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:

http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/hotmail-no-forwarding.png

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]

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]

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]

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:
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]

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]

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.

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)

[Dyvim]

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)
Well, one day when I was logging in to my hotmail account to check my mail, a window popped up asking me if I would like to upgrade my hotmail account free to a Windows Live hotmail account. I clicked the "Yes" button.

So maybe Jason could try logging in to the friend's hotmail account to see if he is offered a similar option.

[mrozema]

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)
Well, one day when I was logging in to my hotmail account to check my mail, a window popped up asking me if I would like to upgrade my hotmail account free to a Windows Live hotmail account. I clicked the "Yes" button.

So maybe Jason could try logging in to the friend's hotmail account to see if he is offered a similar option.
Perhaps I should've been more specific. Upgrading to Live Hotmail was not what I was looking for. I want to know how you set things up to get Hotmail to forward your e-mails to Gmail.

[Dyvim]

Perhaps I should've been more specific. Upgrading to Live Hotmail was not what I was looking for. I want to know how you set things up to get Hotmail to forward your e-mails to Gmail.
edit: Did some research and apparently forwarding anywhere is only available for paid hotmail accounts. I'd forgotten that I paid to have pop access and to get rid of the ads. Free accounts do indeed have the limitation that Jason described.

Hotmail is in fact singularly unimpressive.

I'd get rid of it except that it integrates so well with Windows Messenger and lets me know immediately when new messages arrive. It also gives me push email on my WM 6 device. Other than those 2 things it stinks. It regularly rejects e-mails from my father's embarqmail e-mail account, so I have to have him write to another email address.

[mrozema]

Well, I made sure my account is for Windows Live Hotmail and tried to forward mail to my Gmail account. No success, unfortunately. Back to square one, I guess. :cry:

[Jason Dunn]

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

Well, not really - I registered a brand new Windows Live Hotmail account myself, and I can't forward to an email address either! Maybe it's something that was enabled for some accounts for a time, but newer accounts don't have that ability? Either way, it's insane! :roll:

[Jason Dunn]

Did some research and apparently forwarding anywhere is only available for paid hotmail accounts. I'd forgotten that I paid to have pop access and to get rid of the ads. Free accounts do indeed have the limitation that Jason described.

Aha. Thanks for confirming that...now it all makes sense. Except for the part where Microsoft thinks being able to forward email is something that someone should PAY for. :roll:

[Dyvim]

...now it all makes sense. Except for the part where Microsoft thinks being able to forward email is something that someone should PAY for. :roll:

Unfortunately, Yahoo thinks the same thing. :roll:

GMail at least does not.

[Jason Dunn]

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

I set it up, but their free services SUCKS. It only checks for new mail every 60 minutes, will not import old messages older than 14 days, and their email account settings don't work for pulling via Gmail. But it works at the most basic level...

[mrozema]

That is teh ghey. 8O

[gibb193a]

Aha. Thanks for confirming that...now it all makes sense. Except for the part where Microsoft thinks being able to forward email is something that someone should PAY for. :roll:

This is confusing.

For what it's worth, I can tell you that I have the free Live HotMail account but am able to forward to a Gmail address...

[darkbreed]

First, you should try to access your hotmail account from outlook express (oe) because older free accouts are grandfathered in to still work with OE.

If that doesn't work you can download Windows Live Mail Beta, http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview It is the replacement for OE. After you get your messages into it i'm sure you can import them into Gmail or anywhere else you like.

I would do this sooner than later because who knows when MS will block access to Hotmail/livemail. I'm sure it will be blocked when the beta ends.

Hope this helps.