Web-Based E-mail Still Matters

We've been seeing how younger people are moving away from e-mail in favor of mobile texting and social network messaging, but e-mail is far from irrelevant yet. It's still essential as a direct form of one-to-one communication with those who you're not close enough to to have their mobile number. Try ordering something from an online store, or even signing up with any Web site—even Facebook itself—without a good old @ address. So e-mail does still matter, and Webmail is particularly relevant, because it's accessible from anywhere, it's dead simple to manage, and it's increasingly integrated with all the Internet sites and services that most of us can't do without anymore. The question is, should you still be using that old webmail account you created five or ten years ago and have maintained out of pure laziness, or is it time to bite the bullet and move to a better service? We consider the most important factors and round up some of the most popular services out there to help you make the right choice.

Stay Networked
Webmail has come a long way. Windows Live Hotmail, Yahoo Mail, and AOL Mail all offer some form of integration with social networks, letting you see Friends' status updates and more. Those services along with Gmail now too offer on-page instant messaging, and even SMS text messaging—making them all-in-one communicators. You can even check mail from the other services in Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo Mail.

Fight Spam
It's hard to discuss e-mail without considering spam, which Gmail excels at removing from the inbox. But beware of overly aggressive spam measures, as they often mean more false positives: I found an e-mail I needed in my Gmail spam folder. Spam, however, isn't the only time-waster found in the medium: There's also what's known as "bacon"—not quite spam, not quite important messages. These include marketing announcements you've signed up for and newsletters. Hotmail's Sweep tool deals directly with these, while other services let you create rules for incoming messages that meet criteria you specify.

Avoid Storage Worries
All of the webmail services in this roundup are free, and all offer gobs of online storage: Gmail gives you over 7.5GB, while Hotmail and Yahoo are basically unlimited. They all have a 25MB file attachment size limit, but Hotmail lets you include files via Windows Live SkyDrive online shared storage, which offers 25GB of space for photos, videos, or whatever else you need to share. Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail will sell you more attachment storage space if you need it.

AOL Mail and Yahoo Mail also serve as platforms for other Web-based apps via their plug-in architectures. Speaking of AOL Mail, the Web pioneer that's trying to reinvent itself has a new version up its sleeve, codenamed Phoenix. Look for a review when that becomes available. Meanwhile, the reviews below should give you the lay of the current webmail landscape.

The blast from the past that made the phrase "You've Got Mail" famous offers a pretty good-looking mail client, though you won't find some of the amenities you get with Hotmail. IMAP access is a notable plus.

Google Gmail

As much an innovator in the webmail space as Google has been in the search and browser fields, Gmail is a fast, spam-free alternative to the more veteran services in this roundup. IMAP and POP access, Priority Inbox, and conversation view are hallmarks.

Windows Live Hotmail
 
The most popular webmail service in the world got there for a reason, and the latest version represents a significant advance. Its solutions to large attachments and "bacon" are standouts, as are its social network and instant messaging integration.

Yahoo Mail

Yahoo Mail's new interface is a winner, and the service is loaded with features, but it trails Gmail and Hotmail in speed and spam blocking. You also have to pay for a Plus account ($19.99/year) if you want access to your account from another mail client.