Author Topic: Web Mail Recommendation? (Read 39,237 times)

AndyM · « **on:** May 17, 2007, 07:30 PM »

Friends,

This is sort of a software question, so I thought I'd ask here.

My wife will be losing her work email address, and it seems to me it would be best for her to get a gmail or yahoo account. I have absolutely no experience with this, so I thought I'd ask for opinions here.

Any opinions?

Thanks,

Andy

app103 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 17, 2007, 07:47 PM »

I have been a Gmail user since the very beginning (invited by Google).

I love it!

You can use the webmail...or pop3 with any mail client. (I prefer the webmail)

I also used to be a Yahoo mail user. I never was crazy about it.

What you can do is let her try Gmail. If she doesn't like it, get her a Yahoo account and set up forwarding from the Gmail one to the Yahoo account so she won't lose anything coming in or have to log into 2 accounts to get her mail. I don't think Yahoo has automatic mail forwarding, but Gmail does.

nosh · « **Reply #2 on:** May 17, 2007, 07:59 PM »

Gmail is the hands down winner in my book... for too many reasons to list here.
I also recommend you try the lesser known Rediffmail.com for a simple/good looking interface & terrific speed.

Mind you, none of these services are flawless, some Gmail(!) users lost their saved mails lately.

Edvard · « **Reply #3 on:** May 17, 2007, 08:57 PM »

If you're more concerned about speed & reliability over a pretty interface, try fastmail.fm.
More features than you can shake a stick at, and many domains to choose from.
http://www.fastmail.fm

nosh · « **Reply #4 on:** May 17, 2007, 09:19 PM »

Fastmail has an account disabling policy, they wipe every little bit of data off permanently if you don't login for a certain amount of time. I wouldn't call them "reliable".

I believe most other services (Yahoo, Rediff, Windows Live Mail) follow this practice. Gmail does no such thing.

mwb1100 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 17, 2007, 09:58 PM »

Quote from: nosh on May 17, 2007, 07:59 PM

Mind you, none of these services are flawless, some Gmail(!) users lost their saved mails lately.

That's why it's nice that GMail lets you access your inbox with POP3 - you can archive your email locally very easily. I'm not sure how many other webmail services do this. A few years back (before GMail) I know Hotmail had a proprietary method that works only with Outlook and/or Outlook Express, and there are proxies that will let you get POP3 access to other webmail services, but my understanding is that they tend to be fragile. It may be that in order to keep up with GMail other services have had to open up POP access, but I don't know.

See http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=34030&topic=1556 for details on "How do I back up all my mail using POP access?"

dk70 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 17, 2007, 10:41 PM »

Must remember that loss of email happens very rarely. If same amount of people had emails on their hd more would be lost! Last accident? http://gigaom.com/2006/12/28/mom-google-ate-my-gmail/ , I think connected more to a Firefox flaw than Gmail, hit 60 people. Same probably goes for other major services. Dont remember Yahoo or Hotmail disasters at least. Very important services so dont worry too much, not like they will stop caring.

"speed & reliability" are of course also keywords for Gmail

Let you log in with https for example http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=8155&query=https&topic=&type=f&ctx=search More importantly I doubt you can say service has a history of failures, more like the opposite.

If organizing in folders not tags is a must forget about Gmail. Most noticable difference to Yahoo, MS. Well read about here http://mail.google.com/support/ but really has to be experienced.

I heard in some podcast MS will release new email client next month or so - to replace Windows Desktop Mail. Free and no advertising, replacement for Outlook Express I guess. Well, if Gmails interface feels hopeless, though nice spam filter and "reliability", it can be used as a POP machine http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?ctx=%67mail&hl=en_GB&answer=10350 with Outlook Express, Thunderbird or whatever is prefered.

Mark0 · « **Reply #7 on:** May 17, 2007, 11:41 PM »

Another vote for Gmail here!
I got my account back at the time trough GmailSwap (or something similar), offering a picturecard from Venice!

