Webmail
is a Web application which allows users to access their e-mail
through a Web browser such as Internet Explorer
or Firefox, as an alternative to using an e-mail client such
as Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird or Eudora.
If you have a Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail or Gmail account, you are using
webmail.
With Webmail you can access your email from everywhere in the world,
with advanced features (such as mailboxes, address book).
Advantages
- The advantages of such a system are that you don't need your
own computer or a regular email client such as Outlook to check
your mail. If you have access to a computer connected to the Internet,
you have access to your email.
- Universities often provide this facility to
their students so they may have access to their email both at college
and at home.
- Business users can find webmail invaluable for checking
their emails worldwide.
Disadvantages
- There are some disadvantages to this system. It tends to be slower
than a traditional email client. When accessing your email from
a public computer, you must take care to log out and close the
web browser. Failure to do so may allow others to come along and
access your email from the same terminal.
- A webmail user must stay online to read and write e-mails. They
cannot easily edit mails when they are working offline (except by
copying and pasting the text).
Definition of Webmail from Wikipedia
