Yes I have. I do have a Hotmail account, just don't like using it compared to Gmail.

Well, then, this may interest you.

https://forums.wincustomize.com/451561/page/1/ 

I have an iPad. My Windows8 phone is the Lumia 520.

 Thing is, you don't have to use your hotmail account for anything other than signing into the Windows Store. That's what I do! My hotmail account is used for the store and newsletters I signed up for. For everything else I use my ISP provided email account. So for all your other email needs you can stick with G-mail if that's what you want.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Still trying to talk me into running Windows 8 Mark? I can't do it. It runs like crap on my system. Sorry.

Not trying to talk you into anything, just trying to advise for when you are ready to make the switch.

I'll probably be ready to switch when Windows 9 comes out and Microsoft apologizes for making 8 a crappy OS.

H8rs gonna h8....what ya gonna do?

I don't hate Windows 8. Takes to much energy to hate anything or anyone.

Good tip.  I'll check to make sure it's disabled when I get home.  I seem to remember disabling it when I put 8.1 on, but it doesn't hurt to double check.

+1 karma to you and to redneckdude for his tip.

I got very irritated when I got switched over to Outlook/Office 365, and I have been wishing I could have Hotmail back ever since.

I will not be using Windows 8 when I get a proper computer of my own if I can help it, because I still use XP on a daily basis, and barely even got use 7 when my school upgraded.

Support for XP will end in a couple of months so you should probably look into updating to Win 7 or 8 before its end date.... as in going on the www after that will be risky to say the least, with malware proliferators coming out of the woodwork to exploit the lack of security updates.

As for Outlook/Office 365, you can still use Hotmail if you want.  I trialled 365 a while back but still retained my Hotmail account via Windows Live Mail

That isn't entirely correct.

Microsoft has announced this that it will continue to provide anti-malware support for Windows XP until July 2015 - a little over one year after its end-of-life date on April 8.

The company will release "signatures" that will be used to identify and ward off malware for Windows XP systems. These signatures will continue to be delivered to Windows systems running various Microsoft security and management products.

This includes users running its free Microsoft Security Essentials, marking a change in thinking for Microsoft, who had previously said that Security Essentials would lose support on April 8.

Source:http://www.techradar.com/us/news/software/operating-systems/microsoft-backtrack-on-windows-xp-security-offer-malware-support-1215734

If you are still using XP, you should read the article as it contains important information.

Well there you go, it seems MS has backflipped again.  I'm sure that I read all support for XP would end on April 8.  It seems, though, this security support will be delivered via the Security Essentials suite rather than Windows Update, as it had been in the past.  I don't suppose it matters, though.  There are many XP users who will be thankful for the reprieve... and if I want I will be able to connect my XP gaming machine to the net for another 18 months with fewer concerns about security.

Thanks for posting this, Wiz, it has been helpful.

Thanks, Wizard 1956!   

I wasn't aware of any support for XP after April either.  That's some good news.   

Most of the discussions here have dealt with the individual computer users but I think we forget that most of what is left of the XP base in use is in the business world.  Went to the doctors a couple of weeks ago and they are still running XP, I'm sure you can find it elsewhere.  MS does realize this.