Microsoft no longer links to the standalone version of the product and it forces you to install a package, but you can choose the software you want to install.ģ. Microsoft probably thinks it makes you a favor by providing ways to access your mail from a desktop client, so it uses a proprietary mechanism that can only be interpreted by Microsoft's software.īut I digress: Windows Live Mail is a good way to migrate the messages from your old Hotmail accounts to Gmail.Ģ.
"With Microsoft Office Outlook Connector, you can use Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 or Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 to access and manage your Microsoft Windows Live Hotmail or Microsoft Office Live Mail accounts, including e-mail messages and contacts for free!" Microsoft also provides a plug-in for Outlook with an exuberant description: Windows Live Mail has a unique characteristic: it's free and it allows you to access Hotmail accounts. I finally found an use for Microsoft's Windows Live Mail, a mail client that replaces Outlook Express as the light version of Outlook.