Web mail versus POP3 mail.
The best known web e-mail server is Hotmail. It is advertised as a "free" e-mail service. But you can only access it through your ISP, which may or may not permit free access to the Internet. The e-mails reside on the Hotmail server, and can only be downloaded to your own computer by saving web pages or text. This is useful if you are using a library or school computer, and not paying for access. But for your own computer, POP3 mail is better.
Outlook Express is a POP3 mail handler. E-mails delivered to your mailbox at your ISP remain there until you download them, at which time they are (usually) deleted from the server. You can then read your e-mails, reply, and compose even when you are not on line, which is a great advantage if you have to pay for time on.
A standard window has several bars at the top of the screen, though some windows may have less or more of these.
The title bar has the title of the program, the name of the file or the page title and at the right hand corner it has the three familiar symbols for minimising, resizing, and crossing off (finishing).
It is the title bar that you use to drag a window to a different place on the screen.
The menu bar usually has File Edit View etc. Though not absolutely standard, there is a general consistency between menu bars of different programs. When you click on a menu word, a drop-down menu (usually) appears, giving you choices.
The tool bar contains "buttons", which may or may not have explanatory text underneath. Sometimes these buttons have drop-down arrows indicating that a selection may be made.
Often the tool bar can be customized by you. For that reason the tool bar (and indeed the whole window) may not look the same on your computer as it does on someone else's machine.
Outlook Express is a mail handling program associated with Microsoft Internet Explorer. Usually it is installed along with MSIE, and it readily interacts with MSIE
Outlook Express has three separate windows, one which we will call the "Main Window", and it is the one that you see when you start the program. A second window is the "Message Window" and is only seen when you double-click on a message header to see the full message. The Third we will call the "Compose Window", which you see when you are composing a new message, including replying and forwarding.
This will become clear later, but bear in mind that these three are different, and although the file menu and toolbar may be very similar on the three windows, there are significant differences.
| To start Outlook Express, you click on the program icon |  |
or double-click, depending on your settings. |
You can also use the little icon in the quick launch pad near the Start button.
The window that you see is the Main Window, and its layout may not be the same on all computers, because the user has control over the appearance and layout. On installation, the "Inbox" will contain a welcome message from Microsoft, but this is usually deleted by the user fairly early, once the user begins to use the program for serious work.
NB. There are different versions of Outlook Express, and they may not all have some of the features discussed in this course.
© James Nelson, 2001.