Microsoft account Linking will be discontinued

When hotmail changed to outlook it was a problem as sometimes I couldnt log in, still cant actually, but now this. I have 3 accounts with hotmail for personal and business reasons. With there xbox one drm issues and now this are they trying to commit some sort of comercial suicide.

Anyway it will be a huge hassle to change e-mail addresses but can someone reccomend me a good alternative?
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  • cnbcwatchercnbcwatcher Posts: 56,681
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    Where oh where have Microsoft gone wrong? First Windows 8, then the Xbox One, now this. Anyway if you're looking for an alternative email I'd go for Gmail. Yahoo used to be good but it's gone really clunky and slow lately.
  • TheBigMTheBigM Posts: 13,125
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    bob856 wrote: »
    When hotmail changed to outlook it was a problem as sometimes I couldnt log in, still cant actually, but now this. I have 3 accounts with hotmail for personal and business reasons. With there xbox one drm issues and now this are they trying to commit some sort of comercial suicide.

    Anyway it will be a huge hassle to change e-mail addresses but can someone reccomend me a good alternative?

    Why does this mean you need to change email accounts?
  • bob856bob856 Posts: 159
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    TheBigM wrote: »
    Why does this mean you need to change email accounts?

    As far as I am aware this will require me to log in 3 seperate times to access my e-mail.
  • bob856bob856 Posts: 159
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    Where oh where have Microsoft gone wrong? First Windows 8, then the Xbox One, now this. Anyway if you're looking for an alternative email I'd go for Gmail. Yahoo used to be good but it's gone really clunky and slow lately.

    Thanks, Ill take a look at Gmail. Is it easy to have multiple addresses?
  • cnbcwatchercnbcwatcher Posts: 56,681
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    bob856 wrote: »
    Thanks, Ill take a look at Gmail. Is it easy to have multiple addresses?

    I think it is. I have three email addresses myself - one Hotmail (the one my university provided me with), one Yahoo and one Gmail. The Gmail is used the least. I only have it because I set it up when I got my Android phone, but I'm thinking of switching to Gmail from Yahoo.
  • bob856bob856 Posts: 159
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    I think it is. I have three email addresses myself - one Hotmail (the one my university provided me with), one Yahoo and one Gmail. The Gmail is used the least. I only have it because I set it up when I got my Android phone, but I'm thinking of switching to Gmail from Yahoo.

    I want one account where I can easily log in and access all my e-mail addresses which microsoft did. Ive had my hotmail account for over 10 years but microsoft dont seem to care anymore.
  • cnbcwatchercnbcwatcher Posts: 56,681
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    bob856 wrote: »
    I want one account where I can easily log in and access all my e-mail addresses which microsoft did. Ive had my hotmail account for over 10 years but microsoft dont seem to care anymore.

    I'm not sure if either Gmail or Yahoo support that.
  • TheBigMTheBigM Posts: 13,125
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    bob856 wrote: »
    I want one account where I can easily log in and access all my e-mail addresses which microsoft did. Ive had my hotmail account for over 10 years but microsoft dont seem to care anymore.

    Why not convert two out of your three into aliases?

    Or just use a multi-account email app?
  • Daveoc64Daveoc64 Posts: 15,374
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    bob856 wrote: »
    I want one account where I can easily log in and access all my e-mail addresses which microsoft did. Ive had my hotmail account for over 10 years but microsoft dont seem to care anymore.
    bob856 wrote: »
    Thanks, Ill take a look at Gmail. Is it easy to have multiple addresses?
    I think it is
    I'm not sure if either Gmail or Yahoo support that.

    The way that Gmail handles this is to let you be signed in to multiple accounts at the same time.

    Unlike Hotmail/Outlook.com, you have to sign in to each account separately, but once you do that, it works in a similar way (with a drop down in the top right hand corner of the screen showing all of the accounts you've logged into for easy switching).
  • jonner101jonner101 Posts: 3,410
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    It's the same sort of mess with Skype on windows 8

    You are forced to use a microsoft account with the modern or metro UI skype but can use it as normal with your original Skype username with the desktop version. Such a big mess.

