MSN Hotmail

This Web-based e-mail client is easy to use, but it doesn't offer much in storage space compared to competing sites. MSN Hotmail isn't a downloadable application; rather, a link takes you to MSN's site to register for a Hotmail account.

The Inbox interface is very intuitive to use, thanks to large, clearly marked buttons, although it is a little cluttered with the Flash advertisements that are typical of Web-based e-mail clients. The default font size is a bit small, but that and other settings are simple to change from the Options menu. The interface for composing a message is very clean and included no ads during our tests. When we set up an appointment or added a contact, however, the site responded sluggishly and we were unable to save those new listings. Otherwise, the program responded quickly when we performed other tasks.

The basic e-mail services are free, but competing sites such as Yahoo! and Gmail offer larger storage capacity and more readable font sizes. Regardless, if you're searching for a Web-based e-mail client that you can use anywhere, and storage size isn't an issue, Hotmail is worth trying out.