Electronic mail or email is a message sent electronically over a computer network. It can be sent and received almost immediately. It is the 21st century’s answer to regular mail that’s sent by post.
You can receive and send emails on any computer but it must be connected to the Internet first. Once connected, you must use email clients or programmes like Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express or Eudora on your PC or Mac, or email through a web-based host like Gmail, Yahoo! or Hotmail.
How do you email?
To get started, you will need access to a computer. If you are intending to use an email programme, you will have to register with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) like Pacific Internet, Starhub and SingNet. You will then be given details on how to set up your account.
Registering for a web-based email is a little easier. Once you decide on an email host such as Hotmail or Yahoo, go to the website and sign up for a free account.
For both client- or web-based emails, your user ID will form part of your email address. The format will be identical except for the domain name. This is the part immediately after the ‘@’ sign. Whether with a local ISP like SingNet or a web-based email service like Hotmail, your email address will look like this: userid@singnet.com or userid@hotmail.com. And just like regular mail that gets sent to your home address, this is the address you will use to send and receive all your emails, only through your computer.
What are the benefits of email?
- Fast delivery: Emails are delivered almost instantaneously unlike regular mail which for example, can take up to 2 weeks to reach an overseas destination.
- Accessible 24/7: You can send emails whenever you want, wherever you are, so long as you have Internet connection and access to a computer. Emails are a great way to keep in touch with your family and friends without having to make trips to the post office for stamps.
- Saves paper: As emails are composed on a computer, you can save drafts and complete them later, composing your thoughts and changing your mind without wasting paper or ink.
- One to many: If you want to write to a group of friends, you can send one email to multiple addresses with just one hit of the ‘Send’ button.
Electronic mail or email is a message sent electronically over a computer network. It can be sent and received almost immediately. It is the 21st century’s answer to regular mail that’s sent by post.
You can receive and send emails on any computer but it must be connected to the Internet first. Once connected, you must use email clients or programmes like Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express or Eudora on your PC or Mac, or email through a web-based host like Gmail, Yahoo! or Hotmail.
