I don't have an Outlook.com email account and I don't particularly want one since I definitely don't want my email synching to anything. 

But if I've read the instructions correctly I need to have one so that I can *unhappy frown* migrate my stuff from Windows Live.  Assuming for the sake of argument that I don't hurl my laptop out of the window and go buy an Apple product instead,

1. how do I get an Outlook.com email account so that I can access my email from my laptop?

2. how can I stop it from synching itself with my desktop?

Lo-tech Lisa in Australia