Microsoft is ending WebDAV support for Hotmail

[Brian]

Bad news for some of us.

http://emailsupport.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!5D6F5A79A79B6708!5359.entry

I hope they publish the DeltaSynch protocol....

[Webmail Author]

Microsoft announced last year they would be starting a POP and SMTP
service for free accounts sometime this year.

[alanrf]

I am fairly sure that MS will delay the general availability of free
POP/SMTP for Hotmail until some time after this event and I doubt that
they have any intention of making details of DeltaSynch public.

1) They want to encourage their users to migrate to DeltaSync (it is
easier on their servers) and so want users to migrate to Windows Live
Mail
2) They want to discourage their users from using POP/SMTP for the
same reasons as above.
3) They will finally make the free POP/SMTP available to diehards who
insist on using non-MS mail clients like Thunderbird.

So, we who have become accustomed to the superb functionality of the
WebDav connection with the Webmail Hotmail extension are in for a bit
a shock at how "the other half" lives.

[Julien]

I've been using OE for my hotmail for years! Will thunderbird be able
to interface with my hotmail? I'm a freak about keeping my email
separate from the rest of my life...

It's just a mailbox - I don't want a calendar and all these other
things they claim will improve my experience!

*sigh* what can I do?

[alanrf]

Thunderbird will still be able to interface with Hotmail via the
Webmail extensions. It is just that those of us who have been able to
select "WebDav" as the account type in the Hotmail extension will no
longer be able to do so. The existing option of "Hotmail Live
website" should continue to function.

That WebDav option in the Hotmail extension has provided greater
stability, better function, more efficient Hotmail access -
especially for large email attachments and no advertising.

When the WebDav access is withdrawn I assume that the Webmail author
will have to withdraw the IMAP offering that is currently available in
the Webmail extensions for WebDav enabled Hotmail accounts.

[Christopher Clifton]

Received this morning from "Microsoft Outlook Express Team";
>
> Dear Microsoft Outlook Express customer,
>
> Thank you for using Microsoft® Outlook® Express. Our information
> indicates that you use Outlook Express to access a Windows Live™
> Hotmail® e-mail account via a protocol called DAV (Distributed
> Authoring and Versioning protocol). DAV, like POP3 or IMAP, is the way
> that a mail client communicates with a web-based mail server.
>
> As a valued customer, we want to provide advanced notice that as of
> June 30, 2008, Microsoft is disabling the DAV protocol and you will no
> longer be able to access your Hotmail Inbox via Outlook Express. As an
> alternative, we recommend that you download Windows Live Mail, a free
> desktop e-mail client that has the familiarity of Outlook Express and
> much more.

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