Use a 'Real' mail client to read your Internet E-Mail

Both Hotmail and Yahoo support offline access so you can use your choice of mail client. Hotmail provides HTTP access to your e-mail account, while Yahoo Mail provides POP3 access.

To configure your mail client to check messages on Hotmail, use your full e-mail address, username@hotmail.com. Your mail client must support the HTTP protocol, so that eliminates almost all mail clients but Outlook Express. The address of the mail server is services.msn.com/svcs/hotmail/httpmail.asp.

In Outlook Express, when you change the protocol to HTTP and select Hotmail as your HTTP mail service provider, it automatically configures the address of the mail server for you.

Yahoo Mail is a bit more difficult to configure. First, you must join Yahoo Delivers. Sign up by clicking on Options on the sidebar and then clicking on Yahoo Delivers. Then enable POP access by clicking on Options on the sidebar and then clicking on POP/Forward Status. After completing the form, Yahoo will display the server settings you must use.