Email service - opinions

T

TarfHead

Registered User
Messages
1,672
Recently I got into a discussion about the pros and cons of e-mail services; specifically web-based (hotmail, gmail) versus (for want of a better term) Outlook Express-based (e.g. eircom.net). Friends were looking to us for advice and we couldn't agree on what to recommend.

Web-based
- can be accessed from anywhere
- some (gmail) offer a lot of storage
- spam/junk filters

Outlook Express-based
- if you have broadband, you're always logged on.
- mails are on your PC (privacy)
- consumes storage on your PC
- could be accessed from anywhere using mail2web or similar service (new mail)
- prone to spam

I would welcome any other Pros and Cons that you think are pertinent.

FWIW I have both - I use an Outlook Express-based seervice for personal correspondence and hotmail for subscriptions, mailing lists, etc.
 
TarfHead said:
Recently I got into a discussion about the pros and cons of e-mail services; specifically web-based (hotmail, gmail) versus (for want of a better term) Outlook Express-based (e.g. eircom.net). Friends were looking to us for advice and we couldn't agree on what to recommend.

Web-based
- can be accessed from anywhere
- some (gmail) offer a lot of storage
- spam/junk filters

Outlook Express-based
- if you have broadband, you're always logged on.
- mails are on your PC (privacy)
- consumes storage on your PC
- could be accessed from anywhere using mail2web or similar service (new mail)
- prone to spam

I would welcome any other Pros and Cons that you think are pertinent.

FWIW I have both - I use an Outlook Express-based seervice for personal correspondence and hotmail for subscriptions, mailing lists, etc.
Click to expand...

PC client email access is not inherently prone to spam. You can use client side spam filters or (better) rely on your ISP's spam filters. However, eircom.net do an appalling job at keeping spam from their email servers, unless you PAY for the privilege. eircom don't seem to care about eircom.net - I don't think the interface has been updated in years.

You can access eircom.net webmail and the other far superior services such as GMail and most other web-based email services via SMTP (don't think the basic Yahoo! mail offers this as default but the subscription version does) which means you can also access them from Outlook or Outlook Express.

Additional benefits of client-based access is that it is easier (in my opinion) to compose mails, run spell checks, etc., insert attachments etc., using a familiar Windows client. Plus you can search your mail using Google Desktop etc.

Plus, if still using Dialup and not using Broadband, there is the significant advantage that you only pay when you send and receive emails; you don't pay to compose them.

PC clients usually fare better if the online connection dies; however, GMail has a Drafts facility that is better than most, so you don't necessarily lose your long email that took 20 mins to type if the link goes down before you Send it.
 
MonsieurBond said:
You can access eircom.net webmail and the other far superior services such as GMail and most other web-based email services via SMTP (don't think the basic Yahoo! mail offers this as default but the subscription version does) which means you can also access them from Outlook or Outlook Express.

Plus, if still using Dialup and not using Broadband, there is the significant advantage that you only pay when you send and receive emails; you don't pay to compose them.
Click to expand...

I dont understand what you mean in the first paragraph?? Since when did anyone pay to send emails never mind compsoe them I must have missed something here!
 
MonsieurBond said:
You can access .. the other far superior services such as GMail and most other web-based email services via SMTP .. which means you can also access them from Outlook or Outlook Express.
Click to expand...

Well, **** me sideways, as Mrs Doyle said.
I did not know that, nor did the mot who was debating this with me.

Is the SMTP set-up documented on their (gmail, hotmail) site ? Do I have to faff around with IP addresses and POP3 servers and that mullarkey ?
 
TarfHead said:
Well, **** me sideways, as Mrs Doyle said.
I did not know that, nor did the mot who was debating this with me.

Is the SMTP set-up documented on their (gmail, hotmail) site ? Do I have to faff around with IP addresses and POP3 servers and that mullarkey ?
Click to expand...

They have a function to set it up for you I think, I know you havbe to switch on POP3 access
I cannot remember my password as I only use it through outlook so I'll have aq look later

stuart@buyingtolet.ie
 
colc1 said:
I dont understand what you mean in the first paragraph?? Since when did anyone pay to send emails never mind compsoe them I must have missed something here!
Click to expand...

If your on dial up the time you spend composing mail using a web based mail service costs you money. If you use Outlook to compose the mail offline you can then log in and send without having the additional cost of the time spent composing.
 
Even if you don't have Outlook/Outlook Express, you can type up your emails as a text files and then cut-and-paste once you go online. This can be handy when travelling abroad and/or relying on internet cafés...

To come back to the original question — I've had a Gmail account for some time, and have configured Outlook to use it as my default account on my home PC (whereas the work PC is connected to the in-house server). I also keep a couple of old hotmail addresses for entering competitions/signing up to web offers that I reckon are likely to generate a lot of spam.

For me, the single greatest advantage of Gmail — apart from the huge total storage capacity — is the ease with which it handles large attachments (oo-er, missus! :D). I often find myself finishing up work on the latest state of a large file, and it's great to be able to just email it home instead of fiddling with a USB stick... (although I still use that for 'sensitive' items!). It's practically a back-up solution, within obvious limits.

Incidentally, I have 100 unused Gmail invites gathering cyberdust, so if anyone wants one just pm me your e-mail address... (or do you even need invites, nowadays?)

[Edit: Unfortunately, I can't just pm a 'code' to people — you'll have to trust me with your email address (or at least one of them). Mwahahahahaaa...!]
 
DrMoriarty said:
To come back to the original question — I've had a Gmail account for some time, and have configured Outlook to use it as my default account on my home PC
Click to expand...

Whaty exactly do you mean by that? Does everything go into gmail, that was sent to your outlook address? Or go into the outlook address and the gmail? How did you do that? Just curious, thanks
 
I don't have an 'Outlook address' — Outlook is just a program (or 'client') that can be used for writing/reading emails, among other things.

Gmail, Hotmail etc. are web-based email services that can be POP-enabled:
POP or Post Office Protocol allows you to download messages from Google Mail's servers onto your computer so you can access your mail with a programme like Microsoft Outlook Express or Netscape Mail, even when you are not connected to the Internet.
Click to expand...
Once you've done that, you can configure Outlook to automatically send/retrieve your emails from any number of Gmail/Hotmail accounts; see here. With Gmail, you have the option to leave messages on the Gmail server (so you can still access them from any computer) or to have them deleted once they're transferred to your Outlook client (i.e. stored on your own hard drive).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top