Enterprise Nation

Email, POP mail, web mail. So many mails! What does it mean? How does it work? And what’s best for me?

POP mail – this is email that you use in a programme like Outlook. It works by downloading messages from a server onto your computer. Once you’ve downloaded  your messages, you can only view them on your home office computer and not when you’re out and about.

Which is why web mail was created

Web mail – this is accessed through a web browser and keeps your messages on the server so you can access the, respond to them, and write new ones, from wherever you are.

The only downside to web mail (which is usually provided as a free service like hotmail) is that the email address doesn’t sound as professional as a POP email

If you want the professionalism of a POP email account and the mobility of web mail, then Google has the answer.

It’s called Google Apps, is free and allows you to pick up Pop mail from anywhere.

• Google.com/a