Hotmail through the ages (images)

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Here's a look at a more current version of Windows Live Hotmail, reflecting its look as of last year.