Recommendations for the best FREE e-mail service?

[JoeyM]

I have found that Google Mail is excellent because it allows you to use outlook express (pop/smtp) for FREE. Yahoo does not and MSN does not. IS there a reason I should not choose Google or some kind of work-around for the MSN/Yahoo situation that is FREE and easy?

I would be interested in hearing recommendations for FREE e-mail service.

Thanks in advance!

JoeyM

[Lena]

Been using gmail for many months and like it a lot. Except for an outage of 24 hours and 48 hours on two gmail accounts about two months ago, I have found the service great, especially the pop/smtp option.

However, if one goes to the forum google.public.support.general, you will find many complaints about users of gmail who cannot access their accounts for hours or days. I believe this is the nature of the forum, where folks go to complain when things don't work and they are never heard from again once problems clear up.

[Boz]

I would use GMail, except once you POP a GMail account from one PC, you CANNOT receive the e-mail via POP on a second PC. This is not a problem for most users that only use one PC, but it is for me and others that use more than one PC, and wish to retrieve their e-mail via POP on each of their PCs. Nobody that I'm aware of has figured out why GMail doesn't behave like regular POP3 accounts in this regard.
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[Lena]

Boz wrote:

..once you POP a GMail account from one PC, you CANNOT receive the e-mail via POP on a second PC....

But you could access the account on that second PC via the web.

And if you choose to archive your messages in your gmail account, you won't lose any emails by reading them through different PCs.

BTW, it was interesting to learn that gmail does not consider a dot (.) a unique character in a username. So if your username is in the form of john.smith and someone forgets the dot and sends it to johnsmith, you will still get the email.

[Boz]

Lena wrote:

But you could access the account on that second PC via the web. And if you choose to archive your messages in your gmail account, you won't lose any emails by reading them through different PCs.

Well, I understand, but even though we are talking about Google, if I want a permanent record of my e-mails, I just can't bring myself to trust that GMail won't somehow go away, so I like them on my hard drives.
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[Lena]

Boz wrote:

..I want a permanent record of my e-mails, I just can't bring myself to trust that GMail won't somehow go away, so I like them on my hard drives.

So you POP 'em to one PC (rather than scatter them among two or more PCs) and store them there permanently. If you read them on a second PC via web access, leave them in the inbox where they will be POPped to the primary PC the next time you access it there.

With a promise of over 2.5 GB of storage, I'm not as concerned about losing the email as I am that the free service will change to a fee service.

But given the teriffic spam filtering by gmail, I think it's the greatest (as long as it stays free).

[OG1]

Boz wrote:

I would use GMail, except once you POP a GMail account from one PC, you CANNOT receive the e-mail via POP on a second PC. This is not a problem for most users that only use one PC, but it is for me and others that use more than one PC, and wish to retrieve their e-mail via POP on each of their PCs. Nobody that I'm aware of has figured out why GMail doesn't behave like regular POP3 accounts in this regard.

You must check off the right e-mail option. Also, GMail does not offer IMAP but POP3.

[Boz]

OG1 wrote:

You must check off the right e-mail option. Also, GMail does not offer IMAP but POP3.

You need to try it for yourself before posting. And nobody mentioned IMAP.
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[Guest]

Google Gmail. Google keeps a permanent record of all Google searches and messages such as electronic mail messages in its files data bases which can not be canceled or deleted.

This policy is in line with Google's marketing philosophy strategy regarding and/or reflecting it's advertisers.

As a security issue, I would not recommend using Gmail and have all Gmail messages forwarded to a special account just for Gmail so they don't get mixed up with the others.
GMail users are at their own risk assessment on using GMail.

Discussions on Google GMail Forums are available at  www.emaildiscussions.com  and others.

[Guest]

Google and Yahoo Washers -  www.scroogle.org  . A proxy account is set up that shields the user's IP address and email messages from Google and Yahoo sites.

Similar software is also available at most larger computer software outlets or at a professional service web hosting site.

[Ivy]

I've been using Gmail for over 6 months. All in all, I can't complain, especially since it is free. I've had trouble accessing my email 3 times, but, the outages only listed a few hours each time. I've read about users not being able to access their accounts for days on end. I guess I've been lucky, knock wood. As for the security issues, if a proxy is used, you improve your security. Actually, due to the links they add based on emails or whatever, I've come across some good sites. Also, Gmail has a pretty good spam filter.

Another good free email addy is  http://www.inbox.com/.  I've been using that addy for a couple months. No outages at all. Great spam filtering. Has more features then Gmail does, I believe. All for free, no cost at all.

[bruce bailey]

Hotmail has been bad for me the last 6 months and Juno has been great.

[Guest]

Ivy wrote:

Another good free email addy is  http://www.inbox.com/.  I've been using that addy for a couple months. No outages at all. Great spam filtering. Has more features then Gmail does, I believe. All for free, no cost at all.

Anyone else using inbox.com? They say there are no advertisements. I know they also offer paid ISP service. But still how do they offer a free email service with what sounds like all the bells and whistles without ads? What's the catch?

[EasyE]

Plenty of services WERE great, until they change their terms of service or started charging. Juno was one of the original providers that even had their own client and phone numbers. After the client was discontinued, they still had their silly 2MB limit. Luckily that was raised, but you cannot receive/send using a typical POP3 client for free anymore. I've used plenty of other services that people have recommended such as Softhome, Yifan, Netaddress, MailandNews, and Yahoo. All of them were fantastic when I first signed on. Now, they are nothing but a hassle to deal with because of the restrictions they set seemingly after you have given that address to everybody.

[pete]

I'm still satisfied with  http://www.vfemail.net/ 

[Guest]

unregistered wrote:

[.. Anyone else using  http://www.inbox.com  ? They say there are no advertisements. I know they also offer paid ISP service. But still how do they offer a free email service with what sounds like all the bells and whistles without ads? What's the catch?

The web site has been set up as similar and patterned after the Yahoo site. ISP service plans are also available at $9.99 per month with accelerated options as to compete with UOL - Juno and Netzero Platinum services.

It is with the hope by offering the free email accounts that the subscriber is also interested in the site's marketing partners and Inbox ISP services.

The email site is a little slow to load from regular dial up but is better with the ISP's accelerated option services.

Although more than one email account is allowed, other accounts may require regular logins so that they don't go away as the site has been still in development for non Inbox Isp subscribers. Only email accounts for Inbox.com Isp service plan subscribers are guaranteed.

Provide an alternate email account such as Yahoo for any back up message copies such as cc and bcc that are of interest on reference until the site is more stable if you have more than one email account at Inbox.com .

The format for the email account is set up for the Small Office/Home Office user (SOHO) on business transactions although anyone can sign up for an account if one is not an Inbox Isp subscriber on services.

See FL reviews on a limited posting of comments as the ISP service site is relatively new.

[Guest]

Free email accounts at Inbox.com are presented 'As Is' and 'As available'.

Optional email paid account services with greater storage capacities (3GB) and guaranteed services are planned for the near future.  www.inbox.com  .

[bubby]

This is the only reason i like hmail. The looks. I use email frequently so i dont worry about the 30day limit.they actually make you feel like you are using Outlook or ThunderBird.
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[JoeyM]

how safe is it to use gmail for email that might contain passwords (pages sent with passwords for verification by certain sites, etc) or emails with other private content?

Am I any less safe with gmail than a netzero email address or hotmail? Someone here said that they archive everything, does that mean my email could get hacked into and will NEVER get deleted by google?

Anyone concerned about safety and gmail or is it basically the same as any other email service?

Thanks,
JoeyM

[digger]

Gmail: Help Center - How do I delete messages?:
 http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=7401