Learning Pool

Neath Port Talbot Learning Community

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Using E-Mail

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Hotmail

If you don't own your own computer but can access the Internet at the local library, at work or at college, then a web-based e-mail account is ideal. Once you have registered with Hotmail you will be able to send and receive messages from any computer that has an Internet connection, anywhere in the world.

How do I get a Hotmail account?

Simply visit the Hotmail web site and register with them. Registration is straightforward and any questions you may have are likely to be answered in Hotmail's Frequently Answered Questions section.

During registration you will be asked for a unique sign-in name (a name that goes before the @hotmail.com in your e-mail address) and to supply a password. Once you have registered, you will have your own unique e-mail address which will be something like myname@hotmail.com.

How does it work?

Using an Internet browser on any computer connected to the Internet, type www.hotmail.com into the location Bar which will take you to the Hotmail site. Simply type in your sign-in name and password and you will be taken to your Hotmail. To retrieve your mail, you will need to click the "Mail" tab at the top of the page. Here you'll find a list of e-mail messages - just click on a message you wish to read to view the contents.

To send a message, click on the "New" icon. Type in the e-mail address of the person you wish to contact in the "To" field or add the e-mail address using your Contacts list. Also, add an appropriate subject in the "Subject" field. Hotmail has some useful tools to help you when composing a message including a Spell Checker, a Thesaurus and a Rich Text Editor which allows you - amongst other things - to change the background colour of your message and the text. Just like regular e-mail software, you can also reply, forward and save messages.

What's the catch?

There isn't one really. Having a Hotmail account is absolutely free to use as it is funded by advertising on the site. Its big advantage is that you can use it from any computer that has an Internet connection, so if you decide to go backpacking around the world you can send and receive e-mail wherever you are, just by visiting the nearest Cybercafe or library.

There is a slight downside in that you are likely to find a lot of junk e-mail (or spam as it's called) in your Inbox, as Hotmail is an easy target for this kind of thing. However, there is a Junk Mail Filter which does help. To register or simply find out more about Hotmail, check out www.hotmail.com