Rumour: Microsoft readying free POP3 access for Hotmail

Advertisement (Why?)

Microsoft currently offers POP3 access for $19.95 per year as part of its Hotmail Plus service. Rumours posted on several Windows Live forums this week and Ars could indicate that POP3 access is about to drop for all hotmail users at no additional cost.

Microsoft is expected to make some Windows Live announcements at CES. There are rumours of the final versions of the Windows Live Client wave 3 applications being released and it's possible that free POP3 access is one of the announcements.

Forum poster "cebcubs" posted a question to the Windows Live Help forums on December 31st 2008 asking "I read online that a few of the features of Hotmail Plus (namely, POP3 feature) will be available in early 2009. Does anyone know for sure if this statement is true?". A Microsoft spokesperson identified as "Windows Live Israel" confirms the rumour and states "Yes, cebcubs, there is a plan on releasing POP3 to free Hotmail account users. However, we still do not have a definite date on when this will happen. We'll keep everyone posted once the feature becomes available."

The Consumer Electronics Show is a perfect launching surface for such a service and POP3 access for Hotmail has become a much requested feature of Microsoft's popular web mail service.

#1 Magallanes on 07 Jan 2009 - 13:06

MS did it several years ago, then later they dropped the pop3 support for free account and now they are allowing pop3 for free acount. so, is it a permanent change or it is just a way to lure new user?.

#2 zeke009 on 07 Jan 2009 - 13:11

I thought they stopped POP3 access when SPAM was on the rise and Hotmail was one of Spammers email services of choice? Anyone remember if that was the case?

Outlook Connector works fine for me, unless POP3 access means that I can sync my local PST based calendar and contacts with what is found on Hotmail Live. If that is the case, then I'm interested. I'm not interested in seeing my local contact and Live contacts side by side, nor am I interested in seeing my local calendar and Live calendar side by side... Sync like the old MSN IntelliSync is what I'm hoping for.

(1 reply) #3 Soldiers33 on 07 Jan 2009 - 13:22

wot is pop3 used for?

#3.1 quanta on 07 Jan 2009 - 13:39

POP3 allows you to download your mail into another program or service such as Outlook, Thunderbird, or even Gmail.

Since Hotmail currently can't do this, you also can't transfer your mail to your smartphone or embedded client easily. This is probably the main motivator: all those iPhone and Blackberry users frustrated in having to surf to hotmail.com to read their email.

Gmail is still ahead by supporting the more bandwidth friendly / sync friendly but more technically complex IMAP.

(5 replies) #4 Hurmoth on 07 Jan 2009 - 13:27

I don't want POP. I want IMAP. GRRRR!!!!

#4.1 profets on 07 Jan 2009 - 13:34

Hurmoth said,

same here.. really, whats the point of pop3?

#4.2 +chorpeac on 07 Jan 2009 - 14:30

Amen, +2

#4.3 +warwagon on 07 Jan 2009 - 15:17

chorpeac said,

I love my pop3 Gmail access. Then I can have a backup of all my emails on "My Computer" and on "Their server".

#4.4 theyarecomingforyou on 07 Jan 2009 - 16:38

Exactly. My main email account is with AIM, which is free and has IMAP - I've also been impressed by not receiving any spam. I connect using Outlook and can arrange all my email into folders. Hotmail is irrelevant and has been for a long time.

#4.5 Shadrack on 07 Jan 2009 - 23:42

Edit: Wow, I typed out a long drawn out message about the differences between IMAP and POP and why IMAP is superior. But Neowin ate my message and I can't get back to it

. Well, Wikipedia POP and IMAP if you are interested in learning more, lol.

#5 LTD on 07 Jan 2009 - 13:29

Isn't IMAP the current (new) standard?

I assume there is still a use for POP3?

#6 Prince17 on 07 Jan 2009 - 13:49

Pleaseeee! Make this free.
i wanna so use my hotmail account with my iPhone and other devices

#7 ermax on 07 Jan 2009 - 13:52

Microsoft hates IMAP. They always have terrible implementations of IMAP in their clients. My only guess is they don't want it to compete with Exchange. Outlook should be able to store calender/contacts/tasks ect on an IMAP server too but no, they restrict IMAP to just messages. They also refuse to let deleted messages get moved to Deleted Items in Outlook. You have to do the whole mark as deleted and the do an EXPUNGE. This has to be intentional.

IMAP is always an after thought for some reason. It seams to be picking up popularity now though. Google and Yahoo probably helped. It would be nice if all mobile clients would start supporting IMAP IDLE too. The iPhone doesn't and WM doesn't. We know why MS wouldn't support IDLE. They wouldn't want people to get push mail on their WM phone out off the box without Exchange ActiveSync you know.

#8 ThePhoenix on 07 Jan 2009 - 14:02

Prince17 you can use Hotmail with your Iphone if you get the app M-Box, I have it for my ipod touch and it works perfect, it's written in the correct protocols and works 100%

As for POP3 access I also wonder why bother, just get IMAP sorted out.

