BMKS company "mailstart" gets a plug in the Seattle Times, Bill Gates home paper, should gap up on open.
Sunday, June 4, 2000, 12:00 a.m. Pacific
Inbox
Cost of 'free' Web mail soars when frustration spikes
by Charles Bermant
Special to the Seattle Times
Web mail is a great idea that hasn't yet reached its potential. Free services like Yahoo! and Hotmail throw up a lot of obstacles (where do you get tech support?) and you essentially get what you pay for.
So anyone who seeks the convenience of universal retrieval has to make some unwelcome compromises - including the inability to access mail from your main mailbox without instituting a forwarding scheme.
Things have just gotten a little better. MailStart,
mailstart.com provides instant Web Mail service for the masses. It asks for your e-mail address and password, then searches for the server name and retrieves the mail. You can then answer messages or send new ones, which do not append little commercial plugs for the service.
Aside from the basic service, you can sign up for a "Web Box," which adds several common e-mail features along with file storage. Or you can pay a monthly fee for fax service, virus scanning and increased security.
It's not an entirely flawless system. MailStart won't work with MSN or with some firewalls. As security needs change, your mail operator may add features that could interfere with checking your mail. And the response time isn't exactly swift.
I sent a press query about the service one afternoon, 24 hours later I was still waiting. So while MailStart offers a unique service - the ability to check your main mailbox without forwarding - there is still not a lot you can do if it doesn't work. Again, it's a case of "you get what you pay for."
But MailStart still qualifies as a keeper, a URL worth writing down, carrying around, and using if you ever pass a live browser while on the road.
Attaching a Web Mail component to an existing mailbox can also act as a spam filter. If you don't set your mail for automatic retrieval, you can log on to Web Mail and select messages to answer or delete before actually retrieving messages to the hard drive.
Furthermore, a Web Mail service that includes storage or folders can increase convenience. Before a trip just e-mail yourself needed files along with a list of cyber cafes, and leave the laptop at home.
Many Internet service providers (ISPs) now offer a Web Mail
component, often as part of their service package. Perhaps your ISP has added this option and you can add it quickly and simply. Otherwise, those choosing a new provider should make sure Web Mail is part of the package.
Ironically, this is one area where the oft-maligned America Online leads the pack. AOL Mail has always been Web-based, so people with an AOL account don't need to do a darn thing in order to stay ahead.
Charles Bermant's advice on e-mail appears weekly. If you
have questions or suggestions, you can contact him, by
e-mail, at ptech@seatimes.com. Type "Inbox" in the subject
field.
Copyright ¸ 2000 The Seattle Times Company
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