First I wanted to try it just out of curiosity and for the "Google" factor, then started using it more than The Bat!, then started using Gmail from his web interface exclusively.

cthorpe · « **Reply #8 on:** May 18, 2007, 12:12 AM »

I also would recommend gmail. Though I haven't spent any time with the other big webmail systems. I always got overwhelmed with spam in hotmail, yahoo-mail, etc. With gmail, I rarely have a spam email get past the filters, and it is fast and reliable. I got an invite way back in the beginning, and I cannot recall a single time that I have ever been unable to access it. I have had trouble with the new feature that lets you have gmail check other pop accounts. Emails were showing up days later in gmail than they were getting to my pop client.

When I first started using gmail, I found a little utility that helped me forward every single email from my Outlook mailboxes to my gmail account. I recently got a copy of TheBat! for my various pop accounts, and I set gmail to let me download every single one of my gmail emails through pop. It took a little while, and it downloaded in spurts (I just set TheBat! to check that account every 3 minutes), but eventually I had all 13,632 emails downloaded dating as far back as 1997. What am I going to do with all of those? I don't know, but it was nice to see that gmail and TheBat! could handle it.

Carl

AndyM · « **Reply #9 on:** May 18, 2007, 01:59 AM »

Ok, gmail it is.

Thanks everyone for the advice, tips, and links!

Andy

Deozaan · « **Reply #10 on:** May 18, 2007, 04:28 AM »

I'm a little late to the party (Hey where'd everyone go?) but I just want to say that Gmail is indeed the best in my opinion. I used to despise webmail and feel sorry for everyone who had it. Once I started using Gmail, I stopped using my pop3 client.

Now I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't use Gmail.

lanux128 · « **Reply #11 on:** May 18, 2007, 05:18 AM »

i'm another one of the late-comers to this thread.. like many others before, i had pretty much given up on webmails until Gmail turned up and changed my mind..

also, get the notifier as well..

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iphigenie · « **Reply #12 on:** May 18, 2007, 08:33 AM »

I do know that gmail is sexier and that yahoo mail has improved immensely lately, but I use fastmail. Less sexy, but I know that I pay for it and they won't sell my profile to anyone.

I stopped trusting google about 3 years ago when they changed their description to "the largest advertising agency on earth"

I use fastmail - paid for - and find it reliable and well set up etc. They are very transparent in their blog as to what technology they use and what the customers can do with it, which I appreciate since I used to run mail servers and have seen so many badly configured services (godaddy's for one)

app103 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 18, 2007, 08:48 AM »

Speaking of ads...

When you send an email from your Yahoo account, they tack ads to the end of it. The receiver sees these ads...same with Hotmail.

Gmail...they don't put ads in the mails you send out. The only ads seen are by the Gmail account holder, in the right side panel, if you use the webmail...not in the emails themselves....and not seen at all if you use Gmail with POP access.

Something to think about. Do you want to send people email + ads? or just email?

Something else I remember about Hotmail and Yahoo...they spam you with ads. It's not enough that they are tacking ads onto everything you send out, they have to send you mail to your inbox full of ads too. I don't get extra crap to delete from Google like I did from Yahoo & Hotmail.

iphigenie · « **Reply #14 on:** May 18, 2007, 09:01 AM »

I have friends on yahoo and I only see a tagline "sent via yahoo" thingie (just like gmail) no ads. Can't comment about hotmail, seems noone uses it to send anything anymore, only as a spambox.

That model is much better: after all the account holder chose to get on gmail, and therefore agreed to see ads and be profiled, but the people receiving the email did not agree to anything and why should they be subhected to ads or tracking bugs?

