E-mail is like sending someone a letter, except that you can do it any time, without leaving your computer, and it will be available in their ‘mailbox’ within minutes even if they live on the other side of the planet. To use e-mail, your ISP will give you an e-mail address.
You need e-mail software to send and receive messages. The software will be provided by your ISP or you can down-load the latest versions from the Internet. Popular e-mail packages include Eudora, Pegasus Mail and Claris Emailer. You simply type in the receiver’s e-mail address, type your message, and click on the ‘send’ button. The e-mail message will be deposited at the receiver’s host computer where it will remain until they log on to find a ‘mail waiting’ message. Having an e-mail address is becoming so universal that not having one on your business card is like not having a telephone number.
