How can I switch from Hotmail to Gmail?

After using Hotmail for 20 years, our reader's friends say she should switch to Gmail. Is it worth it?

I've used Hotmail from the late 90s. All my friends and family use Gmail and I feel like a dinosaur with clunky old Hotmail. Apart from looking like I've finally entered the 21st century, what are the benefits of switching from Hotmail to Gmail? And, given everyone I've ever known has my Hotmail address, and I have so many old emails in my Hotmail inbox, how on earth could I switch? T

I was one of Gmail's first public users in 2004 and spent a decade recommending Hotmail users to switch. I almost switched back in 2013, but both services have changed a lot since then. I now think you should have both services, with one acting as a backup, though you could also back up to Yahoo.

Ideally, you should use your own domain name for your main address. Unfortunately, neither Hotmail nor Gmail provides that feature free, though to some extent you can fake it with an alias. See below ".