I used to be a loyal hotmail user but then I started getting too much spam in my inbox. I switched to google mail and I really like it!
For messenger, I prefer Windows Messenger.

I'm using Hotmail, Yahoo and Gmail email services. But my primary email is Gmail. Awsome stuff. Fast and gives you a lot of space to store your messages. Yahoo and Hotmail came up with them Beta stuff already. VEry nice layout and all but slow. They're also providing us with more space .

For IM services, I'm using MSN MEssenger and Yahoo Messenger .

I use gmail and hotmail for different email accounts. I'm currently trying out the windows live mail again, but I'm dissapointed with the speed. It's all looks and no practicality. Gmail is very nice, but I use it for my personal e-mail and what not instead of using it for forums and games.

As with messenger, I'll always stick with msn. 10x above AIM, and even when google's messenger takes a stand, everyone will stay with msn unless you can talk to people on msn from it. There's no point trying to get my whole contact list to switch.

I'm using an account on tlen.pl. It's working nice for me - and it's integrated with my Tlen IM [it works mostly with polish messengers, but there are plugins for ICQ, AIM, and MSN - so I've got everything I need in one place]. Lately I'm thinking about switching to Gmail.

I use gmail primarily now after having a hotmail account for 5 years, I grew tired of the constant ads I was getting from various places from which I had signed up for junk. Basically, gmail has such a great interface, it's implementation of AJAX (I believe?) is amazing for quickly searching through e-mails. It's amazing to see things change from mostly clients which you point to servers that download e-mails, to being able to log on to a service and view e-mails which can be read from anywhere, not to mention being cross compatibile between different OS platforms is amazing.

Anyway, that is basically where hotmail failed, I tried the live beta e-mail interface but it just doesn't give nearly the same feel as gmail does. Google is doing such a great job with new technology, i'm suprised they haven't tried to combat windows in the server markets with their own OS, and even possibly the desktop world.

As for an instant messenger, because of my archaic hotmail account I use MSN, even though I think it is the crappiest piece of software to ever be invented. Anyone see the new live client? It seems okay, but I just can't stand them. I wish there was an open standard for Instant Messenger clients that all could abide to which would allow us to use many multiple clients, but I guess because of the way servers have to handle contact information that would be impossible.

i use yahoo messenger and also yahoo mail and i am very satisfied of the services offered. i also will still keep using yaho.

I use MSN Live Messenger and a Gmail account.

I tend to use a few services for different uses. The advanced Yahoo mail comes with my isp and the only thing I like about it is that I can weed out all the spam online and not have to suffer from weeding spam from my email client. I am in love with the ThunderBird Mail client with the webmail extensions which allow you to access your motmail Yahoo mail etc.

I find Google's G-mail works really well for online magazines etc as you can add labels to web magazines etc.

I also use G-mail for development mail for Linux.

What am I looking for?

The ability to to access mail from the web without downloading all of it to weed out spam. The ability to selectively download or leave mail on the server. The ability to easily highlight mail say with a *BLEEP* and click similar to a application to move and delete unwanted email etc.

As for messenger MSN as all my family and friends seem to use it.

I have two gmail account which I use (I run them through outlook express). I also have a hotmail account because MSN is used around my location. Most, if not all, of my friends use MSN as the main messenger (got over 350 right now). I had an aim account, but only used that when I was into web design scene where alot of personal websites that affiliated tended to use AIM. I have never used YIM, and I had ICQ vaguely but never really liked it because I only had 1-2 close friends with it.

I have used trillian when I had msn/aim but I never really liked it. So I stuck with msn instead. Only thing I don;t like about msn is how the email comes up in IE, so I got a 3rd party script that opens the email with my primary browser which is firefox, however I tend to click and watch alot of the msn video stories and whatnot and they dont work on firefox. I guess I should probably look for a hack, or just take the plug in off as I really don;t mind using IE7 that much considering I dont really use hotmail as my email service, just as a gateway for msn. Then again, I could always make a new msn account using my gmail. That seems like a good idea to me.

Actually while Im on the topic, I should consolidate all my accounts into one gmail account. Meaning, make one gmail account (A new one with a universal account name that I could use for hotmail and my new email) and have both my other two gmail accounts forward to my main account. I cant eliminate my other emails because I've used one for sooo long, my other is for websites and online alias, and then my hotmail.

Anyway, yea I use MSN w/ hotmail account... then two gmail accounts