Microsoft to bring Hotmail onto the desktop

Microsoft has started beta testing software that will take its Web e-mail onto the desktop.

This week, Microsoft served up the first test version of Windows Live Mail Desktop, a free Windows program that will let users manage multiple e-mail accounts. The software is designed to work with Windows Live Mail, the successor to Hotmail that is also in beta testing.

The move is a shift for the Hotmail business, which in the past, has charged users who wanted to read their mail using desktop software rather than a Web browser. Microsoft charged $20 and more for its paid service. It's part of the company's broader Windows Live effort and could eventually serve as a hub, not just for Windows Live Mail, but for other Microsoft Web-based services as well.

In addition to working with multiple Windows Live Mail or Hotmail accounts, the new desktop software can be used to manage POP3 or IMAP accounts, potentially even Google's Gmail, said Brooke Richardson, a lead product manager for the Windows Live Mail group.

The current test is limited to a small group of about 100 testers.

"They are going to kick the tires for us," Richardson said.

If all goes well, Microsoft plans to release it to several thousand testers in the coming weeks or months, with a final version before the end of the year. About 1 million people use the test version of Kahuna, the code name for the Web version of Windows Live Mail.

[anarchyreigns]

Fix the hole in I.E. you monkeys!!!!!!!!!

Fix the hole in I.E. first, you ******* monkeys.

[anarchyreigns]

Fix the hole in I.E. you monkeys!!!!!!!!!

Fix the hole in I.E. first, you ******* monkeys.

[maxwis]

Hotdang

Now I can use my security defficient Internet Explorer to access security defficient Hotmail over security defficient Windows Live. Life just keeps getting better and better.

[squished]

You've gotta be kidding me

First of all this is a desktop app so you don't have to use a browser. Secondly, name all the security holes you can fine in Hotmail in the last 5 years. I can't find a single one. Windows Live security holes? Hmmm haven't heard of any there either.

[maxwis]

Hotdang

Now I can use my security defficient Internet Explorer to access security defficient Hotmail over security defficient Windows Live. Life just keeps getting better and better.

[squished]

You've gotta be kidding me

First of all this is a desktop app so you don't have to use a browser. Secondly, name all the security holes you can fine in Hotmail in the last 5 years. I can't find a single one. Windows Live security holes? Hmmm haven't heard of any there either.

[zhaol]

it's a little bit late

i am afraid that it's a little bit late. there are a long list of email software and services with easy user interface and large volume. As to myself, i like to use Gmail. Local ISP Sina's free email is very good. why not another windows client that should be installed?.

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://hi2005.wordpress.com" target="_newWindow">http://hi2005.wordpress.com</a>

[Tanjore]

No option is late

It is an option that may be late for you. There are millions of user who would prefer or simply use this client purely because microsoft may make it easy to get this client. This client may be delivered as an update or option pack - who knows.

[zhaol]

it's a little bit late

i am afraid that it's a little bit late. there are a long list of email software and services with easy user interface and large volume. As to myself, i like to use Gmail. Local ISP Sina's free email is very good. why not another windows client that should be installed?.

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://hi2005.wordpress.com" target="_newWindow">http://hi2005.wordpress.com</a>

[Tanjore]

No option is late

It is an option that may be late for you. There are millions of user who would prefer or simply use this client purely because microsoft may make it easy to get this client. This client may be delivered as an update or option pack - who knows.

[groyal]

Is it just me ?

This sounds like Outlook Express warmed up. Am I missing
something here?. Is this really news?

[groyal]

Is it just me ?

This sounds like Outlook Express warmed up. Am I missing
something here?. Is this really news?

[fireball74]

SPAM

Just another way for me to check an email service that I get thousands of SPAMs in a day. Doesn't make much sense to me...

Anyway, I remember the good old days, back before M$ took over Hotmail. It was lean and not much SPAM. As a matter of fact, I never recieved SPAM until after M$ took over. Imagine that... Of course, I blame them for selling my Hotmail address to the SPAMers to begin with, then offering subpar filters with tons of limits. Yeah, they pretty much sucked the life right out of Hotmail.

[rcrusoe]

Yep Hotmail = Spam to me

I have one hotmail account that is used exclusively to correspond with Microsoft. I've never given the address to anyone else. That account started receiving spam the second week I had the account and seems to get more every day.

OTOH, I've had a Yahoo account for over 5 years that I use for newsletters, registering software, and other times when I don't want to use my primary address. But my Hotmail account receives more spam in a day, than my Yahoo account gets in a week.

I wonder who let my spammers get my hotmail address? ;)

[simrichard]

Hotmail does NOT sell email addresses

When MS bought HM, there were 9M total users. HM now has over 200M users. Spammers go after HM b/c its the biggest email service. Its also why spam is becoming a bigger problem for Yahoo!Mail and why Gmail's spam issues are not as noticeable... yet.

Spammers build algorithms that create combination of characters on domains and then send spam to these randomly generated email accounts. It costs them zero. I guarantee you if you go to an email provider that has a few thousands of email, your spam problems will be resolved... almost.