    They seriously need to fire their management team right now.
  • bob856bob856 Posts: 159
    Forum Member
    Daveoc64 wrote: »
    The way that Gmail handles this is to let you be signed in to multiple accounts at the same time.

    Unlike Hotmail/Outlook.com, you have to sign in to each account separately, but once you do that, it works in a similar way (with a drop down in the top right hand corner of the screen showing all of the accounts you've logged into for easy switching).
    Ok I will try Gmail. I just want simplicity.
  • bob856bob856 Posts: 159
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    jonner101 wrote: »
    It's the same sort of mess with Skype on windows 8

    You are forced to use a microsoft account with the modern or metro UI skype but can use it as normal with your original Skype username with the desktop version. Such a big mess.

    They seriously need to fire their management team right now.

    Im not sure you could call it management.
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,692
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    Anyone who is going to Gmail, read the terms and conditions carefully, Gmail will scan your email for keywords so they can chuck adverts at you, even if you block the adverts, your email is still being scanned.

    Yahoo is doing the same now, which is why they are dropping classic email as they can#t do it with that, and that is why I am dropping Yahoo.

    If you are not worried about the scanning then it is not a problem.
  • wiltwilt Posts: 978
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    noise747 wrote: »
    Anyone who is going to Gmail, read the terms and conditions carefully, Gmail will scan your email for keywords so they can chuck adverts at you, even if you block the adverts, your email is still being scanned.

    Yahoo is doing the same now, which is why they are dropping classic email as they can#t do it with that, and that is why I am dropping Yahoo.

    If you are not worried about the scanning then it is not a problem.

    I'm not really a fan of Google but I don't really understand all of this hand-waving freakoutery over the keyword scanning.

    All mail services scan your email to check if it is spam - and 90% of the time those services will then go on to store that email for you for a long time. If you don't trust the service to deal with your personal information responsibly, then you shouldn't be letting them have your email.
  • TheBigMTheBigM Posts: 13,125
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    jonner101 wrote: »
    It's the same sort of mess with Skype on windows 8

    You are forced to use a microsoft account with the modern or metro UI skype but can use it as normal with your original Skype username with the desktop version. Such a big mess.

    They seriously need to fire their management team right now.

    But you can merge your skype username with the microsoft account. Or something very similar, I can't remember the exact details of what I did now.
  • Daveoc64Daveoc64 Posts: 15,374
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    jonner101 wrote: »
    It's the same sort of mess with Skype on windows 8

    You are forced to use a microsoft account with the modern or metro UI skype but can use it as normal with your original Skype username with the desktop version. Such a big mess.

    They seriously need to fire their management team right now.

    I don't really understand what your problem is with that.

    Windows 8 - use login method A

    Skype for Desktop - use login method A or B

    If you personally can't cope with the idea of having more than one sign in option, just always use your Microsoft account to sign in.
  • flagpoleflagpole Posts: 44,641
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    As far as i can see outlooks handling of different email accounts is about the same as gmail's
  • jonner101jonner101 Posts: 3,410
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    Daveoc64 wrote: »
    I don't really understand what your problem is with that.

    Windows 8 - use login method A

    Skype for Desktop - use login method A or B

    If you personally can't cope with the idea of having more than one sign in option, just always use your Microsoft account to sign in.

    I've had a Skype account for ages long before a Microsoft account and long before windows 8. I don't want to change it. In fact it's just bonkers that I can't use my original Skype account with the windows 8 Skype app, therefore I'm forced to use the desktop version ( more madness )

    Skype had it's own user ID mechanism and never needed to be linked to any other id or account so windows 8 should give you the option to log in with your original Skype ID, or they should have renamed it to windows face time.

    If you can't see the problem with that I really hope you have nothing to do with software design
  • flagpoleflagpole Posts: 44,641
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    jonner101 wrote: »
    I've had a Skype account for ages long before a Microsoft account and long before windows 8. I don't want to change it. In fact it's just bonkers that I can't use my original Skype account with the windows 8 Skype app, therefore I'm forced to use the desktop version ( more madness )

    Skype had it's own user ID mechanism and never needed to be linked to any other id or account so windows 8 should give you the option to log in with your original Skype ID, or they should have renamed it to windows face time.

