Webmail Email

Because Juno Webmail is not for everyone, and even not for every member of Juno's free internet deal, here are four popular free webmail alternatives:


Yahoo Web-based Email

I've used Yahoo's free webmail email, and haven't had any major problems. The interface is clean and easy to use, and the server's stability is excellent. Organization is also good, with pre-existing spam and trash folders, and the ability to make your own, as well. Plus, although it's pure aesthetics, you can even customize the colors of your webmail!

One of the downsides of Yahoo webmail, however, is the amount of advertising you have to put up with. It's not extremely obtrusive, but it's not pretty, either, and clutters up your screen. Yahoo's new links aren't terribly useful, either. If you want news, go to Yahoo's front page. Or, better yet, go to a real news site. Finally, Yahoo will suspend your email account if it's inactive for three months. If you want a webmail account that you won't check too often, this might be a hassle.

Rating: B+


MSN Hotmail

Microsoft's webmail service is quite popular. If you have MSN Messenger, you already have a Hotmail account, too. It's the same login.

Overall, Hotmail reminds me of an inferior Yahoo. It's less transparent to use, and the whole Microsoft passport login drives me a bit bonkers. True, Yahoo's email login gets you logged into the whole of Yahoo (games, chat, etc.), but it's nowhere near as cumbersome as the MS login. Organizing your messages isn't as simple as with Yahoo, either, as Hotmail doesn't have the folder or label options that Yahoo does.

On the brightside, integration with Outlook is quick and painless.

Rating: C-


FastMail Webmail

Probably the best free webmail service that you haven't heard about. It's all about speed and ease with FastMail, as the name suggests. It's also quite flexible, has IMAP support, and the web interface is relatively ad-free and pretty damn dandy.

My biggest gripe, however, is the lack of storage space. A 10MB free account is way too little!

Rating: B


Google Gmail

It used to be that everyone had a Yahoo account. Nowadays, most people have Gmail. And the shift, because I know you're wondering, was completely justified.

Unlike FastMail, Google's webmail has pretty much unlimited storage space! Google even gloats that you'll never have to delete another message again. Privacy issues and info accumulation aside, this is fantastic. You can now keep and later retrieve a message you received two years ago by, simply enough, typing in a search string. As with Yahoo, but to an even greater extent, you can also, of course, organize your mass amount of email in folders and using labels. Everything runs like a breeze and looks great in that Google minimalist way. I hate clutter, and Gmail is about as uncluttered a webmail email client as I've found.

As an added bonus, Gmail has recently added a chat option, too. So that if you log into your account, want to send a message to your friend Stan and see that Stan's now online (if he has a Gmail account of his own and is logged into it), you can PM him. The chat then opens in a small box, and you can send messages back and forth. As with regular email, Gmail saves these for later reference.

One naggging problem that I wish would be addressed by Google, however, is the lack of an undo button!

Rating: A


I hope one of these catches your fancy and suits your needs. Juno webmail is a good free webmail email, but it's not the best, by far.