[squished]

Spam not a big problem for my Hotmail

I've had my hotmail address for over 7 years. Early on it received 40+ junk emails per day. Over the last 2 years it's come down to about 5/day which is not perfect but quite acceptable IMHO. And I still use that address as my primary for making purchases at websites and as my main public persona. I'm sure mileage may vary from person to person but I'm just saying it's not a bunch of spam for everyone.

[fireball74]

SPAM

Just another way for me to check an email service that I get thousands of SPAMs in a day. Doesn't make much sense to me...

Anyway, I remember the good old days, back before M$ took over Hotmail. It was lean and not much SPAM. As a matter of fact, I never recieved SPAM until after M$ took over. Imagine that... Of course, I blame them for selling my Hotmail address to the SPAMers to begin with, then offering subpar filters with tons of limits. Yeah, they pretty much sucked the life right out of Hotmail.

[rcrusoe]

Yep Hotmail = Spam to me

I have one hotmail account that is used exclusively to correspond with Microsoft. I've never given the address to anyone else. That account started receiving spam the second week I had the account and seems to get more every day.

OTOH, I've had a Yahoo account for over 5 years that I use for newsletters, registering software, and other times when I don't want to use my primary address. But my Hotmail account receives more spam in a day, than my Yahoo account gets in a week.

I wonder who let my spammers get my hotmail address? ;)

[simrichard]

Hotmail does NOT sell email addresses

When MS bought HM, there were 9M total users. HM now has over 200M users. Spammers go after HM b/c its the biggest email service. Its also why spam is becoming a bigger problem for Yahoo!Mail and why Gmail's spam issues are not as noticeable... yet.

Spammers build algorithms that create combination of characters on domains and then send spam to these randomly generated email accounts. It costs them zero. I guarantee you if you go to an email provider that has a few thousands of email, your spam problems will be resolved... almost.

[squished]

Spam not a big problem for my Hotmail

I've had my hotmail address for over 7 years. Early on it received 40+ junk emails per day. Over the last 2 years it's come down to about 5/day which is not perfect but quite acceptable IMHO. And I still use that address as my primary for making purchases at websites and as my main public persona. I'm sure mileage may vary from person to person but I'm just saying it's not a bunch of spam for everyone.

[cthilges]

IMAP

IMAP

[cthilges]

IMAP

IMAP

[djbade]

Outlook

It's funny for the longest time outlook did it and then they started charging for it... you don't need a new app just let me do it in outlook...

[djbade]

Outlook

It's funny for the longest time outlook did it and then they started charging for it... you don't need a new app just let me do it in outlook...

[Maccess]

Egads. Another "feature" to get rid off

That's all well and good if your users want or need to use hotmail.

That's just an additional "feature" that sysads are going to have to painstakingly remove for the desktops that shouldn't have access to hotmail because of policy or security considerations.

More time to be wasted disabling all of these "built-into the OS" features to create the stable, secure (sort-of), Windows desktop that most companies need.

[ebrandel]

This is the Outlook Express replacement

This is the Outlook Express replacement. Would it be better that MS just continue to ship that worthless piece of garbage, or should they actually try to improve it from time to time?

You could already grab your hotmail email with Outlook Express. If you block hotmail at the firewall/proxy it's not like any new software is going to make it work.

[Tanjore]

Looks like this is not just for Hotmail.

Looks like you should be able to access Yahoo mail and Gmail also with this client.

I think it would be cool if I am able to browse email from different providers at one place.

[Maccess]

Egads. Another "feature" to get rid off

That's all well and good if your users want or need to use hotmail.

That's just an additional "feature" that sysads are going to have to painstakingly remove for the desktops that shouldn't have access to hotmail because of policy or security considerations.

More time to be wasted disabling all of these "built-into the OS" features to create the stable, secure (sort-of), Windows desktop that most companies need.

[ebrandel]

This is the Outlook Express replacement

This is the Outlook Express replacement. Would it be better that MS just continue to ship that worthless piece of garbage, or should they actually try to improve it from time to time?

You could already grab your hotmail email with Outlook Express. If you block hotmail at the firewall/proxy it's not like any new software is going to make it work.

[Tanjore]

Looks like this is not just for Hotmail.

Looks like you should be able to access Yahoo mail and Gmail also with this client.

I think it would be cool if I am able to browse email from different providers at one place.

[Earl Benser]

Something of a 'Who Cares???'....

I don't use Hotmail.

I haven't seen anything in 'Windows Live' that is better than what I
already have.

Time will tell, but I'm not holding my breath........

[Earl Benser]

Something of a 'Who Cares???'....

I don't use Hotmail.

I haven't seen anything in 'Windows Live' that is better than what I
already have.

Time will tell, but I'm not holding my breath........

[bsong99]

Another Embroidery pillow, ms is good at it...

Ms is good at making fancy useless stuff, another example is "locate me" plug in in windows live local, and Windows Live Mail. Jokes!

[bsong99]

Another Embroidery pillow, ms is good at it...

Ms is good at making fancy useless stuff, another example is "locate me" plug in in windows live local, and Windows Live Mail. Jokes!