|
Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, and AOL each serve up free and hearty e-mail services. Their features are becoming so similar that picking one over another may boil down to your personal preferences. For instance, if you need built-in instant messaging, then Gmail, the Yahoo Mail beta, and (soon) AOL Mail will all do the trick. But you never know, Windows Live Hotmail could surprise you and follow suit.
While Gmail and Yahoo Mail beta remain in testing stages, Microsoft has already released Windows Live Hotmail as a final product (even though more tools will roll out in the future). AOL Mail retains many millions more users than Gmail.
Which account will handle your overflowing in-box? Gmail was the first of this tech trio to offer a chunky 1GB of storage a few years ago (now 2.8GB), but Yahoo just upped the ante by handing out unlimited space to all users, which AOL Web Mail also offers. By contrast, Windows Live Hotmail offers 2GB for free, still more than most people currently need.
The line between e-mail that lives in the browser and on the desktop is blurring. Both Yahoo Mail beta and Windows Live Hotmail look and feel more like Outlook or Thunderbird. Gone are the days when you had to wait for a whole Web page to load each time you checked a message. Now you can preview messages, drag and drop e-mails into folders, or let go of the mouse and click the keyboard for essential commands. Gmail also offers keyboard shortcuts, but its interface is radically different from its rivals, as it organizes messages into text tags, or labels, instead of folders. AOL Web Mail has been gradually rolling out additional features, such as integration with AOL Pictures and more keyboard shortcuts.
Check the chart below to see what you'll find in each brand's in-box.
| |
Yahoo Mail beta |
Windows Live Hotmail |
Google Gmail beta |
AOL Web Mail |
| Free storage |
Unlimited |
2GB |
2.8GB |
Unlimited |
| Browsers |
Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera |
IE (all features), Firefox, Opera |
IE, Firefox, Opera, Safari |
IE, Firefox, Opera, Safari |
| Drag and drop messages |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
| Organize messages |
Folders |
Folders |
Labels |
Folders |
| Security protection |
Spam filters |
Spam filters; blocks graphics and links |
Spam filters; blocks graphics and links |
Yes |
| Search messages |
Yes, attachments as well |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Message strings |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| Advertising |
On Home tab; also tacks a text ad onto sent e-mails |
Banner ad; also tacks a text ad onto sent e-mails |
Targets text ads based on e-mail content |
Text and banner ads; Today "curtain" |
| RSS newsreader |
Yes |
No |
Mail Clips show headlines above in-box |
No |
| Mobile |
Yahoo Mail for Mobile and Yahoo Go |
SMS; Download for Windows Mobile phones, not yet released |
Download Gmail Mobile or read in mobile browser |
Download AOL Mobile or read in mobile browser |
| Tabbed messaging |
Yes, keep many messages open at once |
No |
No |
No |
| Built-in audio player |
No |
Yes |
Pop-up audio player |
No |
| Built-in voice mail |
No |
No |
Yes, via Google Talk |
Yes, with paid AOL Voice Services |
| Desktop access |
Download e-mail archives |
Windows Live Mail beta and Outlook Connector beta, not yet released |
Via Google Desktop or via Atom RSS feed reader |
Via AOL client or IMAP |
| Photo features |
Integrates with Yahoo Photos, being phased out |
Rotate and change names when attaching photos to e-mails |
Picasa integration |
AOL Pictures integration |
| Calendar integration |
Yes |
No |
No |
Yes |
| Mapping integration |
No |
No |
Yes; offers to map addresses found in e-mails |
No |
| Classic view |
Yes |
Yes |
HTML edition |
Yes |
| Customize color themes |
Yes, 16 themes (guaranteed for IE and Netscape only) |
Yes, 9 themes |
No |
Yes |
| Spelling checker |
Yes |
Yes, inline with dictionary and thesaurus |
Yes |
Yes |
| Receive third-party e-mail |
Yes, POP3 |
Yes |
Yes, POP3 |
Yes |
| Chatting |
Built-in, shows avatars |
No; detects presence of contacts and opens Messenger window |
Built-in, text.(IE6+ and Firefox only) |
Yes, in beta testing |
| Avatar |
Yes |
No |
Profile picture |
Yes |
| Keyboard shortcuts |
Yes, many |
Yes, 6 |
More than 24 |
Yes |
| Import and export contacts |
Yes, as CSV; also directly from Hotmail or Gmail |
Yes, as CSV; also directly from Yahoo Mail or Gmail |
Yes, as CSV; or directly from Hotmail or Yahoo Mail |
Yes, as CSV or text |
| Custom from addresses |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Paid options |
5 personal e-mail addresses for $35/year; 10 ad-free business accounts for $9.95/month |
$19.95/year for ad-free, 4GB+ |
n/a |
Yes |
| Automatically filter e-mail |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Blogging integration |
Post story from RSS folder to a Yahoo 360 blog |
No; Windows Live Spaces |
No |
Yes; AOL Journals |
| Languages |
17 |
36 |
40 |
12 |
| Cancels account |
After 4 months; never for Yahoo Mail Plus accounts |
After 120 inactive days |
After 9 months |
After 6 months; never for paid accounts |
Read the CNET editor's take
|
|
Start Doing More with Windows Mobile
7.0 out of 10
6.0 out of 10
