Windows Mail

I am a newbe to Vista. I have always used Outlook Express and latterly Incredimail to consolidate the household email accounts including hotmail. I now find that Windows Mail- the replacement to Outlook Express (?) - will not connect to Hotmail. I have to use the web based Windows Live. Is there any way to consolidate Hotmail accounts into Windows Live. Or do I have to continue to use Incredimail or switch my wife' account to gmail.
Peter_g

There's a downloadable product called Windows Live Mail Desktop (Beta), which looks and feels a lot like windows mail. Except it does support hotmail accounts.

It appears hotmail access using anything else has been withdrawn - probably as it was getting no revenue from desktop users.

Massif wrote:

It appears hotmail access using anything else has been withdrawn - probably as it was getting no revenue from desktop users.

Actually that is not entirely the case.
They disabled the ability for people to access their Hotmail accounts through OE because dangerous junk email was getting through and infecting user's PC's and endangering company networks.

Have downloaded Windows Live Mail Desk Top Beta - it works a treat.
Why was this not Windows Mail?. It seems to do everything OE did (like connecting to hotmail) or am I missing something?
Peter_g