Internet e-mail service

There are two ways to get e-mail over the Internet. One is by using a mail program that is installed in the user's computer, and the other is Web-based e-mail that is accessible from any Web browser on any computer. Very often, both methods can be used. For example, Microsoft's Web-based Hotmail can be accessed via any browser or an Outlook mail program that is set up for Hotmail. Many Internet service providers (ISPs) support both (see explanations of these techniques below).

The E-Mail Client
The use of a mail program (also known as a "mail client" or "e-mail client") such as Outlook, Eudora or Thunderbird is the traditional approach. The advantage of such programs is that they are rich in features compared with Web-based mail and are preferred by many users. Their disadvantage is that e-mail access is tied to the machine the software is installed in. To retrieve e-mail from another computer, one has to install the mail client in that computer and set up the program all over again with user data and the address of the ISP's mail server.

Web-based E-Mail
Web-based e-mail has two major advantages. First, messages can be read and sent from any Web browser in the world by accessing the e-mail site and logging in with username and password. Even if a client e-mail program is the preferred retrieval method, Web-based e-mail provides a convenient alternate when traveling without the computer.

Secondly, a person can keep their Web-based e-mail address no matter how many times they switch ISPs for Internet access. If users do not have Web-based e-mail, they typically use their ISP's mail server. If they switch to a different ISP, they must notify everyone that me@oldISP.com has been changed to me@newISP.com, because most ISPs do not forward mail.

Free Has Limitations
Many Web-based e-mail services are free, supported only by advertising; however, there may be a size limit. If you expect to receive large images and other attachments, your mailbox could fill up before you even check your mail. Until you empty the mailbox by downloading the backlog, subsequent e-mails and attachments will be turned away.

The Same Address Forever!
If you change your Web-based e-mail service, you still have the change-of-address problem. One way to solve that for good is to register your own domain name and have an ISP host your mail server with your name so that me@myname.com never changes. In such cases, you can use an e-mail client program or the Web-based alternative your ISP provides you. If you were to change ISPs, your domain name travels with you, and another ISP can host me@myname.com just like the previous one did.

Web-Based E-Mail Services
For a directory of e-mail sites, visit www.emailaddresses.com. Some of the major sites are:

    www.hotmail.com    (Web based)
    www.juno.com       (Web based and non-Web)
    www.mail.com       (Web based)
    www.netscape.com   (Web based)
    www.yahoo.com      (Web based)
    www.zdnet.com      (Web based)

    www.bigfoot.com    (forwarding)