up as my live.com email address. Not quite sure what MS is doing here...doesn't seem like much of any change.

they're not just going to change your email address on you. your email addy will likely always be @live.com unless you specifically register for an outlook email address.

also, they are just rolling this out...

to me it looks like a very simple copy of gmail. i guess "emulate success" is as good a plan as any.

I don't see the similarity.

MSPain

excepting the ads on the side in outlook.com, they are laid out exactly the same...right down to the little gear icon for settings and thumbnail avatar.

If you are talking about each of them having frames/panes, I think most email on the internet is like that.

Neither my Hotmail/Outlook or Gmail has adds. Maybe it is settings.

I am not looking for a debate. I just didn't see it the same way I interpreted your post.

MSPain

[happysanook]

If you are talking about each of them having frames/panes, I think most email on the internet is like that.

Neither my Hotmail/Outlook or Gmail has adds. Maybe it is settings.

I am not looking for a debate. I just didn't see it the same way I interpreted your post.

MSPain

not just frames... the way the frames are laid out... along with the same gear icon and thumbnail in the same place. it is laid out exactly the same as gmail. the only dissimilarity is the ads are on the right hand side. it's strange you don't have ads. generally gmail has ads unless you did something specific to block them.

[hml367]

If you are talking about each of them having frames/panes, I think most email on the internet is like that.

Neither my Hotmail/Outlook or Gmail has adds. Maybe it is settings.

I am not looking for a debate. I just didn't see it the same way I interpreted your post.

MSPain

not just frames... the way the frames are laid out... along with the same gear icon and thumbnail in the same place. it is laid out exactly the same as gmail. the only dissimilarity is the ads are on the right hand side. it's strange you don't have ads. generally gmail has ads unless you did something specific to block them.

I went back to look again. My Hotmail account without ads is a paid account. Indeed on my free MSN account there are ads.

On my Gmail account, the ads show when I open an email. I had just looked at the Inbox before.

Either way, I like the new Outlook.com because it looks very similar to Outlook 2013, and it works with my WindowsPhone well.

MSPain