Calling all geeks / nerds / country men

Lend me your collective wisdom.

I am looking for a web based email system that meets the following requirements:

1. free
2. v quick / easy to access
3. v quick to download
4. good spam filters
5. able to read and reply to messages offline and then replicate / send when online.

Any suggestions?

Comments

[elizabeth]

I use Gmail, the service from Google. It has lots of controls and filters and, of course, the famous 2GB storage. Which would be good for you, as I'm guessing you get a lot of mail. Send me an email if you would like to try it; I'll send you an invitation.

[JCA]

I second the vote for Gmail. All of us now have dozens of invites to give away, too, in case you want more than one account.

[Victoria]

Can anyone get Gmail or do we need to receive an invitation from someone? I'm very interested if anyone would like to invite me to try it out, I hate my current email service. I get too much spam! :(

Thanks,
Victoria

[katie e.]

third the gmail recommend - it's the best web-based thing going right now.

[victoria]

Gmail is wonderful... I love the notifier that sits on the bottom of your screen and tells you when you have new mail, and gmail can also go through outlook. The only thing I'm not sure about for you is being able to write messages offline. I'm pretty sure you can if you use outlook, but other than that I'm not positive unless you want to write in word or notepad and copy/paste it.

[Jessica]

Definitely gmail,with POP access enabled so you can download, read, and compose in your client of choice, then reconnect to do sending and receiving.

Anyone can email me (yes, that email account is real--it's my posting-on-the-web account) for invites.

[korin]

Another vote for Gmail. I have an invite, I'll send now! :D

[MollieBee]

Email me if you want a gmail invite, i've got tons.

[Erika]

Gmail will do all but the last item -- unless you use an email reader and access Gmail via POP. Email me if you'd like an invitation to get a Gmail account. Here's info about Gmail via POP:
https://gmail.google.com/support/bin/topic.py?topic=194

Erika

[JuliaKB]

I nth the Gmail nomination. I also have invites. Let me know if you need them.

[Rosemary]

Here's a legit place to get gmail accounts without someone having to send you an invitation:

http://isnoop.net/gmail/

Tertia -- #5 may be a dealbreaker. I'm not aware of any web-based email systems that work while offline.

[Cherith]

Ok, now I HAVE to have gmail!! Will someone invite me?? Would LOVE to route my web mail through outlook, did not know you could! My work addy is routed through outlook and I would LOVE to have only one place to go to check mail.

[Cherith]

Nevermind, used the link from Rosemary. Thanks!

[sharbean]

Are you looking for software for a server or an actual email account?

[Staci]

Another vote for Gmail... I have a jillion invitations if nobody else comes through.

[Staci]

Another vote for Gmail... I have a jillion invitations if no one else comes through.

[Staci]

d'oh.

[Becca]

I'll second everyone else's recommendation for gmail. I've got tons of invites. Seriously, anyone send me an email and I'll invite you.

[Boulder]

Dearest - I think you want something like a Eudora or such which is a software for your PC which you can use to connect to any mail server - including GMail.

More later - husband is bugging to get out the door.

xoxo

[Leann]

Get Gmail like everyone has said, then get Eudora (the free version) and set up Gmail for Pop Access so you can download your email to your computer and write offline.

[Stacey]

Ditto Gmail. Ditto invites.

Tertia, #5 is possible with something like Outlook Express. It comes free with Windows so you probably already have it and don't realize it; instructions regarding offline configuration are here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/using/howto/oe/workofflineoe.mspx

[Jessica]

Thunderbird is a wonderful email client by the good folks at Mozilla.org. Much less confusing menu system than Eudora, more free than Outlook, more secure than Outlook Express. And it has extensions to do lots of nifty things that other clients can't do. I use Thunderbird + Gmail POP

[Elizabeth]

gmail. i have invites if anyone needs them! just email me

[elizabeth]

I also recommend Jessica's setup of Thunderbird with Gmail POP. I suggested Gmail supposing you already had some sort of email client installed, but if you don't, Thunderbird has worked wonderfully for me. Free download: http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/

[Mar]

Big, huge gigantic fan of Gmail - Gmail totally rocks. Much better web based than Yahoo, IMHO. I have tons of invites if anyone needs.

[corvine]

Gmail...blah...yay...invites...great...etc. :)

[jen]

GMAIL!!!

[Egg Donor]

I have 50 gmail inviataions, and would be happy to send them to you, Tertia, or anyone else.

I think everyone has said this, but it's got great web-based access and spam filtering, plus you can use any pop-mail reader to access it.

[Egg Donor]

Oh yeah - if you want a Gmail invitation, email me at [email protected] :)

[akeeyu]

Gmail, ditto. Invites, ditto.

[Judy]

Okay, I don't know a THING about what this is all about, but I do know that now I want gmail!

[Miranda]

If you use Outlook Express to check your emails, and your email is a POP3 server, you can use a fantastic little freeware program called spamhilator (www.spamhilator.com) that kills just about all spam that comes through your email before it gets to your inbox. You can also 'teach' it to recognise spam words that other filters let through. (because although many filters recognise porn, they will not pick up p0rn)

JUst my bit of assvice, it's a free program and very easy to download/use/setup.

[Tracey Dixon]

One small thing - the spelling there is one letter off... I just went searching for it.

http://www.spamihilator.com/ is the URL

and I downloaded it.

Thanks so much for the tip!!!

[aibee]

ditto gmail, for the reasons already listed.

[claudia]

Gmail is great but won't let you read/write offline.

Thunderbird is my recommendation. You have to train the spam filters but they work quite well. You can set it to make the spam disappear into a Junk folder, so you can always check for mislabelled mail before deleting.

It's free, it's fast, it's neat.

You get it at Mozilla.

[claudia]

Oops. Didn't see the "web based" part. More coffee for me. (Kids got me up at six - is that an excuse?)

[Bee]

Ok ok thought I was gonna be all clever and suggest gmail - but looks like all have beaten me.. HARUMPH

http://gmail.google.com/gmail

my address at gmail: [email protected]

[jen]

Gmail - but I guess all others have beaten me to it. Send me an email if you'd like an invite, however x

[e]

Gmil. I have a 100 to offload- anyone who needs one after that endorsement may email me.

[vanessa]

can somebody send me a Gmail invite? [email protected]? i have aol but its pretty...well, bad.
yup. aol sucks.
thank you;)

[Sherry]

gmail. happy to send out invites if needed.

[Shauna]

Vanessa, sent you an invite in case you haven't already gotten ten thousand by now.

Yep, love my gmail and did not know it was already so popular!