I highly recommend gmail. I have used it for several years through several changes of provider, most recently when we moved to another state. It does a good job of filtering spam after an initial "learning" process. A few times early on, real mail was sent to the spam folder, but after a couple of months, that was corrected. I don't use a browser to get my mail because I have gmail configured to display in my desktop program---Outlook Express for XP and Windows Live Mail for Win7. No worries about limits, either, so I couldn't ask for anything more convenient. Doesn't matter what program you use, if the NSA wants to read your mail, they will!

I'm sure I would seriously get the outlook.com ... or better yet choose Hotmail when offered your email name.

Eventually you will have windows 8 or better and it makes life a bit more simpler to have a windows account which comes with Hotmail.com, Live.com & Outlook.com .. which really are all the same thing. Hotmail is older and has a few more settings.

This post was edited by mikie on Fri, Nov 1, 13 at 16:02

I've had an Hotmail account for at least a decade although I rarely use it "online" and a Gmail account for far less. I prefer Gmail's clean interface.

If you have or anticipate owning an Android phone, a Gmail account will simplify things.

I have heard so many complaints about the new yahoo interface and people are having problems. I use AOL only because I was a paying member of AOL on dial before we switched to high speed and didn't want to give up the address I had for 10yrs. I hardly ever access it online but use a mail program on my computer, tablet and cell phone as I find that works better for me and is problem free. Mary

Another vote for gmail!

Some others:

gmx.com (not the greatest reputation, though)
zoho.com (yes, they do have "@zoho.com" accounts, not just free domain hosting)
yandex.com (Russia's answer to Yahoo & Gmail, very popular)

I would suggest myopera.com, but Opera announced just a few days ago on their blog that they would be discontinuing their email service by March 1, 2014 ! :-(

Personal Observation: It's interesting to me that many people know only about Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail/Outlook and AOL. It's also odd (to me) that people (esp. but not only heavy email users) will, on the one hand, have innumerable devices/toys for accessing their email accounts and performing all their other internet/communication needs ($$$), while, simultaneously trusting in FREE providers for their email !! I wonder much is spent by these people each year on all their devices/services ? Yet they seem genuinely surprised to discover that many people spend a few bucks on what is essentially the key to their online identities: their email address/account.

For anywhere from $12/yr. (PolarisMail basic account) to $16/yr (EuMX.net account) to $20/yr. (FastMail Full account or Runbox Micro Account) one can have reliable email with top-notch, personal customer service, in case one needs tech support or even account recovery. For less than the cost of eating out once or getting a home-delivered pizza -- and a lot less than all the computer toys (and service plans) some folks have -- you can have a year's worth of peace of mind and prompt tech support if/when necessary.

As one of the EMD members recently and somewhat sarcastically remarked to someone changing (free) email providers, "Good luck on your new life as somebody's product and nobody's customer. Either you pay, or you're paid for." *Ouch* :-)

If you're content with using free email, that's perfectly fine. To each his/her own. Different people have different priorities in these matters. In my case, I abandoned free accounts some months ago and have never regretted it.

(Btw, check out the emaildiscussions forum site to see how well-respected the above providers are and for a lot of threads about various providers !)

Here is a link that might be useful: EMD Forums

Not knowing your personal likes/dislikes, why not try Yahoo-AOL-Gmail for yourself and find out? The only cost is your time, and if you don't like what you see then you never have to use it again. For myself, they are good only as junk collectors and I make use of Yahoo-AOL to keep my important ISP email free from all the spam. If you are planning to change to a new ISP that you are going to stay with long term, I wouldn't even consider doing what you propose. OTOH, I could understand if you anticipate changing ISPs again in the short term.

Hotmail/Outlook is just fine. I have five accounts with one dating back to 1998 and have never had a concern. Their system does "bump" once in a while, but all do; even here

I personally am becoming less and less a Google supporter.

To pay for an e-mail account is not warranted.

DA

I was automatically switched from the old Yahoo to the New Improved Yahoo Interface and have become adept at using it and therefore have no complaint but sure hope they Improve it again soon. :-)

I use a mail program for all my email addresses so I hardly ever see the online interface. Mary

I have both Yahoo and Gmail. Yahoo has a liberal "share your information" policy so I only use it for unimportant email where I'm not giving personal information. Plus Yahoo wants to charge me for services I get free from Gmail. I use Gmail for important email like banking and filing taxes because of its safety and better-than-average privacy policy.

Yahoo has a liberal "share your information" policy

Ohh, that's why most of my spams always seem to be from dating and porn sites - yahoo seems quiet a liberated group :)

----
... so I get a confirming email yesterday for an online purchase.. In yahoo mail.
. I look at instantly thinking I don't like this, this is somehow risky.. this confirming email has too much personal info in it... my full name and address, city/stare/zip/ phone number and last four digits of my credit card.. Full name and address of where I made my purchase and amounts and date/time.
12 hrs later I get a phone call from Banking... telling me my and many others credit card info was breeched and wants to verify my last two purchases... they will cancel my card & send a replacement within 5 days.
... I gotta wonder, is that related to yahoo email somehow.

This post was edited by mikie on Sun, Nov 3, 13 at 12:10

I don't like online mail, not even my servers set up, I want it on my computer. I use windows live essentials email program and route my cox email (POP) through it. I have tried yahoo and gmail, won't deal with google anymore and yahoo gave me trouble. I read on here about the email fonts being to small, that happened to me and I also got blank emails. No problems the way I do it now. Except of course when goes down like it did a few months ago. LOL

Just wanted to add: The bright white screens cause a lot of eye strain and I haven't found a way at my online mail to change that. I can change it to a color that is easier on the eyes on my PC.

This post was edited by EmmaR on Tue, Nov 26, 13 at 15:46

I use yahoo and gmail with my mail program and they work flawless for me. Mary