If you’ve ever used a Windows PC since the days of Windows 98, you’ve had your hands on a computer that comes with a lot of free software.
And chances are at some point you’ll have been curious enough to dabble with Outlook Express to download and organise your email.
However there are plenty of alternatives out there. So dust the cobwebs off your inbox and give one of our recommendations a spin.
These days email programs are very sophisticated, despite the fact that in most cases you won’t be charged a penny for using them.
That means most applications offer lots of useful features to help you locate, store, filter and protect your messages and many are free.
The crucial features
First let’s make a key distinction between the two main types of email
application. Desktop systems (such as Outlook Express) are installed on your
hard disk and access your email via the internet from your ISP’s email server,
where the messages sent to you are stored before you download them.
Webmail services (such as Hotmail) do away with the PC software and instead operate as a website. The advantage of this is that you can access and send messages, and consult your address book, from any internet-connected computer.
One of the most useful features also happens to be one that’s included in any good email application. If you don’t have a spam filter function in your chosen email tool, then it’s definitely time to switch.
Sure, Outlook Express (or Windows Mail as it’s known in Vista) includes Junk Mail options to weed out advertising messages from your everyday mail. But systems deal with junk mail in different ways. Some will filter it based on their own lists of web addresses, some will look for common words or phrases and others enable you to set up your own guidelines based on messages you receive.
Most email software provides a spam folder to search or browse. That means if the system has been a bit overeager and accidentally removed some legitimate emails, you can still find them. And with phishing attacks being such a problem these days, anything that helps to block rogue emails and stops your identity being stolen or your bank account being emptied has to be a good thing.
The second most vital function, again standard on any email system, is some form of contact or address book. Obviously you don’t want to have to remember every person’s email address every time you need to get in touch. Most address books can also be saved as a file and imported into other email programs, so you don’t have to type them in all over again if you decide to switch systems.
Addresses are not the only thing that can be shared between most mail programs. For example, your existing collection of email messages and even information, such as junk mail filters are stored as separate files and can often be moved between email programs.
Another useful service is the ability to encrypt your email using something like the Hushmail web service. This online email account scrambles messages when they are sent across the internet, so no-one can read them if they get intercepted.
It sounds complicated but you need no technical knowledge as encrypting a message is as simple as clicking a button. This extra security can be added to your existing email program for a fee of $14.99 (about £8) a year (rising to $29.99 a year thereafter) or you can simply use the free webmail version online.
