There are two ways to get e-mail over the Internet. One is by using an e-mail client program installed in the user's computer, and the other is Web-based e-mail accessible from a Web browser on any computer. Very often, mail can be sent and received on the same service via both e-mail client programs and Web browsers.
The E-Mail Client - Tied to a Computer
The use of a mail program installed in the user's computer, such as Outlook, Eudora or Thunderbird, is the legacy approach, which is often richer in features than Web-based mail. The 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 the second computer and set up the program all over again.
Web-based E-Mail - From Any Computer
Web-based e-mail has two major advantages. First, messages can be sent and retrieved using any Web browser in the world by logging into the e-mail site with username and password. Even if a client e-mail program is routinely used, Web-based e-mail (Webmail) provides a convenient alternate when traveling.
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 is now me@newISP.com, because ISPs might not forward mail.
Free May Have Limitations
Most Web-based e-mail services are supported only by advertising; however, check size limits. If you receive large images and other attachments, your inbox could fill up before you check your mail, and 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 Internet service provider (ISP) host your mail service so that me@myname.com is yours permanently, even if you switch to another ISP. You use your favorite e-mail client program to manage your mail and/or the Web-based mail offered by the ISP. See POP3 and IMAP4.
Web-Based Services
For a directory of e-mail sites, visit www.emailaddresses.com. Some of the major sites are:
The E-Mail Client - Tied to a Computer
The use of a mail program installed in the user's computer, such as Outlook, Eudora or Thunderbird, is the legacy approach, which is often richer in features than Web-based mail. The 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 the second computer and set up the program all over again.
Web-based E-Mail - From Any Computer
Web-based e-mail has two major advantages. First, messages can be sent and retrieved using any Web browser in the world by logging into the e-mail site with username and password. Even if a client e-mail program is routinely used, Web-based e-mail (Webmail) provides a convenient alternate when traveling.
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 is now me@newISP.com, because ISPs might not forward mail.
Free May Have Limitations
Most Web-based e-mail services are supported only by advertising; however, check size limits. If you receive large images and other attachments, your inbox could fill up before you check your mail, and 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 Internet service provider (ISP) host your mail service so that me@myname.com is yours permanently, even if you switch to another ISP. You use your favorite e-mail client program to manage your mail and/or the Web-based mail offered by the ISP. See POP3 and IMAP4.
Web-Based Services
For a directory of e-mail sites, visit www.emailaddresses.com. Some of the major sites are:
www.gmail.com (Web based)
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.zoho.com (Web based)
www.bigfoot.com (forwarding)
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2009 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- Internet: A threat to government or the other way around?
- The Kleptocrats that feel entitled to your money...worry that us mushrooms now have other uncontrollable sources for the "truth" and won't eat the horse compost fed to them by the monopolistic crony Main-stream Media.RE: Internet: A threat to government or the other way around?There are two things tyrants and bureaucrats...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-20
- ShareTool 1.3.3 (Mac)
- ShareTool is hands down, the fastest, easiest, and most secure way to access all of your Bonjour services from anywhere in the world. No server or technical skills required. Also works with VPN connections. For anyone that's been itching to get Bonjour working over VPN, ShareTool is for you! Why...
- Software downloads 2009-11-19
- Selling customer information leads to prosecution
- What's the big deal?Isn't this how everyone does it? My boss would routinely buy millions of data records from companies to conduct email campaigns.Ah, but in Great BritainThey have made it TOTALLY illegal to sell data records. You cannot do stuff like this period over there, and I applaud...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-18
- More evidence of the coming collision between home broadband and the smart grid
- Collision?Not the word I would have used.In any event, I think this is a positive and necessary direction to go. In order to manage more diversified, less dependable/consistent sources of energy, the demand side HAS TO be managed. Without it, we are just setting ourselves up for a lot of...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-16
- Hello Engines 7.1.3 (Windows)
- The web promotion software Hello Engines submits your website correctly and reliably to almost all important search engines and web directories (i.e. AltaVista, Lycos, Excite, Yahoo, Google) worldwide. Your website is submitted to top quality search services, which ensures that Internet user will find you on the Internet and traffic...
- Software downloads 2009-11-13
- Microsoft delivers new Zune HD games; Twitter and Facebook still to come
- RE: Microsoft delivers new Zune HD games; Twitter and Facebook still to comOH BOYY!! CHECKERS??!! OMFG AWESOME!!Message has been deleted.can't you sample tonnes of music for free on radio?broadcast or on internet radio if you want to listen to very specific song.. or just sample for free via internet downloads.....
- Discussion threads 2009-11-11
- News to know: Logitech-LifeSize; Macworld; Droid sales; Tandberg; e-book readers
- Here are today's notable headlines. You can get News To Know via email alert and RSS daily. For continuous updates see BNET's around-the-Web tech coverage.: Larry Dignan: Logitech gobbles up LifeSize; Enters video conferencing Dave Greenfield: Logitech Buys LifeSize. Now what about Polycom?...
- Blog posts 2009-11-11
- No more servers? Rackspace says IT workers are tired of them
- And, as servers move to the cloud, fewer and fewer will be Windows servers.When you deploy thousands, you can pay millions in licensing for Windows, and, then Windows is less stable and less secure.RE: No more servers? Rackspace says IT workers are tired of themI wonder how well those outsourced...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-10
- Why is Apple meddling with my Windows AutoRun?
