Outlook. MS, please read my rant.

[Geek-9pm]

I tried to log into my Hotmail account. Used to work find. I still can get POP via  Thunderbird and also on the iPhone.

But I wanted to get into Hotmail and look at some old stuff. I could not sign in. It said something about Outlook. Not Hotmail. If In wanted outlook, I would have typed in Outlook. Anyway, I wrote this to Microsoft.
====================================================
I have a email address and password, and when I try to go to either Hotmail or live I get an error. It will not validate my password. Yet the password and user name work OK on the Thunderbird client on my PC.

What are you guys doing wrong?
I have not chanted. 
You guys changed.
geek9pm@lxxxxxxxxx

[BC_Programmer]

It works fine for me, FWIW, though I've been using the webmail as the primary method, so maybe there was some switchover I had to do that I forget. (that is, same username, including the @hotmail.com of the address, and same password as always

[reddevilggg]

Yeah, there was a switch over. I was informed for quite a few weeks before i 'converted' my hotmail to outlook. Still same address and password. It a was seamless transition.

[soybean]

I tried to log into my Hotmail account. Used to work find. I still can get POP via  Thunderbird and also on the iPhone.

But I wanted to get into Hotmail and look at some old stuff. I could not sign in. It said something about Outlook. Not Hotmail.

Yes, as indicated/implied in previous replies, if you enter hotmail.com in your browser, it re-directs to a Live.com sign-in page which shows Outlook, Microsoft's new title for their email service.  Just go ahead and enter your old Hotmail address in the box for "Microsoft account" and your password for you old Hotmail account.  You should be able to sign in.

[patio]

I like how MS didn't even let anyone know they were dumping it...
The epitome of arrogance.

[Salmon Trout]

I like how MS didn't even let anyone know they were dumping it...
The epitome of arrogance.

They announced Outlook.com and how it would replace Hotmail in July 2012. There has been a ton of publicity since then.

[patio]

I saw exactly 1 article...and that was on Bink.nu.

[BC_Programmer]

I like how MS didn't even let anyone know they were dumping it...
The epitome of arrogance.

Every hotmail account received multiple notifications about the upcoming change long before they occured.

[Salmon Trout]

At roll out it was announced by Microsoft and stories were all over the the geek media and blogs, and non geek media:

Say Hello to Outlook.com, New Modern Email from Microsoft

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/features/2012/jul12/07-31Outlookcom.aspx

(July 31, 2012) Introducing Outlook.com

http://blogs.office.com/b/microsoft-outlook/archive/2012/07/31/introducing-outlook-com-modern-email-for-the-next-billion-mailboxes.aspx

(July 31, 2012) Microsoft Unveils Outlook.com, Hotmail's Successor

http://tech.slashdot.org/story/12/07/31/1723228/microsoft-unveils-outlookcom-hotmails-successor

(July 31, 2012) Microsoft Debuts Outlook.com, Cloud Email Revamp

http://slashdot.org/topic/cloud/microsoft-debuts-outlook-com-cloud-email-revamp/

(July 31, 2012) Microsoft Did the Impossible: The New Hotmail Is Fantastic

http://gizmodo.com/5930358/microsoft-did-the-impossible-the-new-hotmail-is-fantastic

(July 31, 2012) Hotmail to be replaced by Outlook.com in Microsoft switch

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19067634

(July 31, 2012) Microsoft introduces Outlook.com, Hotmail's planned successor

http://www.zdnet.com/microsoft-introduces-outlook-com-hotmails-planned-successor-7000001888/

(July 31, 2012) Outlook.com: Take a tour of Microsoft's Hotmail Replacement

http://readwrite.com/2012/07/31/outlookcom-take-a-tour-of-microsofts-hotmail-replacement

That was the announcement of Outlook.com preview, and the fact that it would replace Hotmail. On February 19, 2013 it went out of preview and into public release, and just about every media outlet on the planet carried a story about that. As BC_Programmer said, every Hotmail user got multiple notifications.

[Geek-9pm]

The change was not seamless.
MS deliberately chose a way to make users take note and make changes. This is part of their business plan. This is sometimes called the 'mushroom growth theory' in the business world. It has nothing to do with computers. It is a way of manipulating consumers.

I am one of a number of senor citizens that use computers and haven very low vision in the center of the eye. We depend on all the aids  available to us. My e-mail client can log in automatically to the POP_ services of Hotmail and DeadMail*. Before the 'improvement' my browser could provide the user name and password for me. It was never a security issue.

Thank you all for letting me vent.

* Sarcasm. It is call Live com,  but for me it is now dead.

[soybean]

Before the 'improvement' my browser could provide the user name and password for me. It was never a security issue.

I see nothing about the transition from Hotmail to Outlook that changes saving the username and password in a browser.  Now, IE won't save it for me but IE won't save lots of passwords for me that Firefox or Opera will save.  So, if you're using IE, try a different browser for better password-saving support.