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Type of mail server Hotmail is?

minendo

Elite Member
Aug 31, 2001
35,560
22
81
Originally posted by: Spooner
IMAP or POP

I really don't know the difference
IMAP allows you to read the mail in Outlook, OE, etc without downloading it from the server. POP downloads it off the server and it is then only accessible in the mail client.

 

yukichigai

Diamond Member
Apr 23, 2003
6,404
0
76
On a related topic, does anybody know how to connect to netscape's mail server through something like Outlook? Mozilla used to come setup to import your netscape/aol/compuserv settings so you didn't have to go through their accursed web service to do it.
 

manly

Lifer
Jan 25, 2000
13,291
4,064
136
Well, it depends on how you interpret that question.

The Hotmail client uses HTTP like any other web client, but that's completely irrelevant to the actual transfer of email.

Since IMAP and POP are protocols used by the client to interact with the mail server, the question almost asks what Hotmail's implementation uses to interact with the corresponding mail stores.

HTTP/HTML is just the client user interface.
 

gopunk

Lifer
Jul 7, 2001
29,239
2
0
Originally posted by: minendo
Originally posted by: Spooner
IMAP or POP

I really don't know the difference
IMAP allows you to read the mail in Outlook, OE, etc without downloading it from the server. POP downloads it off the server and it is then only accessible in the mail client.

sort of..... you actually still do download the message in outlook, oe. the mail's all stored in one big file, usually the client gets the list of all the emails including their status (read, new, important, etc), then downloads a copy of each message when you select it. if you delete it, it gets marked for deletion, then you have to expunge your mailbox for it to actually get deleted.

pop3 downloads all the messages at once (this is sort of an important distinction if you're dealing with large attachments and not so fast connection). usually it is then only accessible in the mail client thereafter, but most mail clients have the option of leaving the message on the server. but then you'll download those messages every time you check your mail, and they'll show up as new each time.
 

fs5

Lifer
Jun 10, 2000
11,774
1
0
POS server... don't know what the difference between POS and POP is? google it.
 

rahvin

Elite Member
Oct 10, 1999
8,475
1
0
Hotmail before being purchased ran on Qmail on FreeBSD, supposidly they have converted to some MS product on Windows 2003 but I don't believe it myself, not product MS produces could provide the stability needed, they probably still run qmail as the MTA and use windows servers to access the maildirs.
 

dahunan

Lifer
Jan 10, 2002
18,191
3
0
On a related note... I cannot login to my hotmail account... I was able to earlier today... but not now???

This is through outlook express too... same config I used earlier today... now doesn't work...

Can't login via the website for hotmail either.
 

GeneValgene

Diamond Member
Sep 18, 2002
3,884
0
76
Originally posted by: de8212
Can a hotmail account be checked through any other site? IOW I can check my mindspring and comacast accounts through <a href="http://www.mail2web.com">www.mail2web.com</A> .

thanks

you can sign up for a free email account at FastMail. it gives you IMAP access as well as the ability to check your hotmail messages.