(1 reply) #9 hotdog963al on 07 Jan 2009 - 14:02

You have to pay for Pop3 currently?! That's hilarious!! Gmail has IMAP for free, does Yahoo as well?

#9.1 roadwarrior on 07 Jan 2009 - 14:49

hotdog963al said,

Last I checked, Yahoo charged about $20 per year for POP3 access to e-mail. They dropped free POP3 access around the same time that Microsoft did. Maybe this will encourage them to bring it back.

#10 Nicholas-c on 07 Jan 2009 - 14:16

So... about 100 years after every man and his dog has done it ?

Good news but sadly i moved from "Hotmail" (WLM) a long time ago

Hotdog963al, Yahoo charge for IMAP i think but do free POP3

#11 Jugalator on 07 Jan 2009 - 14:24

lol, about damn time

#12 Bri- on 07 Jan 2009 - 14:45

This is a good move, albeit a very overdue one. If we can access our Hotmail from within Windows Live Mail, then everyone else should with their client of choice. So yes, I can agree: It's about goddamn time.

(1 reply) #13 Cuppa on 07 Jan 2009 - 14:50

This would make the inclusion of the Outlook Connector in Windows Live Essentials rather pointless...

#13.1 profets on 07 Jan 2009 - 15:48

Cuppa said,

not really. although the outlook connector can only be used in outlook, it gives way better functionality than pop3 access would... it gives you an imap type of access..

#14 y_notm on 07 Jan 2009 - 14:54

Not really a rumor... they've already said that POP access is coming for all, for free. The only thing that's still up in the air is the date.

#15 bradsday on 07 Jan 2009 - 14:59

All I can say is ... 'bout time.

(1 reply) #16 Steven77 on 07 Jan 2009 - 15:08

There is really no way that they can tout how great windows live is if you can't even check your email(the one ms wants you to use) from Mail live lmfao.

I personally haven't used hotmail since i was a teenie bopper.

#16.1 GreyWolfSC on 07 Jan 2009 - 20:22

WLM already works out of the box with Hotmail. It appears as if it was a standard e-mail account.

#17 zer0day on 07 Jan 2009 - 16:49

Would prefer IMAP but it's a start I suppose.

(1 reply) #18 Liquidfox on 07 Jan 2009 - 17:43

Had their equivalent of IMAP running for years now

I remember when they said that new users could no longer start using it, but they wouldn't stop current users access... it's via HTTP in Outlook, so it essentially works like IMAP. Never use it however

#18.1 +0sm3l on 07 Jan 2009 - 19:56

Yea I use the HTTP one... glad it never stopped working for me lol

(1 reply) #19 +witalit on 07 Jan 2009 - 17:55

About bloody time!!!

#19.1 smooth_criminal1990 on 08 Jan 2009 - 01:09

yeah haven't gmail users had this for ages?

#20 mayamaniac on 07 Jan 2009 - 21:36

Hope Yahoo does it too. For years now I have been using the WebMail add-on for Thunderbird to get POP3 access to Hotmail and Yahoo Mail.

#21 pikablu0530 on 07 Jan 2009 - 23:05

This is NOT a rumour. Microsoft announced long ago that POP3 access and POP3 aggregation will be available for free to all Hotmail users when they released the "Wave 3" version of Hotmail. Take a read at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/presski...ndowsLiveRG.pdf where it mentions that POP3 support will be available soon.

Btw POP3 stands for Post Office Protocol 3. =)

#22 Glassed Silver on 08 Jan 2009 - 00:54

Welcome to 1990's! XD

(1 reply) #23 sibot on 08 Jan 2009 - 09:24

I'd say its a step up, we don't have IMAP as yet, but atleast now we have POP3! Allowing me to use Hotmail with Outlook.

One more thing I'd like, get rid of the ads at the bottom of every mail sent via Hotmail! I mean come on!

Live mail tries to download each and single mail onto my computer, I've had this account well over 7 years now. It's insane to try and download 3000 mails/1.2 GB over a 512kbps connection.

#23.1 DaViD_BRaNDoN on 08 Jan 2009 - 11:34

sibot said,

Live mail tries to download each and single mail onto my computer, I've had this account well over 7 years now. It's insane to try and download 3000 mails/1.2 GB over a 512kbps connection.

Yea, would love to know how to prevent all my (thousands) mails (few GB) @ Hotmail being downloaded to my Windows Live Mail!

#24 wincoder on 14 Jan 2009 - 05:34

why work around when there is a simple and easy way to access your hotmail or live emails from your desktop without installing any third party software ?

http://www.ceveni.com/2008/12/how-to-acces...-live-mail.html

#25 bLusiLv on 16 Jan 2009 - 06:33

correction for your post..
that microsoft spokesperson's name is not "Windows Live Israel" but "Windows Live Isabel M"
thx..

Commenting has either been disabled on this article or you are not logged in. Click here to login or register, its free!

Note: Anonymous commenting is disabled in order to keep the quality of responses to a high standard.

Neowin.net