What is the best way to access your email account

What is the best way to access your email account

The email system which can be accessed through two methods:
(1) by WebMail, which is a web-based application.
(2) by regular email clients, e.g. Microsoft Outlook Express 6, Outlook 2003... etc.

Our Recommendation:
1. You are recommended to use regular email clients when you are accessing your email account through your dedicated PC. (Please refer to here for information about how to set up the software).
For example:
(a) at home
(b) in your office if you own a dedicated PC

2. You are recommended to use WebMail when you are accessing your email account through a non-dedicated PC.
For example:
(a) from a public-accessed terminal in the University (terminal rooms, laboratories...), internet cafes, public libraries ...
(b) from a PC at your friend's home
(c) from overseas

In the following we will discuss the pros and cons of these two methods:

WebMail

Regular email clients
(e.g. Microsoft Outlook Express 6, Outlook 2003 ...)

Pros

No need to set up/configure the software before using it. All you need is a web-browser e.g. IE.

Particular useful when you are accessing email through a public terminal.

Suitable for overseas access when you are out of Hong Kong.

More efficient. Work faster than WebMail. especially when deal with binary attachments.

With more email functions.

Can store messages in local folders (in your PC) and remote folders (in the mail server).

Users can view most types of attachments directly.

Cons

Less efficient. Works slower than regular email clients.

With less email functions.

Only can store messages in remote folders (in the mail server). (If you want to keep local copies of your messages, you need to use the "save" function of your browser to save them to the local disk one by one.)

Some types of attachments cannot be viewed directly. Need to save them to the hard disk first before you can view or open them.

You need to set up and configure the software first.

Not suitable if you are using a public terminal.

Not convenient for overseas access.

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Last modified: Wednesday, 17-Oct-07 16:26:04