That's why I have always either paid for email or run my own mail server - courtesy to my recipients as well as professionalism. Also, I want to make sure I have the control over my email etc. If fastmail lose all my email I can expect them to do everything to restore it quickly, and I can also demand compensation.
If google decided tomorrow to change all the T&Cs of their account, drop certain features, access etc. I don't believe users have any recourse... (Both google and yahoo have in the past changed their features, changed their conditions, dropped entire areas of service)

cmpm · « **Reply #15 on:** May 18, 2007, 09:19 AM »

There are ads on the email main page for yahoo.
But in the email itself There is like one line at the bottom.
And not on every email.
That's my experience with yahoo.

Hotmail is a waste of good bandwidth imo.
Too many hoops to jump through.
I guess you still have to be signed in with 'passport', I don't know

Haven't tryed Gmail but sounds good.

Roadrunner has a feature to view your emails on their servers before downloading them. But once downloaded they are off their server.

dantheman · « **Reply #16 on:** May 18, 2007, 12:29 PM »

A bit late in the game too...

But i like GMail for the above positive notes and also for the fact that:
-you can send mail to make it look like it comes from another address.
-you don't have to click on 100 links before you get to your inbox like Yahoo does.
-filters unlimited.

It's just too much!

cthorpe · « **Reply #17 on:** May 18, 2007, 12:37 PM »

Quote from: iphigenie on May 18, 2007, 09:01 AM

I have friends on yahoo and I only see a tagline "sent via yahoo" thingie (just like gmail) no ads.

Gmail does not tag emails with "sent via gmail".

AndyM · « **Reply #18 on:** May 18, 2007, 01:24 PM »

One advantage of setting her up with one of the mainstream services like gmail is that she has friends who also use it.

The advice not to teach your spouse how to drive also applies to computers...

cmpm · « **Reply #19 on:** May 18, 2007, 01:32 PM »

Clicking the icon Yahoo E-mail and clicking inbox is all I have to click.
Don't know what you are saying about all those clicks you have to do dantheman.
Also if you have yahoo messenger up and running it notifies of new mail.
And it has good spam blocking.

iphigenie · « **Reply #20 on:** May 18, 2007, 02:02 PM »

Another way to look at it is what other toys come with each account

One of the possible advantages of a yahoo account is that you automatically also have a my yahoo page, a blog if you want it, messenger, yahoo groups etc.

One of the possible advantages of gmail is that you also get the calendar and possibly the new personalised search and search notebook etc.

Mark0 · « **Reply #21 on:** May 18, 2007, 02:09 PM »

Gmail integrate also the Google Talk IM (Jabber based) right in the browser, with the conversations logs that become like mail threads, and equally searcheable. Going from mail message to IM and back is very handy.

hpearce · « **Reply #22 on:** May 18, 2007, 02:16 PM »

I would recommend you look at BLUEBOTTLE https://mail.bluebottle.com/index.php

It has "spam protection" by forcing all senders to re-certify they sent the email ... these emails stay in the PENDING box until certified by the sender OR accepted by you.

It is free (the freemail version) and has POP abilities.

dantheman · « **Reply #23 on:** May 18, 2007, 10:19 PM »

Here's the way i see my Yahoo.ca account:

1st click to enter p.w. (often forgotten even if they say it is remembered for a few weeks);
2nd click to get to mail.
3rd click to get to inbox.
4th click to read message.

One click to enter GMail (which always remembered) and then another to whatever message i please.
That's two clicks to two too many for Yahoowooo!!!

Antispam is awful compared to GMail.
I have a Yahoo account with which i've sent only a couple of emails and i get spammed with a few messages everyday inbox and spam box (that last one's okay).

I also have a GMail account with which i've sent hundreds of messages.
Only the occasional (twice?) spam message hit the inbox.
A few have gone to the spam box.

If you go to www.emailaddresses.com's forum you'll see that most people attest to GMail incredible spam protection.

cmpm · « **Reply #24 on:** May 19, 2007, 04:01 AM »

well, i only have to click twice, then inbox
but gmail sounds interesting

i don't get much spam
only if i send an email to the wrong place
which i have been dumb enough to do

but i can always make a new yahoo account
import my contacts from messenger and inform them

what is required to sign up for gmail?
what do they want to know?