What is Microsoft doing about GMail?

I'd like to know what Microsoft is going to do?

Personally, I'd like to see Microsoft introduce 1GB free hotmail with full search capabilities.

Personally I don't think MS would give 1GB email storage space for free even Google does that. But I would like to get an Gmail account ASAP.

BruceLee wrote:

Personally I don't think MS would give 1GB email storage space for free even Google does that. But I would like to get an Gmail account ASAP.

Microsoft has to do something, otherwise they will lose customers to Google's GMail.

MS is probably just waiting patiently for google to set the precident that it's OK to spy on people by reading their e-mail, then start doing it themselves.

Gmail is evil. Big Brother is watching you, etc.

John.

jj5 wrote:

MS is probably just waiting patiently for google to set the precident that it's OK to spy on people by reading their e-mail, then start doing it themselves.

Gmail is evil. Big Brother is watching you, etc.

John.

Google is not spying on people. It indexes emails, records which emails you view and then serves ads that are similiar to what you like to view. It is in the TOS agreement.

By the way, don't compare Google to Communism, there is a huge difference.

Obviously I can only speak for myself of course, but unless MSFT and Hotmail do *something* about it, they're gonna lose my business in a heartbeat. I can't wait to get a GMail account. I'm sick of all of the intrusive advertising I have to put up with when I use my Hotmail account. You want to put some context-sensitive text-based ads over on the side of the screen for me? OK, that's cool, I can deal with that. But seeing a bunch of ugly-flashing-bright-red-and-green lies that tell me I just won a DVD player and all I have to do is "Click here to claim your prize" is getting REALLY old, and I for one can't wait to get away from it. Especially considering that I actually forked over cash just to be able to upgrade to 10 whole MB of e-mail storage, and I still have to look at those stupid ads. I also know a number of people personally who feel the same way. So yeah, MSFT *will* lose business if they don't do something about it.

i think most people will move to gmail in a heartbeat. The only reason for hotmail is so XP stops bugging you about passport, and for an offline message depository for Messenger.

Most of us ( i assume ) have real emails, to domains we own for our "real" email.

But anyone actually USING free email will go to gmail.

The core idea is free storage for all your photos and messages that you will never have to delete.  A good example of a new competitor would be - Walmart + Free Linux + free Google/Gmail machines. - Also - google actually WANTS you to upload your photos, so they can index them and add them to global search engine ( not nickel and dime you for everything you upload)

Dont see how MS will compete with this - as they like to CHARGE at EVERY juncture ( OS / Extra storage / Ads / Spam mail lists / Included paid links )

It does not take a geneius to see MS wants cash at too many places. Revenue! Revenue! Revenue!

Cows only have so much milk to give.

ryexley wrote:

I'm sick of all of the intrusive advertising I have to put up with when I use my Hotmail account.[...]But seeing a bunch of ugly-flashing-bright-red-and-green lies that tell me I just won a DVD player and all I have to do is "Click here to claim your prize" is getting REALLY old

I agree with you 100%. It's horrible. Even the ads in MSN Messenger bugs me. To the point that I've installed an Ad Blocking Hosts file to get rid of some of the ad garbage on that and other sites.

The only time I visit MSN/Hotmail is to log in once every 20 days. Accessing it from Outlook apparently does not count. I have also not found any way to have more than one HTTP (hotmail) account with Outlook. As soon as I add another, both just times out when I check for mail.

Recently I got a spam from Hotmail staff saying that the McAfee virus scan is a feature of the subscription package. In other words, I guess its removed from the free service. Wierd.

I know it's free. And if I don't like it - I shouldn't use it. And one day it's declined to the point that I will actually do that.

/Lars.

I'm surprised you get ads with the paid for version of Hotmail. I think as soon as you pay for a service, you should get no ads at all (some may pay just to get rid of the ads)

Yeah, I would think so too, but unfortunately, they're still there.

LycosMail UK offers 10MB free (but LycosMail US only seems to offer 5MB - still more than hotmail though). I wouldn't be surprised if Hotmail offered the least space (2MB is pretty pathetic - especially when you can probably get that much spam in a few days). What does Hotmail offer over other providers? It seems you only get 10MB, and many providers provide more than that, for less (and perhaps no ads too). Also can you get Hotmail via POP3?

You can get Hotmail via POP3. Also, it's the best anti-spam I've seen from any free provider. Nobody yet knows how good GMail's is, so we'll have to see, you might need that GB of space

Hotmail POP3 without 3rd party software?

/Lars.

I've done it to our Exchange Server, so I'm guessing you can. I haven't used my Hotmail account in years though, so I really can't speak authoritatively

I did a quick google and it turned up a couple of programs that would "web2pop". No info about how to pop directly from Hotmail tho. I'd like to do that if it's possible. That would be sweet. And it would take care of my problem with multiple hotmail accounts not working in Outlook (is it possible at all?).

/Lars.

http://www.google.com/corporate/software_principles.html

They just posted this today

jamie wrote:

http://www.google.com/corporate/software_principles.html

They just posted this today

So does this mean they will stop forcing the google toolbar down my throat when I install Real Networks or was it Quicktime I can't remember now...

~ Knute

When do they force you to install the toolbar? I get the feeling you don't like Google much (at least from the comments on Gmail and privacy).