Which one is better? I've heard Google stores and "owns" all the emails a person receives. Is it true? And how is Hotmail's privacy?

Well of course it stores them. That's how you can bloody read them. As for owning them, that's just standard US copyright bullshit to stop them getting sued. Ever seen any evidence of them reading through people's details to acquire passwords and the like? No? Me neither.

I've used gmail for years now and it's feature set is very impressive. Especially the world class spam guard. I also like how I've now got it set up to use domain named accounts all in one convenient place.

By storing I meant that they still keep them even if I delete them.

Gmail.
Hotmail still receives penis enlargement spam mail. And I prefer Gmail anyways....

Gmail hasn't let a single piece spam get through their filter into my inbox in years.
Hotmail, I'm not even certain that they bother filtering.

This.

Brain: We must prepare for tomorrow night.
Pinky: Why? What are we going to do tomorrow night?
Brain: The same thing we do every night, Pinky - try to take over the world!

:P

I'd have to agree - I don't use my gmail account very often but when I log in, I rarely have anything "spam-ish." OTOH, when I had my hotmail account, if I went a week without checking it, I'd have 200 pieces of spam.

Go with gmail.

I use Hotmail, and have been for years. I only just started getting some spam, about one every three to four days, and it never manages to land in my inbox. My one problem with it is that if you're having a very long conversation, it may suddenly decide that you've sent too many emails for the day and not let you send any more for a while. But that only happens if you have very, very long conversations, say, more than a hundred a day, for a number of days.

Gmail for sure. In about two years of usage, I think about 2 pieces of spam got through.

I've been getting a lot of spam at Gmail lately. :(

^This. I have no problems with it, but I don't ask for much. If one of the penis enlargements work, pass it my way... the pills I mean.

Seriously? There's no debate here. Gmail.

If you're using it for work gmail is considered "what the cool kids use", i.e. you'll be perceived as more technologically adept.