A
MSN Hotmail Plus account is required to check your MSN Hotmail account with POP3 mail program on your computer.
Sorry, but although you used to be able check a free hotmail account with a mail client on your computer MSN Hotmail disabled this feature.
Update: As of January 14 2009 free POP3 access is available in the following countries:
United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, Japan, Spain, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Update: As of February 12 2009 free POP3 access is available in the United States!