- Not suprised...Why would Apple try to keep their competitor secure? It would go aggainst their own adds.Oh and I'm not suprised that apple wants to meddle with autorun... I always disable that feature and it will stay disabled... I just hope Apple wont try to stealth enable it... PS: Great...
- Discussion threads 2009-11-10
- High-risk flaw dings Google Chrome
- no NoScript..No Google Chromethis is one of the reasons i don't want to get near this browser. Till Google wakes up and builds an add-on support for Adblock and NoScript, then and only then i might give it a try.Chrome wont even give me the Option to manually disable Scripting....
- Discussion threads 2009-11-06
- SmartCallMonitor 1.1 (Windows)
- SmartCallMonitor is the easy-to-use phone monitoring software for TAPI capable hardware like a telephone system or a ISDN card. It automatically tries to match incoming phone calls with data stored in your MS-Outlook contacts to provide information about the caller (e.g. name, address etc.). Information will be shown in a...
- Software downloads 2009-11-05
- News to know: L.A. goes Google; AMD-Galleon; Cisco-ScanSafe; Ubuntu; Amazon RDS
- Here are today's notable headlines. You can get News To Know via email alert and RSS daily. For continuous updates see BNET's around-the-Web tech coverage.: Larry Dignan: WSJ: AMD's former CEO was a Galleon tipster Sam Diaz: Cisco continues its buying spree with...
- Blog posts 2009-10-28
- Apple pitching media companies on tablet?
- Hehe, Apple just invented the eReader!![i]While the new Apple device isn't strictly an ebook-reader it appears that Cupertino is setting the stage for a completely new platform for deliverings, books, newspapers and magazines.[/i]Ah, I love how simply stating that this isn't "strictly" an ebook reader, you can credit Apple with...
- Discussion threads 2009-10-27
- Amazon launches relational database service: Think MySQL in the cloud
- Three reasons this is a bad paradigm...Security, security and...let's see, what was that other thing...oh yeah, security. The comment "enterprise customers are likely to take their time moving sensitive data into Amazon?s RDS effort" should be nominated for the understatement of the year award. What's more likely is...
- Discussion threads 2009-10-27
- A Net Neutrality Solution: Opinions Wanted
- First thoughts"the incumbents fought it tooth and nail"Same thing happened in the last 4 industrial revolutions!I'm broadly in favour of your improvements ... with a few caveats ... and will look at the 2 papers you plugged, sorry referenced ;-)"Users should be concerned that the Internet services they pay for...
- Discussion threads 2009-10-26
- News Corp. prepares to destroy more online value
- Finally Good PointsYou may have wanted to mention that comcast wanted to buy out 51 percent and then charge. Maybe they are delaying the inevitable but a reverse scenario? Due to sites like Hulu and other I and other have not paid for cable or satellite for over 3 years....
- Discussion threads 2009-10-26
- News to know: Nook; Yahoo; Sun; Net Neutrality; Apple; Windows 7
- Here are today's notable headlines. You can get News To Know via email alert and RSS daily. For continuous updates see BNET's around-the-Web tech coverage. Ed Burnette: Meet Nook: Barnes and Noble's sexy new book reader Matthew Miller: B&N Nook ebook reader revolutionizes...
- Blog posts 2009-10-21
- EvriChart: A Linux Success Story
- Tony Maro, CIO of EvriChart, a hospital records management and archiving business, successfully migrated his company's Windows-based line of business document management extranet application and his employees' 40-odd Windows-based desktops to a 100 percent Linux-based server and desktop infrastructure. Jason Perlow interviews Tony Maro, CIO...
- Blog posts 2009-10-20
- News to know: Apple; Alex; Microhoo; Droid; FCC
- Here are today's notable headlines. You can get News To Know via email alert and RSS daily. For continuous updates see BNET's around-the-Web tech coverage. Sam Diaz: Another strong quarter for Apple; credit strong iPhone, Mac sales Jason D. O'Grady: Apple announces most profitable...
- Blog posts 2009-10-20
- Android opens doors for Google's next-gen search, ads and tools
- Current problem with Android devicesI am Android fan, but nevertheless my next mobile phone will be HTC HD2 - i.e. Windows device. And the reason: all Andorid devices currently available have relatively small screen size and resolution. I am wandernig why Google doesn't urge on phone makers to offer...
- Discussion threads 2009-10-16
Neighboring Terms
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
- Keep Up With The Latest In Document Management with The DocuMentor.
-
Doc delivers the scoop on today's enterprise content management, printer maintenance, and all other issues related to document management. It's the DocuMentor Blog.
- Learn more >>
- New Online Dashboard for IT Leaders
-
Read about top issues IT decision-makers face every day, plus get cost-effective solutions to real-life IT problems.
- Learn more >>
- Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online - Free Six-Month Trial for Eligible Organizations
-
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online provides fast online access, simple contact management and better sales performance for a low monthly cost - the best value on the market today.
- Learn more about the free, six-month trial offer>>
- Learn more about tools to grow your business
-
The Business Essentials Guide provides you useful tools and templates to help grow your business and save you time with automated shipping solutions.
- Save time with the UPS Business Essentials Guide
SmartPlanet
- Thought-provoking progressive ideas on diverse topics that intersect with technology, business, and life, and matter to the world at large. Visit SmartPlanet
- More from IBM
-
- Can your business work smarter? Learn more about Lotus Symphony
- Learn how to work smarter and optimize cost using the IBM Smart SOA approach Download the eBook
- Smarter ways to make smarter products Read the brief from IBM
