Microsoft to Sell Outlook Subscription Service

An anonymous contributor writes "Boston.com is reporting that Microsoft will begin selling Outlook as a subscription service to compete with add-on services provided by Yahoo and Google. 'The new service, which costs $59.95 per year, will let people organize e-mail, contact lists and calendars in their online Hotmail accounts using the Microsoft Outlook program most often found on businesses' desktop computers.' I can't see many users paying for this service. Most Hotmail users use it because it is free, or they don't know about the alternatives. Paying for access via Outlook doesn't seem to fit with that market segment."

Comments

You need to be testing some other software.

[twitter]

I got an error message in Outlook identifying Hotmail download as a premium subscription service; the message lasted a coupla days, and then it went away. (I'm a M$ beta tester! woot!)

I hope this does not break Hotway. Which also worked with Lycos and Spray and even worked within Cygwin.

To me, this is more evidence that the less you have to do with non-free jerks like M$, the less pain you will suffer. It's not enough that they loaded Hotmail with four or six frames of blinking adverts. It's not enough that they put tagline adverts into your mail. Confronted with superior competition from Google, M$ responds by removing features.

IIS, popularity contest.

[twitter]

What color is the sky in your world? MS Exchange is growing in popularity and has no serious competition.

When, sometimes your sky is Red. and often it's Blue, but mostly it's expensive, polouted and full of hotair, you need to find another sky. The air is free.