    If you can't see the problem with that I really hope you have nothing to do with software design
    Why should they call it windows face time?

    It's not a windows only product.
  • wiltwilt Posts: 978
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    jonner101 wrote: »
    I've had a Skype account for ages long before a Microsoft account and long before windows 8. I don't want to change it. In fact it's just bonkers that I can't use my original Skype account with the windows 8 Skype app, therefore I'm forced to use the desktop version ( more madness )

    Skype had it's own user ID mechanism and never needed to be linked to any other id or account so windows 8 should give you the option to log in with your original Skype ID, or they should have renamed it to windows face time.

    If you can't see the problem with that I really hope you have nothing to do with software design
    I suspect that eventually, they will be doing away with Skype usernames and using Microsoft Accounts exclusively.

    Unfortunately, in the mean time, you get this situation where some apps support one, the other, or both - it's a mess but I suspect it would be much worse for you if they just turned off Skype usernames immediately.
  • jonner101jonner101 Posts: 3,410
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    flagpole wrote: »
    Why should they call it windows face time?

    It's not a windows only product.

    That's the whole point it's a generic product, but you are forced to use a Microsoft account to use The Metro flavour of it, unless there was some option I've missed

    If you already have been using Skype for years with your own login it's of no use whatsoever so you have to use the desktop version.

    This would for example render the touch version on a surface totally useless for me.
  • flagpoleflagpole Posts: 44,641
    Forum Member
    jonner101 wrote: »
    That's the whole point it's a generic product, but you are forced to use a Microsoft account to use The Metro flavour of it, unless there was some option I've missed

    If you already have been using Skype for years with your own login it's of no use whatsoever so you have to use the desktop version.

    This would for example render the touch version on a surface totally useless for me.
    Previously with Skype you were forced to use a Skype login, and it had the Skype theme.

    Now Microsoft own it and you have to use a Microsoft login. Cos Microsoft bought it.

    Merge your accounts. Bite the bullet.
  • jonner101jonner101 Posts: 3,410
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    flagpole wrote: »
    Previously with Skype you were forced to use a Skype login, and it had the Skype theme.

    Now Microsoft own it and you have to use a Microsoft login. Cos Microsoft bought it.

    Merge your accounts. Bite the bullet.

    Yes the quality is down and the bugs are up since they got it. ( perhaps all the US government monitoring on it now interferes )

    Can't be bothered with merging or any stuff like that. If I have to use it with a Microsoft account, I'll just ditch it and use something like Google hangouts.

    I'm already using Apple face time on apple devices for people I know who have apple stuff as the call/video quality is 100 times better.
  • wiltwilt Posts: 978
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    jonner101 wrote: »
    Yes the quality is down and the bugs are up since they got it. ( perhaps all the US government monitoring on it now interferes )

    Can't be bothered with merging or any stuff like that. If I have to use it with a Microsoft account, I'll just ditch it and use something like Google hangouts.

    I'm already using Apple face time on apple devices for people I know who have apple stuff as the call/video quality is 100 times better.
    Not in my experience - it is neither worse or better since MS got their hands on it.

    Yeah, moving to a new service sounds much simpler than just logging in with your Microsoft account. Have fun. :)
  • jonner101jonner101 Posts: 3,410
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    wilt wrote: »
    Not in my experience - it is neither worse or better since MS got their hands on it.

    Yeah, moving to a new service sounds much simpler than just logging in with your Microsoft account. Have fun. :)

    I use Skype several times a day at work mostly for voice calls, it's 100% has been flakier since Microsoft have been tinkering with it. Possibly it doesn't handle being installed and active on more than 1 device at a time. I have my work PC on 27/7 and only re-boot now and then so maybe it's that.

    That's not to say it's really an unreliable service but there are definitely a higher number of glitches since MS took over. For example I often get a calls but no notification window ( fixed by restarting the Skype program ) and random bandwidth issues
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