Microsoft closing external Hotmail access by end of June 2008

Fastmail.fm ^ | 4/22/08 | papasmurf

[papasmurf]

Summary: Microsoft are disabling WebDAV access to all hotmail.com accounts. This means Hotmail Pop Links and Outlook Express access to hotmail.com accounts will stop working at the end of June 2008.

{snip}

...Microsoft have changed to using a new protocol. Rather than offering an open and standard protocol such as POP or IMAP, they’re using a new one they call DeltaSync for their live.com and new hotmail.com accounts. This protocol is not an open or standardised protocol. It’s a Microsoft proprietary one and only works with their Windows Live Mail, Vista Mail and Outlook Office Outlook Connector.

[Wyoming Cowboy]

They have fixed Outlook Express. It’s called Windows Live Mail now.

[a_chronic_whiner]

Gmail + Thunderbird = Microsoft Begone

And you don’t have to pay a dime for any services. Functionality is top notch, with the thunderbird tray add-on, you know instantly when you get new mail.

[ThePythonicCow]

lessons of English should be on the agenda

They're a couple of Aussie (Melbourne) programmers. If you're looking for Hollywood graphics, Ivy League English or Fifth Avenue marketing, then Fastmail.fm is probably the wrong place for you.

[Tanniker Smith]

This just in: Google will have a whole bunch more gmail accounts available ...

They're nuts.
I still use Outlook Express to track several mail accounts because it's quick and easy for me. Now, I could do things their way or I could get another mail acct and keep doing it my way. Hmmmmmmmm.

[ShadowAce]

[zeugma]

I find it difficult to believe that Microsoft still hasn't figured out that they can only act like assholes when their customers either have no other choice, or at least believe they don't.

While we're talking about email stuff, I'd like to put in a plug for the service I use; pobox.com. They are a mail forwarding service that I've been using for over 10 years. You give everyone your POBox address, and have pobox forward it to whatever your 'real' email address is. I've had many different ISPs over that time, and have kept the same email address, so noone has an excuse not to be able to get in contact with me. :-) 

Thing is, I couldn't tell you what my current actual email address is. When I change ISPs, I make the change in my email client (Thunderbird), and never think about it again.

[papasmurf]

I’m one of those wierdos that actually liked OE. I guess I just like pain. :) But, I went away from it when I went to Linux. I actually like Opera, too, just waiting to get the bugs out of it before I try it again. I take my email pretty seriously, so I don’t like to risk it too much.

[papasmurf]

“I find it difficult to believe that Microsoft still hasn’t figured out that they can only act like assholes when their customers either have no other choice, or at least believe they don’t.”

I don’t know where they think they’re going with these kinds of changes. All they’ve done in the last few years is push me farther away and, I suspect, many others, as well.

[rabscuttle385]

I use it with Thunderbird, the public domain email program.

Thunderbird is not actually public domain. It's freely available for use and distribution, without charge, under the terms of the Mozilla License. In other words, it's open-source and nominally "free" (as in speech, not beer).

[SeaHawkFan]

They have fixed Outlook Express. It’s called Windows Live Mail now.

I think Windows Live Mail is just fine.