Today, I switched on my computer, logged on to the net and typed in hotmail.com to check my mail. I stared at the screen. I yawned at the screen. I went to the kitchen and drank some orange juice. I minimized the hotmail window and logged on to Mouthshut, which, as always, popped up instantly :-)
Just as I logged in to my MS account, I thought of writing a review on the KING OF SLOW SPEEDS, MSN Hotmail!

First: What is MSN Hotmail?
I know all of you who read this review know exactly what hotmail is but I just wanted to make my review systematic! Lol!

MSN (which stands for Microsoft Networks) Hotmail is a free web-based email service and was originally created by an Indian called Sabeer Bhatia, who later sold it to Microsoft at about 2 million$$!!! (I think it is about 2 million, correct me if I’m wrong!) The service offers features such as a spam guard, a 2 MB inbox and everything that a conventional mailbox offers. I’m sorry to say though that though Microsoft is the world’s leading software maker, they’ve hardly thought of anything more innovative and exciting to offer to Hotmail users.

The speed of the service is extremely slow. This is mainly because of some Security Certificates and such other crap that it loads. I know this is done for user-protection, but it really affects the speed, guys!

The horrible thing about this service is the Inbox Storage limit. MSN Hotmail offers only 2 MB of storage space for your messeges. Compare this to Yahoo!(100 MB), Rediff (1 GB), or Google[Gmail] (1 GB) and Hotmail really drops down to the bottom of the list! I mean, you get some pretty nice messesges with colourful attatchments and graphics and Hotmail immediately sends you a warning: Inbox Limit is full. You may not be receiving any more messesges. Please delete some of the messesges to continue using Hotmail services efficiently.

I mean, come on, that day, my girlfriend (I wish!) sent be a really nice mail (on Valentine’s Day, that, too!) with pics and photos and all and Hotmail didn’t put it in my inbox becuase it was over 2 MB!! My girlfriend was in tears! LOL! Joking, but I know this happens to a lot of people!

Let’s come to the Spam protection Hotmail offers. the Spam guard is pretty effective and diverts spam to the Junk Mail folder. But still, an effective spam guard has to acually BLOCK spam from coming into your mailbox, not merely divert it! Also, messeges in your Junk Mail folder DO account for your mailbox limit so you have to delete them every other day. Hotmail automatically does this every 7 days or so but by that time, you’re nearly out of storage space!

Also, sometimes, little things apart from spam end up in your junk mail folder. I know because a nifty little mail from my uncle inviting me to dinner ended up in the Junk Mail folder along with a Viagra advertisement!

Hotmail really plays up to it’s marketing strategies. You are not allowed to block messeges from Hotmail itself advertising some freak trip to Iraq or some such place!

Apart from this, I found the site design pretty good and relaxing for the eyes as it’s not too cluttered. The options are simple to use and the Contacts List feature which allows Contacts to be displayed alongside when you’re typing your mail is great! You can simply click on the Contacts and the email addresses appear in the Send to: line.

If you’re using Hotmail, you can also download and use MSN Messenger, an instant messeging service for Hotmail and MSN users which is about 10 times better than Yahoo! Messenger (though I love Yahoo! Messenger too!). Will write a review on MSN Messenger pretty soon, methinks!

OK, I gotta run. I think I’ve pretty much explained everything about Hotmail. Besides, I think the Hotmail page has loaded by now (I’ve just finished my review, heard 10 songs, ate 3 apples and quaralled loudly with my brother for about 10 minutes!).

Software version:

Dunno! Do email services have versions?!