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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 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
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) |
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