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| Technology Outlook |
You probably think you've got e-mail all figured out. After all, what's the big mystery? It's a convenient, inexpensive way to keep in touch--for business or pleasure. All you pay for is the Internet service provider of your choice. In fact, you may be so hooked that you're doing e-mail in triplicate: There's the no-frills Internet account that's your mainstay, the network-based package like Lotus Notes you use at work, and don't forget about the personal e-mail you receive via America Online.
Sound familiar? Looks like you could use a little help with e-mail management. A third-party e-mail package offers a wealth of organizational tools that a bare-bones e-mail program, included with many Internet accounts, lacks. And if your e-mail account is a network-based package, you can add more flexible Internet mail to your communications arsenal with one of the new free e-mail services. The best news? These smart e-mail packages are absolutely free.
You can use any of these packages as a replacement for your existing mail software since they support a common set of protocols called SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) and POP3 (Post Office Protocol version 3). Look for a new standard called Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) that'll soon be available. It adds the ability to manipulate mail and mailboxes without first storing files on your hard drive.
At a minimum, mail packages offer an organization system of folders and mailboxes for incoming and outgoing mail. For example, you could set up folders for each project you're working on, with mailboxes for each person you deal with.
E-mail packages also let you compose your messages offline, then schedule when they should be sent--hourly, daily, weekly, or whenever you want. You can also set priority-handling preferences, like having your e-mail package alert you when you receive a message from your boss. And just because you're using e-mail, there's no need to compromise quality for convenience. Handy utilities such as spell-checkers and formatting tools make it effortless to turn out e-mail messages that look as good as the memos you crank out with a word processor and laser printer.
| How You Use It: Internet E-mail |
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Any one of the six e-mail packages improves your ability to send, retrieve, and manage your messages and file attachments. Here's what to expect when you get started with Microsoft Internet Mail and News (click on links to see screen shots). Setting Up: To configure the e-mail software, you need to know your e-mail address, password, and the names of your Internet service provider's SMTP and POP3 mail servers. Composing Mail: In the Compose window you can create new messages, reply to mail you've received, or add file attachments. Some software also lets you format text and check spelling. Getting Your Messages: To send and receive mail, you must establish a connection to your Internet service provider or configure the software to dial your ISP directly. Managing Your Mail: Through a system of folders, mail filtering, and other options, e-mail clients turn your crowded mailbox into an efficient communications center. |
To help you decide on the right package, we looked at six Internet mail clients that are free. These include the popular mail programs that come with Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator, as well as the "light" version of the popular e-mail program Qualcomm Eudora Pro. Pegasus Mail, another Internet favorite, is a complete version that's free; the manuals cost $35. Hotmail and Juno are gratis newcomers that each work a little differently. Juno has direct-access lines that don't require an Internet service provider, but there's a trade-off: You must fill out a registration form that the company uses to collect demographic information. You also have to put up with the running advertisements that ultimately pay for the service.
We rated each product on its ease of setup, offline utilities, e-mail composition tools, message management, and file-organization options. One of the products we looked at supports multiple POP3 accounts--Pegasus Mail--and four support single POP3 accounts--Microsoft Internet Mail and News, Hotmail, Netscape Navigator Mail, and Qualcomm Eudora Light. Juno, meanwhile, is a stand-alone e-mail service that works only with its own dial-up service.
One thing these packages all have in common: They're yours for the taking. You simply have no excuse for putting up with a wimpy e-mail front end.
| Top Products | Price | Pros | Cons | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
(800) 426-9400 |
Free | Streamlined, customizable interface packs powerful message filing and addressbook management tools. | No drag-and-drop support; unwieldy drop-down approach to viewing message folders. |  All the power tools you need for taming your e-mail. And did we mention it's free? |
| Hotmail
Corp. Hotmail (510) 440-8912 |
Free | Supports any browser and works with any e-mail service; good performance with text messages. | Graphical messages move slowly; online advertisements. |  E-mail you can access from anywhere with any browser--as long as you're connected to the Web. |
| Juno Online
Services Juno (800) 654-5866 |
Free | Friendly interface; excellent address-book and reply options; doesn't require an ISP; toll-free access; fast. | Limited out-box functions; online ads; some connection delays while the company adds more access lines. | Truly free e-mail: a full-featured package that doesn't require you to spend a cent for an ISP. |
| Netscape Navigator Mail (415) 937-3777 |
Free with Navigator or Navigator Gold | Easy-to-use interface; supports online image viewing; can view attachments in the message body or as links to files; URL linking; support for nested folders. | Weak address-book tool; no filtering or autofiling options; can't be run as a stand-alone package. | Not many high-end tools, but it gets the job done for Netscape Navigator users. |
| Qualcomm Eudora Light (800) 238-3672 ext. 27072 |
Free; $89* for full version | Easy to use; strong address book and mail-management features. | Can't import address-book information from other sources; limited filtering capabilities. | Not quite as powerful as its commercial cousin, Eudora Pro, but it takes care of most mail-management needs. |
| David Harris Pegasus Mail 2.4 | Free; $35* for manuals | Supports multiple accounts, including LAN; advanced message and filing options; multiple signature files and address books. | Steep learning curve to take advantage of advanced features. |  The ultimate e-mail program--too bad it's so hard to use. |
Excellent |
Good |
Acceptable |
 Poor |
 Unacceptable |
Final Analysis: Free Web E-mail
Internet Mail CallIf you receive a moderate amount of e-mail messages every day, you'll probably be satisfied with the mail components of your Web browser: Microsoft Internet Mail and News or Netscape Navigator Mail. Both products performed well in our testing, though Navigator Mail is better equipped to handle image-based and Web-page file attachments. Navigator Mail also boasts a slightly friendlier message-viewing interface. But if you need autofiling options or make heavy use of address books and mailing lists, you'll want to go with Microsoft Internet Mail and News.
Another top-notch package to consider is Qualcomm Eudora Light. It's easy to use and has strong mail-management features. But if you need to retrieve e-mail from several accounts, you should consider upgrading to the full version, Eudora Pro; for $89 you get a lot more sophisticated mail tools. Another package that juggles multiple accounts is Pegasus Mail. It's a powerful program, but with a steep learning curve. Internet newbies need not apply.
Road warriors should give Hotmail a try. To send and receive e-mail, all you have to do is point your Web browser to Hotmail's Web site. You can check your mail from any computer running any browser, as long as it's connected to the Web. However, Hotmail is a free service, so you have to put up with some online advertisements.
If you don't already have an Internet mail account, or you handle all your e-mail chores from a corporate account like Novell GroupWise, Lotus cc:Mail, or Lotus Notes, you should check out Juno. This new mail service doesn't require that you have an Internet service provider. You simply dial the service direct to handle e-mail. Juno has a toll-free network and includes all the best organizational features you'd expect in a mail package. But with Juno, as with Hotmail, you have to provide demographic information about yourself and put up with online advertising.
Whichever Internet e-mail package you choose, one thing is for sure: Once you've used an Internet mail client, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.
BONNY GEORGIA
Decision Maker: Choose the Best Internet E-mail for Your Needs
| 1. Choose the factor that's most important. |
2. Choose the next most important factor. |
3. What else is important? |
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