Good-bye Hotmail, Hello GMail

[Ed Hansberry]

I have had my Hotmail account for years, going back at least to 1999 and possibly as early as 1998. I started using it a bit more than just as my Passport/Instant Messenger account when Outlook XP was released and it supported Hotmail accounts. I have never cared for the Hotmail web interface. Too slow and it used to insist on putting any link you click on in a frame. This summer I got a GMail invite and figured what the heck. You can never have too many email accounts, right? :wink:

GMail gave me a gig of storage, which should last me a few decades for normal text emails versus Hotmail's 2MB, but Hotmail allowed access from Outlook, so it was an even trade. Hotmail 1, GMail 1.

Last week, GMail began offering SSL POP3 access and they turned it on for my account a few days ago. It works quite nicely. The only issue is emails in your "Sent" folder on the GMail service appear in your Inbox when you download via POP3. The service is still in beta but even if they don't change that "feature" I can live with it. Hotmail 1, GMail 2.

Recently, ;878462"]Microsoft began turning off Outlook/Outlook Express access to new Hotmail accounts and are starting to do so for existing accounts. It appears mine got turned off yesterday. Hotmail 0, GMail 2. GMail's SSL POP3 access also works on Windows Mobile 2003 and higher inboxes, which is a bonus. Make that Hotmail 0, GMail 3. :mrgreen:



If GMail were to start charging $20 per year, the price Hotmail wants for premium access, I'd do it in a heartbeat. The POP3 access is great and their web interface is the best web mail UI I've ever seen. I wouldn't pay $20 for lifetime access to Hotmail's service that is only available on desktops with Microsoft only software and their busy web interface.

[Ed Hansberry]

I have had my Hotmail account for years, going back at least to 1999 and possibly as early as 1998. I started using it a bit more than just as my Passport/Instant Messenger account when Outlook XP was released and it supported Hotmail accounts. I have never cared for the Hotmail web interface. Too slow and it used to insist on putting any link you click on in a frame. This summer I got a GMail invite and figured what the heck. You can never have too many email accounts, right? :wink:

GMail gave me a gig of storage, which should last me a few decades for normal text emails versus Hotmail's 2MB, but Hotmail allowed access from Outlook, so it was an even trade. Hotmail 1, GMail 1.

Last week, GMail began offering SSL POP3 access and they turned it on for my account a few days ago. It works quite nicely. The only issue is emails in your "Sent" folder on the GMail service appear in your Inbox when you download via POP3. The service is still in beta but even if they don't change that "feature" I can live with it. Hotmail 1, GMail 2.

Recently, ;878462"]Microsoft began turning off Outlook/Outlook Express access to new Hotmail accounts and are starting to do so for existing accounts. It appears mine got turned off yesterday. Hotmail 0, GMail 2. GMail's SSL POP3 access also works on Windows Mobile 2003 and higher inboxes, which is a bonus. Make that Hotmail 0, GMail 3. :mrgreen:



If GMail were to start charging $20 per year, the price Hotmail wants for premium access, I'd do it in a heartbeat. The POP3 access is great and their web interface is the best web mail UI I've ever seen. I wouldn't pay $20 for lifetime access to Hotmail's service that is only available on desktops with Microsoft only software and their busy web interface.

[Deus]

I should have grabbed an invite when they were available :\

[Jacob]

I agree - this is just irritating.

They just shut down POP access to one of my hotmail accounts - the one I've had since around 1995 - before hotmail was bought by Microsoft.

I'm starting the process of moving away from it completely. It's a shame since it was a very convenient email address to give out.

[doc]

I sent an invite to waynem at your domain

Have you figured out how to get the labels to persist to folders on PPC Messaging? I have many lists I subscribe to with my GMail account. Unfortunately with PPC they ALL come to my Inbox.

[Jonathan1]

Actually MS upped their free mailboxes to 250MB.

Since Hotmail's filters suck and custom filters are limited for free accounts I figure 250MB would last me all of 20 days before its filled with spam. So at this point hotmail is my placeholder for registering at sites or signing up for whatever.

[24va]

how do you get an invite?

[doc]

I'm sure there are many people here that have gmail invites. From past experience though the whole "gmail invite" thing may be best left to a dedicated thread.

[keirmeister]

So that may be why I couldn't get my Hotmail from Outlook 2003 lastnight....

If this is true, then I may definitely take my friend up on his Gmail offer (I said "no thanks" 'cause I felt 1GB was overkill for a beta that I wasn't sure would fulfill my needs). If I can't access Hotmail form Outlook, then woe to the republic! I may have to change my default email address after all.

Cheers,

Keirmeister

[Sven]

I have a slightly different viewpoint. I use my Hotmail address for many things, a small part of which is e-mail. I do find the web interface klunky as well and appreciate the ability to manage the mail from Outlook. Now they want to charge me $20 to do that. Oh well, not a big deal to me.

Would be really nice if they extended that capability to the PPC Inbox as well as on Outlook/OE. Yes I know that MSN Mobile provides that and it currently is free, but I hope that they don't plan to hit you for $20 for Hotmail Plus and $25 for MSN Mobile as well.

Anyone using HTTPMail? Has their new system affected that?

[Deslock]

Got a gmail account almost 6 months ago. After using it for 5 minutes, I knew I was done with hotmail (which I'd been using since they started in 1996). The 1GB of space is nice, but what really separates gmail from the rest is its superb interface. What they've done with Javascript is truly inpressive.

I've been getting emails from Hotmail reminding me to sign in every 30 days to keep my accounts active (I only know this because it still works in OE for me). And I just got notified today that my storage limit's being raised to 250MB.

Too little, too late Microsoft.

If anyone wants a gmail invite, PM me (first come, first serve). I have more than I know what to do with. Edit: Invites are all gone.