I have a Hotmail account since 1995 and am getting fed up with WLM not keeping it up to date.
My email client is open almost 24/7 and I've noticed that while it updates my local POP account without issues, my MS hosted account will every now and then go silent.

Today I found an email from a fellow SF member dated two days ago. Same thing happened not too long ago with another SF member help request and in both cases I realized what was going on because I have the same account on my phone. I do not rely on the phone and only check it occasionally, normally I remote check my computer and keep all mail in one place.

I'm running W7 and W10 but have avoided their email clients simply because am not familiar with efficient tools to migrate from one client to another and between computers.

Also, if I migrate from one machine to another, there is not user migration tools like there used to be up until W7.

Should I use W7 or W10 email client? I profoundly dislike Outlook, find it way over complicated for my needs.

Thanks.

0-0

I've got 100 users on Google's "G Suite," formerly "Google Apps for Work." Been very happy with it. Nobody uses a stand-alone client; just Chrome or their default mobile app. Sometimes the browser can take a couple of minutes for messages to show up in the inbox, but they're almost instantaneous on my iPhone, unless there's a big attachment.

They offer migration tools, at least for the paid account. I have no desire whatsoever to go back to to stand alone clients, or local message storage.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: rusbro,

quote:

Originally posted by 0-0:
I have a Hotmail account since 1995 and am getting fed up with WLM not keeping it up to date.
My email client is open almost 24/7 and I've noticed that while it updates my local POP account without issues, my MS hosted account will every now and then go silent.

Today I found an email from a fellow SF member dated two days ago. Same thing happened not too long ago with another SF member help request and in both cases I realized what was going on because I have the same account on my phone. I do not rely on the phone and only check it occasionally, normally I remote check my computer and keep all mail in one place.

I'm running W7 and W10 but have avoided their email clients simply because am not familiar with efficient tools to migrate from one client to another and between computers.

Also, if I migrate from one machine to another, there is not user migration tools like there used to be up until W7.

Should I use W7 or W10 email client? I profoundly dislike Outlook, find it way over complicated for my needs.

Thanks.

0-0

Back in the Dark Ages, when I used Windows, my favorite email client was ThunderBird.

I use IMAP protocol instead of POP; IMAP is designed for multiple devices to use the same email account.

I have been a Netscape / Firebird (Mozilla) / Waterfox user for eons. As such Thunderbird has been my mail client with my local ISP providing internet service and hosting my email address.

MozBackup has worked flawlessly moving my mail files from one computer to another.

FWIW my Android phone also gets emails from my IPS and other accounts. I just have it leave the mail on the mail servers deferring to Thunderbird to delete them when downloaded.

 
I have always been a POP client user, as I have no need for IMAP's multiple device advantages. Using ports 995 and 587 these days. When I rarely use email on my phone, it just leaves any downloaded messages on the server for future reference at home. I don't usually run email on my phone, just text for messaging. Web-based email has never held any interest for me, and I have managed to stay away from the corporate group mail stuff. Even when I had to administer the enterprise Exchange, I still used a POP client for myself (redirected my own mail to the Exchange server and to a separate POP server).
 
When it was still its own software, I used Eudora in the early-mid 90's. Switched over to Thunderbird and have used that since, first on Windows and now on OS-X. I especially like Thunderbird's ability to get a quick look at the message's raw source, and I also send and read only in plain ascii text. If I ever need to, and after a quick look at the source, I will display an email's HTML content.
 

quote:

Originally posted by 0-0:
I have a Hotmail account since 1995 and am getting fed up with WLM not keeping it up to date.

Microsoft has never done email well, IMO. That includes both server and client side. On the server side: Their services are notorious amongst email admins who know what they're about for slow delivery and even just dropping stuff on the floor. As for their email clients: Who else but MS would think it a good idea to stuff all email, attachments, etc. into a single proprietary database with a penchant for self-destructing?

quote:

Originally posted by 0-0:
I'm running W7 and W10 but have avoided their email clients simply because am not familiar with efficient tools to migrate from one client to another and between computers.

Also, if I migrate from one machine to another, there is not user migration tools like there used to be up until W7.

Use IMAP and all that goes away.

If you don't have the wherewithal to set up your own mail server (cheap to do on a virtual service such as Digital Ocean) then either a competent paid service (I have no recommendation, sorry) or gmail. As for email client? I wouldn't use a Microsoft email client if you paid me. Thunderbird... *sigh* It's horrible, but, somewhat usable. Some people like Evolution. I use Claws-Mail. I've used it on MS-Win XP and 7, and it works just as well on those as it does on Linux.

Advantage to IMAP: I use Claws-Mail on both Linux and MS-Win, but, I have to support Thunderbird because of my internal customers. So I have T'Bird set up on all the same platforms--even under my login on my wife's MS-Win7 boot on her PC at home, as she uses T'Bird. I use K9 Mail on my tablet and phone. All of them configured to all the same accounts. (I have six email accounts on two or three of my installs: Home, work, Gmail, Comcast business [going away], my own DO server and the DO server for a side-job contract I have.) I regularly try new email clients on my mobile devices. Don't have to worry about "migrating."

I even have Evolution set up on my work desktop machine, because one or two of the Engineers use it.

quote:

Microsoft has never done email well, IMO. That includes both server and client side.

I used Outlook since its inception and switched to gmail about five years ago. I hope I can continue using gmail for decades to come.

Gmail is awesome for email.

Gone are the days of dealing with PST files and losing your email every time you switched computers.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:

quote:

Microsoft has never done email well, IMO. That includes both server and client side.

You can roll your eyes all you want, but, that does not change certain facts. Facts such as Microsoft's email services having a poor reputation amongst mail server admins (delivery backups and dropping email on the floor--which is regarded as a cardinal sin amongst most email system admins) and Outlook being the only email client I've ever known to require a database repair tool to recover when it falls over and corrupts itself.

Microsoft's email software is also one of only two I've ever known that would so-thoroughly corrupt a bounce message that it's original meaning was lost. Bloated Goats, however, is so bad (does it even still exist?) that I'd liefer Microsoft's products.

I've administered both, btw. *shudder*

OO I know you are supposed to be a computer "expert" of sorts and always help people here (thanks btw),
So why not just try some of these and form your own opinion ~ we know you know how to do computer "stuff"?
FWIW, W7 has no native client but W10 does and it is pretty good. Also email updating can be a function of the server with push systems such as Exchange or pull for a client using POP, IMAP on for example on Outlook (2010 or above works best).
Try em out and let us know what you like ~ PS ~ it doesn't have to be a MS product either, I have a client that loves Thunderbird.
YMMV

I don't use email clients period. I only have 2 that I really care about and check so it takes all of 10 seconds to switch between the two.

I like Thunderbird. Price is right (free), and it handles PGP encryption very well.