The Bottom Line
Windows Live Hotmail is a free email service that gives you unlimited storage, fast search, solid security, POP access and an interface easy as a desktop email program.
When it comes to organizing mail, Windows Live Hotmail includes many a helpful shortcut and automation. It's a pity IMAP access to all online folders is missing.
When it comes to organizing mail, Windows Live Hotmail includes many a helpful shortcut and automation. It's a pity IMAP access to all online folders is missing.
Pros
- Windows Live Hotmail is a simple and easy to use free email service akin to desktop email
- You can send from other email addresses using Windows Live Hotmail and access your account via POP
- Windows Live Hotmail helps you find and organize mail swiftly and lets you send files up to 10 GB per email
Cons
- Windows Live Hotmail does not offer IMAP access
- You cannot save searches as folders in Windows Live Hotmail
- Windows Live Hotmail has lost emails at least once in the past (11/03/2009)
Description
- Windows Live Hotmail offers free email with unlimited storage and support for attachments up to 50 MB each (10 GB per email).
- Scanning for phishing attempts, viruses and spam, Windows Live Hotmail protects privacy, security and sanity.
- A reading pane, drag-and-drop ease, rich text editing and many keyboard shortcuts lend Windows Live Hotmail a desktop-like handling.
- Quick views and filters let you focus on mail from contacts, social updates, emails with photos, Office documents, and more.
- Windows Live Hotmail offers fast search and can bring up emails exchanged with a contact swiftly.
- You can set up free-form labels to categorize mail. Windows Live Hotmail includes and automatically assigns built-in labels for newsletters, bill and social updates among others.
- Filters move or delete new mail. They can be applied to the inbox swiftly, too.
- Sweeping actions help keep your inbox neat by, e.g., automatically archiving or deleting certain kinds of old mail.
- A vacation auto-responder answers emails in your absence, and integrated Live Messenger lets you chat with contacts.
- You can set up additional addresses (and up to fifteen aliases) to send with from Windows Live Hotmail and retrieve mail from POP accounts.
- Windows Live Hotmail works well on mobile devices; ActiveSync offers push email, calendars and contacts.
- You can also access Windows Live Hotmail via POP and have it forward incoming mail to any other email address.
