Hotmail: Stuck in the '90s?

[Jason Dunn]

A married couple, friends of mine, are having relationship troubles. You know the old story: she's on Hotmail, he's on Gmail, and they can't see or share their respective calendars. A problem as old as time. ;-)

I figured the solution was simple: move her away from Hotmail, to Gmail, and they'd live happily ever after sharing their Gmail calendars. Why Gmail? I think Google's Web-based email and calendar system is superior to Hotmail, though I confess I'm not as familiar with Microsoft's offerings as I used to be (I don't do Web-based email). I created a Gmail account for her, logged into her Hotmail account, and tried to set up a simple forward that would shunt all her Hotmail email into her new Gmail account until everyone started to use her new Gmail address. I didn't count on huge road-block that seems right out of 1998:



WHAT? Hotmail's email forwarding will only forward to other Microsoft email accounts? What's the point then? That's something I'd expect from the 1998 "We want to rule the world" Microsoft, not the newer "We want to work with the world, as long as we can make money doing it" Microsoft. Having a limitation like this is just a slap in the face to a Hotmail customer - sure, she's trying to leave Hotmail, but there's no reason to make the exit an ugly one. If Microsoft offered a real forwarding option, it would leave the door open to coming back. I haven't thought very highly of Hotmail over the years (mostly because people using the service never seem to get my email), but this really drops the service down a few notches in my eyes.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I find it incredibly hard to believe that what I want to do is really this hard. I've done a bit of research and found a few desktop-PC programs that act as email re-directors, but that's not a good solution. Possibly something Web-based? I thought Hotmail would have an option to function as a POP3 account, so I could use Gmail to pull her email in, but they don't offer that either. It's no wonder Gmail is so popular, Hotmail is really unimpressive. :?

[Jason Dunn]

A married couple, friends of mine, are having relationship troubles. You know the old story: she's on Hotmail, he's on Gmail, and they can't see or share their respective calendars. A problem as old as time. ;-)

I figured the solution was simple: move her away from Hotmail, to Gmail, and they'd live happily ever after sharing their Gmail calendars. Why Gmail? I think Google's Web-based email and calendar system is superior to Hotmail, though I confess I'm not as familiar with Microsoft's offerings as I used to be (I don't do Web-based email). I created a Gmail account for her, logged into her Hotmail account, and tried to set up a simple forward that would shunt all her Hotmail email into her new Gmail account until everyone started to use her new Gmail address. I didn't count on huge road-block that seems right out of 1998:



WHAT? Hotmail's email forwarding will only forward to other Microsoft email accounts? What's the point then? That's something I'd expect from the 1998 "We want to rule the world" Microsoft, not the newer "We want to work with the world, as long as we can make money doing it" Microsoft. Having a limitation like this is just a slap in the face to a Hotmail customer - sure, she's trying to leave Hotmail, but there's no reason to make the exit an ugly one. If Microsoft offered a real forwarding option, it would leave the door open to coming back. I haven't thought very highly of Hotmail over the years (mostly because people using the service never seem to get my email), but this really drops the service down a few notches in my eyes.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I find it incredibly hard to believe that what I want to do is really this hard. I've done a bit of research and found a few desktop-PC programs that act as email re-directors, but that's not a good solution. Possibly something Web-based? I thought Hotmail would have an option to function as a POP3 account, so I could use Gmail to pull her email in, but they don't offer that either. It's no wonder Gmail is so popular, Hotmail is really unimpressive. :?

[Chris Gohlke]

http://v3.izymail.com/gmailconfig.aspx

[sneech]

I don't get the allure of gmail.

I set up a joint email account with gmail for my wife and I but really fail to see why everyone raves about it.

I've used hotmail for personal email for years and will probably continue to do so. At least until gmail comes up with folders to organize incoming emails . In my opinion the labels don't cut it.

Sorry for the off topic rant.

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by Chris Gohlke

http://v3.izymail.com/gmailconfig.aspx

Thanks I saw that but I'm really leery of trusting third parties with email login information...if at all possible, I'd like to do it without sharing that kind of information. That might not be possible mind you... :roll:

[dgage]

Do you have a custom domain you can use to temporarily give her an email address? Hotmail seems to give an option to forward to a custom domain. Then you could setup a forward in the temporary custom email to forward to Google.

David

[Jason Dunn]

Originally Posted by dgage

Do you have a custom domain you can use to temporarily give her an email address? Hotmail seems to give an option to forward to a custom domain.

I thought that as well, but when I tried putting in an @jasondunn.com domain, it rejected it - when they say "custom domain" they really mean the Windows Live domain email service. :evil:

[mrozema]

Originally Posted by Jason Dunn

Thanks I saw that but I'm really leery of trusting third parties with email login information...if at all possible, I'd like to do it without sharing that kind of information. That might not be possible mind you... :roll:

It will get the job done quick! And I'm sure they need a solution ASAP.

[Dyvim]

I'm able to forward my hotmail to a yahoo email address. I got a free upgrade to a Windows Live account (not sure how that really differs from a regular hotmail account- my email address is still @hotmail.com)- not sure if that makes any difference.

[gibb193a]

Originally Posted by Dyvim

I'm able to forward my hotmail to a yahoo email address.

Seems it's "classic" HotMail. I too have Windows Live HotMail and was able to forward to a Gmail address.

As a side note, I go back and forth between the two and use a forwarding service (www.spamex.com) that also helps me knock out spam. I don't work for spamex but want to give them a shout-out since they've done good by me for several years now.

[mrozema]

Originally Posted by gibb193a

Seems it's "classic" HotMail. I too have Windows Live HotMail and was able to forward to a Gmail address.

Thanks guys, that's good for you.
Can I get you to go ahead and get to the part where you describe in detail how you set that up? Thaaaanks. 8)