HOTMAIL.CM

MSN Hotmail.cm (mis-type) is a free web-based e-mail service, which is accessible via a web browser. Its competitors include AIM Mail, Gmail, and Yahoo! Mail.

Users of MSN Hotmail are being moved to the new Windows Live Hotmail as it was released on May 7th, 2007.

As of June 2006, Hotmail users can now send instant messages from within Hotmail using the integrated Web Messenger function, without having to be signed in to Windows Live Messenger or have the program installed at all.

At the Hotmail main screen, users can access integrated MSN services such as Calendar and Contacts (the latter being shared with Windows Live Messenger). HOTMAIL.CA is the Canadian version.

In December 2004, Microsoft started its new blogging service called MSN Spaces and integrated it with MSN Messenger (now Windows Live Spaces and Windows Live Messenger, respectively) and MSN Hotmail.

If a free MSN Hotmail account is not accessed in a 120-day period, then it is temporarily deactivated (all messages deleted, although not the address book). The underlying Passport account, which is tied to the e-mail address, is not released back in to the address pool for 90 days. This allows the current owner to re-activate the e-mail portion of the account and keep the address before new users can register for it; however this is now defunct. MSN Premium/MSN Hotmail Plus customers (pay service) are exempt from the expiration policy.

In the past, Hotmail has offered users who have held the same account for a number of years the same exemption from deactivation. However, Hotmail changed its policy again, leaving many of those account members surprised to find that, after being told their emails would be saved, they had instead been deleted. Those emails cannot be recovered.

Hotmail is often used by spammers to provide a fake dropbox for use in their messages. However, Hotmail subscribes to MSN's strongly worded Terms of Use, and anyone found to have engaged in spam-related activities will have their account cancelled without warning.

In early 2000, The MSN Internet Portal was receiving 200 million visits a month. This prompted Microsoft's UK managing director to charge a user fee of £10.00 a year for extra services. You are now able to get MSN Hotmail Plus for $19.95 a year. All Hotmail accounts include an advanced filter system at no extra cost. Source: Wikipedia