June 22, 1998
Hotmail still unharmed by new owner, but that's sure to change
After kvetching last week about America Online's lame NetMail service, we decided to take a closer look at the Web-based e-mail service that is currently setting the standard in this booming niche: Hotmail.
It's been nearly six months since Microsoft bought Hotmail and its millions of user accounts, but not much has changed at http://www.hotmail.com. Like an "Under new management" sign in the window of a popular delicatessen, a "from Microsoft" tagline has been slapped below the Hotmail banner. The shape of things to come is more obvious in the drop-down menu on Hotmail's opening screen, directing browsers to Microsoft's numerous other media properties such as Slate, CarPoint, and its ever-present Microsoft Network.
A bit deeper into the Hotmail site, on the frequently asked questions page, we found some advice that we're sure won't last much longer. Hotmail's FAQ still suggests "a browser such as Netscape Navigator 2.0 or higher for best viewing results." Rats feed where they can, and we can always find a juicy spot on a giant.
Beyond a reworking of Hotmail's Web-face to the world, we expect that Microsoft will soon do a little tinkering with the technology it bought. Several Microsoft-owned sites, such as CarPoint and Internet Gaming Zone, have been enhanced for Internet Explorer and Windows, and Hotmail is sure to follow suit.
Hotmail's platform-agnostic service -- arguably one of the reasons it became so popular in the first place -- will quickly give way to tiered services for Windows and non-Windows users. Look for nifty new features, such as chat and audio/video messaging, to only appear first in ActiveX, with Java versions "coming soon." Not that we're fatalists. It's just the way the game is played.
Gimme shelter
At the infamous Altamont festival in 1969, promoters hired a posse of Hell's Angels to keep the peace. Their honorarium, the legend goes, was several cases of Pabst Blue Ribbon. At its TechEd conference in New Orleans earlier this month, Microsoft could have used a few bikers for crowd control. These days, vendor freebies can work just as well as beer.
On the second day of TechEd, a route bus misjudged a turn and nearly took out a sidewalk of show-goers. A "Walk/Don't walk" sign, unfortunately, didn't see the shuttle coming. At press time, it was listed in stable condition.
Inside the hall, a session on Proxy Server 2.0 was apparently packed to overflowing, leaving attendees bunched at the door trying to muscle past room monitors who understandably expected to do little more than hand out speaker-feedback sheets.
The problem was that early arrivals chose to sit in the aisles rather than in the provided chairs, which were spaced more tightly than coach class seats on a Southwest Airlines flight.
From the entrance, it appeared the room was full. So the beleaguered monitors, wary of the fire marshal, locked arms to bar late arrivals. While the speaker continued gamely, left-out attendees shouted "Sit in the seats so we can come in!" to no avail. Finally, convention hall security was summoned to escort the mob piecemeal to open seats. Order was restored, and no one was stabbed.
Later that night, everyone talked stock options at the House of Blues. It felt like the '90s were over.
This week's Loose Cables contributors were Chip Brookshaw and Ana Orubeondo. What would you take to work the door? Let us know at loose_cables@infoworld.com.
Missed a column? Go back for more.
Copyright © 1998 InfoWorld Media Group Inc.
