email questionsApplies to: All versions of Windows 10, and explains how email works
Hello
This week I want to spend a bit of time discussing emails. I thought I’d write a quick post to answer some common questions, give my views on the latest Windows 10 “Mail” app. And what I suggest you do to keep emails working as you expect, as simply as possible.
It turns out email is far far more complicated to describe than I first thought. So let’s start off with some quotes from the Helpful Book Company’s very own Dictionary. I have changed / added some of these from the printed edition to be even more relevant to the email topic…
A non-email example of how email works…

  • You pop into the bank and your balance is £1000.
  • You then transfer (send) £100 to some guy called Mike.
  • You get home and decide to check your balance on the bank website. It is now £900.
  • Mike checks his balance and it has gone up by the £100 (received)
  • You decide, while out on a long walk, you want to check your balance on your phone. You load up their Bank App (Bank Program) and your balance is still £900.These are all ways to check the same thing, but using different methods (a program, a website and in person). Email is very similar. If you have an email waiting for you from your email provider you can (usually) choose different ways to view it, the most common are Email Programs or webmail.

Email Jargon To Plain English

  • Webmail or Web-Based Email – Instead of running an email program or App (like Thunderbird or Windows Mail) to access your emails, you visit a website and manage your emails on there.
  • Email Program (or Email App) – Sometimes referred to as an Email client, this is software installed on your computer or device and it receives the email from your provider. In Windows 10 the default email program is called “Mail”, other examples are “Windows Live Mail” or “Thunderbird”. There are also many apps for tablets which allow you to access emails, such as “Inbox” from Google, or the “Mail app” on Apple devices.
  • Email Provider – This is the company who you use to send and receive emails, for example Google, Yahoo, BT or TalkTalk. It can be different from the Email Program. Most email providers have Webmail available to customers. An email provider often allows access to emails via multiple methods (for example Email Programs or Webmail).
  • Email – short for Electronic mail. It’s a way of sending messages through the internet to another person.

How Windows 10 has changed email, and my view on their “Mail” app…

  • Windows 10 now comes with an email program (they call it an app) called simply “Mail”.
    This is a very basic Email Program which allows you to send and receive emails, and that’s about it!
  • Previous versions of Windows had an email program called “Windows Live Mail” which is different from “Mail”. This does not [despite what Tim might say :-] work on Windows 10.

My Recommendations: 

  1. Don’t use the Windows 10 “Mail” app.
    Now this sounds a little drastic, but my thinking here is that although it is a simple program, it also lacks very basic email tasks (such as making a new email folder[update 2 – see below], e.g. for work emails). It also struggles to connect with some email providers (such as TalkTalk [1])- they just don’t work with it.
  2. Use Webmail. Your Email Provider most likely provides a webmail website to manage your emails. Generally these are very good and work well across computers and other devices.
    I can’t list all the different webmail addresses here, I have listed the 3 most popular below, but if you are stuck just leave a comment and I’ll get back to you.
  3. If you want to stay using an Email Program, I would recommend you try Thunderbird, from the makers of Firefox.
    It’s completely free and works like you would expect an email program to work! It has folders and everything…

(Number 2 is how I manage my own email, Number 3 is how we manage work email.)
Useful links

Most popular webmail website addresses:

  1. Gmail from Google https://mail.google.com
  2. Outlook.com / Hotmail from Microsoft https://www.outlook.com
  3. Yahoo Mail https://mail.yahoo.com
  4. Is yours missing? If you know it, drop it in a comment below. If you’re not quite sure, then just ask.

Happy emailing
Mike
[email protected]
[1] Thanks to David for the tip.
[2] Update 2016-08-25, After the Windows 10 anniversary update it is now possible to create folders in the Mail app if you have some supported email providers (Outlook.com or Hotmail for example)