E-mail programs?

Ogandydancer

Ogandydancer

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I have been informed by my ISP that as of April 15th, they will no longer offer me email with my internet. I already have two fairly decent e-mails for back up. one is [email protected] the other is an AOL account. I have had both of these for years. Should I use one of those or look for something a little better. Please do not suggest G-mail as I already have a gmail account but I hate it. I also never use it. The only benefit I get from it is registration on you tube and facebook and, would not use it for those if I could find a way around it.

Next question should I just switch ISP's completely?
 
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I used Outlook Express for years with complete satisfaction. None of the spam and advertising of others like Yahoo, and lots of features.

Larry
 
Win computer- have also used Outlook Express for a long time.
If you are already using a program that you like, that sounds like the one you should continue using.
 
Ogamdydancer, I have never noticed that much difference with email programs.

Well, maybe because I used it at work until I retired I found Outlook easy due to long familiarity. In retirement I don't get that much email, and find gmail easy and reliable. Also since it is web based, handy to access in a hotel if I want to print out something. Plus it is free.

Why do you dislike gmail? (I am just wondering what I am missing... )

Come to think of it, usually I use email through IOS, the Apple mobile operating system, so maybe that makes it more pleasant to use.
 
I have several e mail accounts one is an old AOL which I like, it's my second favorite.
 
Office no longer has Outlook Express, You have to use Outlook and that is another whole can of worms.
e.
 
A few things to consider:

Web based mail can be very convenient if you travel a lot. But it can have security problems as all web based sites. If you use a password program like Keepass to generate your passwords then it effectively eliminates the convenience (although, you may put the database of passwords on a memory stick but if you lose the memory stick...).

People often use the same password for different sites. If one site is hacked then all the sites you frequent becomes vulnerable.

Incompatibilities may exist between different email server sites. It depends upon what programming language/platform/toolkit and how they programmed it.

Programs like Pegasus, Outlook, Thundermail, etc. are client-side mail programs whereas web mail are server-side. Client-side needs correct configuration information set up before anything happens. I believe you run a higher risk of losing emails with Client-side programs.

In the past if during transmission the connection is interrupted, you lost the email being transmitted. Or if you had to reinstall the operating system and didn't back up emails, they were lost. Web mail, you keep them indefinitely until the ISP decides to wipe them.

Personally, I use several web based email accounts because its convenient. I use them for storage; email important file as an attachment and address it to me. This is a last ditch backup so to speak. I use a large web based site because I know the backup is going to be there awhile. Important means contacts of companies I deal with. Those companies already have the documents so I don't bother keeping personal information. Its for when my computer crashes.

Its also convenient when surfing the web; just open website in a new tab and read emails. With program based emails (aka client-side), I have to open the program and download it before being able to read it.

p.s. Don't use web based email for storage of personal information. In fact, I won't send personal information through email even under SSL (encrypted). I prefer to use a mobile phone. It seems like every programmer is/can hack a computer but not many have the resources to hack a mobile network. And for the personal information I off-load it to memory sticks.
 
I use Gmail, AOL and Comcast e-mail addresses but everything is funneled through OutLook Express and Apple Mail depending on what computer I'm using.

There is no "I hate" Gmail or AOL thing. It's all transparent. The only way I even know what e-mail account is being used it to look at the address itself. Otherwise it's completely transparent.... all looks the same. Signing into an ISP to get mail is so 20th century.... :D
 
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I think that what the OP is indicating here is that his internet provider is taking away the email accounts associated with the service that gets him online. A pretty standard feature throughout the industry and a lame move if they are in fact shutting down the mail servers. Have they in fact indicated that what they are charging for service will be reduced due to the reduction in useability? You really might want to consider another provider. To me, if you're current provider is doing this that would be a red flag about financial stability. Hard drive and ram is dirt cheap. It would suggest to me that someones position of maintaining your isp's mailserver is being cut. And you don't cut IT at a tech company unless you're in trouble.

PS my work uses Google to resolve our domain through their servers. So it's actually gmail with our name on it. Absolutely hate it. The way they nest replies to messages is horribly confusing.
 
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I use gmail most of the time, but have it pointed to my apple mail application on my iPhone and my laptop, which both open to my ISP provided address. Most of my mail actually comes from gmail, but I don't have to fool with their webpage. If my ISP stopped providing a mail server I'd ask them how much my bill was going down for the lack of service and if it wasn't, I'd ditch them in a heartbeat.
 
I use Gmail almost exclusively now.

I use Newsguy.com for usenet, which also includes email. I hardly ever use it, since it's so clogged with Spam from when I used to post a lot on usenet. When I do use it, I use Mozilla Thunderbird as the client, which is a great email package.
 
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schgsd said:
I think that what the OP is indicating here is that his internet provider is taking away the email accounts associated with the service that gets him online. A pretty standard feature throughout the industry and a lame move if they are in fact shutting down the mail servers. Have they in fact indicated that what they are charging for service will be reduced due to the reduction in useability? You really might want to consider another provider. To me, if you're current provider is doing this that would be a red flag about financial stability. Hard drive and ram is dirt cheap. It would suggest to me that someones position of maintaining your isp's mailserver is being cut. And you don't cut IT at a tech company unless you're in trouble.

PS my work uses Google to resolve our domain through their servers. So it's actually gmail with our name on it. Abolutely hate it. The way they nest replies to messages is horribly confusing.
Click to expand...

This is exactly what is happening. I have Clearwire ISP and will be just short of 10 years in Apr. by two months. They have if you are not aware been bought out by Sprint. However about 4 or 5 years ago Clearwire dumped their e-mail servers and we have had practically the same thing as g mail ever since, now they are going to shut down that service as well. I am seriously considering changing ISP'S.
 
So shifting it all over to Google likely netted them zip in cost savings and now they want to just walk away from it. What other Internet options do you have in your area?
 
bobf said:
Having your own domain costs a few $ but is well worth it.
Click to expand...

I haven't done it... yet. However a friend of mine has set up several for other friends.

Once you have the domain set up, it doesn't matter who your ISP is.

Depending on how computer handy you are, you can use Thunderbird and set up your accounts there. I have a mixture of Comcast, Gmail, and one from a company I work for email addresses and run them all on Thunderbird.

If you're not computer handy, then a web based service might be your best bet. I like Gmail for that, but since you don't you'll have to look at other options.

AOL seems to be very fussy, at least my friends that used to have AOL email accounts and tried to use other programs found that.
 
If you have access to a copy of Outlook, use it. Tons of features.
Extremely stable and user friendly. You can save as many hundreds of old messages as you want.

Freebie services such as hot mail often limit what you can save and are stripped down versions. You get what you pay for and that is really obvious in the free emails.

Plus, I really don't want all my personal info on a free service I have no control over.
 
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The problem with Outlook is that it seems that every hacker and malware developer in the world targets it because it's so widely used in the business world.

One thing that a guy I know that does a lot of IT security suggested is to turn off HTML in any mail program you use. It's easy to slip malware of any kind into an HTML message.
 
I have learned not to trust ISP email systems. ISP's merge, email systems change, and it's just annoying.

I currently use Outlook.
Compare Outlook.com to Gmail and Yahoo Mail

I pick up my email with the Outlook email client, which is part of Microsoft Office.

(I haven't had any email malware problems.)
 
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