Is MS going down the right track?

Microsoft (MSN/Hotmail) just sent me this email:
Recently, Hotmail® announced that in order to improve customer experience and reduce spam and junk e-mail abuse on MSN® services, Hotmail will no longer allow new e-mail accounts to be accessed via Microsoft® Office Outlook® and Outlook Express.

We are pleased to inform you that because you are an existing and valued customer, at this time your current Hotmail and MSN account(s) are exempt from this restriction and you will be able to continue enjoying access to those accounts from Outlook or Outlook Express. However, any new Hotmail or MSN accounts you create will not be accessible via Outlook or Outlook Express.
(red, bold text mine)

Now, I have no intent of paying for an email account, and if Microsoft decides that they'd like to charge me and make me stop using Outlook Express one of these days down the road, two things are true:
1) I won't do it - I'll use only my GMail account, which allows me to access the account using POP anyway.
2) MS becomes truly evil in my mind. I will admit to some level of dependency on my Hotmail account. I use it for almost any purposes except personal/professional ones. Anyone who might spam me, Hotmail. Anyone who needs my email for their frequent flier club, Hotmail. To make consumers dependent on your service and then, several years later, to start charging, is both a brilliant and completely unethical idea. I love it and hate it!
More on this subject if that highlighted red text above ever goes out of effect!

Also, if you want a GMail account (www.gmail.com), I have 50 referrals to give away now, so just drop me a line!