Hotmail through the ages (images)

Venerable program has gone through a variety of looks, from its inception as a pioneer in free e-mail to its current role as a cornerstone of Microsoft's Windows Live service.

Ina Fried

May 3, 2010 2:14 p.m. PT

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Microsoft

Microsoft's first Hotmail

Microsoft acquired Hotmail in December 1997, and got 8 million users. Here is a screenshot of Hotmail as it looked then.

The venerable program has gone through a variety of looks, from its inception as a pioneer in free e-mail to its current role as a cornerstone of Microsoft's Windows Live service.

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Microsoft

Hotmail gets a big makeover

Microsoft showed off an early test version of Kahuna at a financial analysts' meeting in July 2005.

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Microsoft

The last MSN Hotmail

Hotmail, as it looked in early 2006, before its Windows Live makeover was completed.

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Microsoft

Hotmail becomes Windows Live Mail

An April 2006 test version of Windows Live Mail. Before the service exited beta, Microsoft had brought back the Hotmail name, dubbing the product Windows Live Hotmail.

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Microsoft

Hotmail brings back its classic look

To assuage critics who found the new look too jarring, Microsoft brought back a "classic view" for the Windows Live product, one that more closely resembled the old Hotmail. That version, which also worked better on slow connections, eventually was made the default option for existing customers.