Hotmail via Outlook Express coming to an end.

[JohnnyReb51]

Recieved an Email this morning from Windows Live Mail team.

Looks like they are implimenting a new protocol, with the excuse that the larger inbox capacity isnt suitable with the old Outlook Express protocol.

You can download yet another program to check your Hotmail, plus others, if you so wish.

No thanks, one is enough, I dont need all that new gumph.

I suppose I will have to inconveniently collect it from the Interweb, unless someone comes out with a bypass.

Dear Microsoft Outlook Express customer,

Thank you for using Microsoft® Outlook® Express. Our information indicates that you use Outlook Express to access a Windows Live™ Hotmail® e-mail account via a protocol called DAV (Distributed Authoring and Versioning protocol). DAV, like POP3 or IMAP, is the way that a mail client communicates with a web-based mail server.

As a valued customer, we want to provide advanced notice that as of June 30, 2008, Microsoft is disabling the DAV protocol and you will no longer be able to access your Hotmail Inbox via Outlook Express. As an alternative, we recommend that you download Windows Live Mail, a free desktop e-mail client that has the familiarity of Outlook Express and much more. This next generation of free e-mail software will allow you to easily manage multiple e-mail accounts—including Windows Live Hotmail, plus other e-mail accounts that support POP3/IMAP. Better yet, Windows Live Mail integrates well with other Windows Live services, and downloads in minutes. After you provide your user name and password, you will automatically be linked to your Hotmail account, providing continued access to your email and contacts.

We encourage you to download Windows Live Mail at http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview.

And, to make your transition smoother, we've provided answers to frequently asked questions below.

Again, thank you for your use of Outlook Express and we are confident that you'll be just as delighted with the new Windows Live Mail.

Your Windows Live Mail team


Frequently asked questions:

Why are we disabling DAV?

DAV is a legacy protocol that is not well suited for client access to large inboxes. Over time, as we've provided more e-mail storage to our users—and now offer 5GB inboxes for free—a more efficient access protocol is needed.

What are we replacing DAV with?

We have developed a new, much more efficient protocol called DeltaSynch that is far superior to DAV especially for large e-mail inboxes. It enables email clients to only download changes since the last time the client polled the email server for changes. This is much more efficient and high performing than having to download all the headers in every folder as is the case with DAV.

Is DeltaSynch compatible with Outlook Express?

The new protocol unfortunately is NOT supported by Outlook Express and support would require too many changes to the Outlook Express software.

Is there a different or new mail client I can try that uses DeltaSynch?

Microsoft is providing Windows Live Mail, a free e-mail client that has the familiarity of Outlook Express and much more. This free, next generation email client enables users to easily manage multiple e-mail accounts including Windows Live Hotmail and other e-mail accounts that support POP3/IMAP. Windows Live Mail also integrates well with other Windows Live services, is optimized to work with Windows Live Hotmail, and offers:

• Offline mail
• Windows Live Hotmail account aggregation for those users with multiple Hotmail accounts
• Account aggregation for POP and IMAP mail accounts
• Rich photo-sharing capabilities
• Advanced search via integration with Desktop Search
• Safety tools (Anti-Virus scanning, anti-phishing, anti-spam features across aggregated accounts for customers who do not have an Anti-Virus product)
• Integration with Windows Live services including Windows Live Spaces
• RSS (Real Simple Syndication) feed aggregation
• Ability to send SMS (short message service) text to a mobile phone from Windows Live Mail

Where can I download the new Windows Live Mail client?

You can download the new client at http://get.live.com/wlmail/overview.

Microsoft respects your privacy. To learn more, please read our online Privacy Statement.

Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, Redmond, WA 98052

The new live client is a much better email program than oe.

One is enough, it will replace oe as your email client, you will not need to run both.

[everton66]

Maybe move to Thunderbird?

[JohnnyReb51]

The new live client is a much better email program than oe.

One is enough, it will replace oe as your email client, you will not need to run both.

Originally Posted by Austin_KW

Ha! It doesnt support Win2k, only XP/Vista and I'll be damned if I will upgrade to either.

As for running both, lol, I just need a basic Email client to send/recieve emails, via pop3 and Webmail. I dont need all the new bells and whistles, (Gumph) as I said above.

Thanks for your input.


@ everton66.

I will try other clients a bit nearer to the finishing date, thanks for the link.

[Twinkle]

I received that letter, as yet have not got new mail client. I rarely use OE mail client as my mail mail program picks up my hotmail, which I hope it continues to do so in the future.

[JohnnyReb51]

Hiya.

Well we wont know what works and what dont, until they start the new protocol.

[centaur]

Well, I thought I'd give it a go, so downloaded it and ran it. I normally use OE and it's facility to show my Hotmail, but I don't like the awkward way the mail accounts are displayed in this replacement so have binned it already.

Perhaps I'm just an old stick in the mud.

[JohnnyReb51]

Must be the same Mud I am using, heha.

I had a read about it, I didnt like the adverts bit, even though they can be turned off, which apparently selects words from an email and displays relevant ads using Active Search. That to me is a privacy intrusion, if it can read words, then it can read the whole damned email.

http://microsoft.blognewschannel.com...e-advertising/

According to the site below, they seem very pushy for you to use the Active Search, stating that only Computers use the data and will never share your data/searches and/or Email contents. Yeah! right Bill, I will fall for that one, NOT!

http://morethanmail.spaces.live.com/...ew&_c=blogpart

Seems to be an offshoot from Vista.

Some say its slow loading, but I will never know, lol and I certainly dont trust MS's bull about security.

Don't disagree.
But it appears to appeal to the webmail/yourSpace generation. Lots of flashing lights, bells and whistles.

P.S. Ah adverts, sometimes I use someone else's PC and it has all these flashing banners...

I would not worry to much about bill g reading your email. If there was anything interesting in it, GCHQ would have sent someone round for a chat. And besides the mail reason to use a MS client is to access the MS webmail servers.

[gem]

Guess that will affect Outlook users (I' using Office 2003) to although I've not received any such email from them.

[JohnnyReb51]

Dont think so Gem, only seems to be for OE, not Outlook....

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287424

[JohnnyReb51]

@ Austin.

My disco lights and bass bin days are long gone, lol.

I understand where you are coming from with the email reading and the server it passes through, its the PHORM type adverts approach, by selecting words from your Email, that would be my concern.

The browser tracking, like PHORM, is already active in the US apparently.

[gem]

Dont think so Gem, only seems to be for OE, not Outlook....

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/287424

Originally Posted by JohnnyReb51

TGFT. Thanks JR.

[Memfis]

Wont work for other mail clients tho (like thunderbird).
Why cant microsoft stick to existing protocols? Everyone else seams to be able to.

Thankfully I am not, nor ever will be a hotmail user. (Advantages of running own mail servers)

...
Why cant microsoft stick to existing protocols? Everyone else seams to be able to...

Originally Posted by Memfis

To protect their targeted ad sponsored and premium (pop/smtp) service?