Hotmail has to be the internet’s best web-based internet service. I signed up a few weeks ago and contrary to many of the stories already submitted on Ciao, I have had no problems and neither have any other people I know.
WHAT IS HOTMAIL?
For those of you who have yet to be enlightened, I shall tell you about Hotmail. It is a free, internet-based e-mail service, run by Microsoft and it is indeed one free thing with which I have no problems, apart from just a few small ones!
SIGNING UP
This is one of my moans. The signup process is fairly simple – instructions are clear and easy to follow, and you shouldn’t bother reading the Terms & Conditions, unless you have a fixed fee internet service.
But there is only one problem. One very annoying problem. What about trying to find a username? I mean, Hotmail is getting desperate! When I signed up, I found that robertetheridge as a username had been taken up!
But after a little sifting through possibilities and a few more attempts, I ended up finally registering with a revoltingly naff e-mail address. But still, I can be contacted on the address and it works well enough.
LOGIN PAGE
As soon as you log in to Hotmail, you are taken to a special page. On here, there is a link to your inbox but if you’ve never used Hotmail before, then it can be quite hard to find! It can be located after a while, though…
This page is very useful, because on it you can see all of your account details including the amount of your megabyte allowance you have taken up [which I can’t remember but I believe to be 6].
NAVIGATION
This service has had a pretty new idea, and I’ve only ever seen it before in one place – on my very own brother’s website! The idea was to put the navigation bar on the right. This is actually much easier to use!
They do also have a sub-bar on the left, which I admit, I do use more often than the button found on the right, but it is a good idea nevertheless. There are also the ‘tabs’ at the top of the page, which facilitate navigation.
LAYOUT
Hotmail is well laid out and easy to follow, using a subtle colour scheme which is not offensive to the eye. It makes the pages easy to navigate without making yourself blind and it is also easy for me to see, even though I’m colour blind!
The mail in the inbox is listed in a logical order, but can be changed by yourself, and it is easy to find your way between mail – there are useful links on each letter which will take you straight to the next mail: not through the inbox.
SPAM AND VIRUSES
This is an unfortunate experience, but is something which has not yet happened to anyone I know. The new Hotmail has been designed to prevent this sort of problem but it does still occur today in rare cases.
SENDING MAIL
This is simple enough – all you have to do is click on the compose link and you are taken to a simple page. I have never had problems with mail not arriving, although I must admit few items of correspondence have left this corner!
You can also add attachments, and there is a rather high limit on the size of the files you are allowed to include in your mail, so therefore you can send files of almost any size without any worries – more in a moment…
JUNK MAIL
Hotmail have got an excellent piece of technology to deal with this snag: the inbox protector! If you set it to ‘high,’ then all of your e-mails are scanned as they arrive and sorted in to your regular inbox or your junk mail box.
And if you are worried about attachments coming in, then fret not, for all downloadable attachments are checked before file transfer to ensure a virus is not contained and therefore your lucky computer will stay safe.
ADVERTS
There is a surprisingly low quantity of marketing by other companies on Hotmail in the form of banners and pop-ups, which in turn makes the site fast-loading and quick to navigate, and you don’t have annoying flashes everywhere.
They are annoying, as they are on all websites, but they are not large files and do not clog up your system. They are necessary to keep Hotmail free however, so we forgive them for they make sure we do not pay.
SECURITY
In the terms and conditions, we are told that your details are kept secret, and indeed I have found they are. I have had no problems and there has been no breach of security and my personal details kept top secret.
SUMMARY
If you have no problems, a great free service from Microsoft which is generally error-free and simple to navigate. If M&S = Underwear, then Hotmail = E-mail! A truly brilliant service – one for MSN to be proud of.
***
I am aware that I have been NNM of late, and thanks to you all who voted for me! I have been away for a few days but I promise to keep writing. Sorry if this opinion is a little brief, but I wrote it in panic after discovery of my name in the NNM box! Thanks to you all once again! Cheers for reading – RE.
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