| If you want to use Outlook 2007 as an email | | | | for the privilege. With those services, the free |
| program, and you're not connected to a corporate | | | | versions of the email account need to be upgraded |
| Microsoft Exchange server, you'll need to connect | | | | to a paying version to enable the connection. There's |
| Outlook to a Web-based email account. Lots of big | | | | only a small number of Web-based email accounts |
| companies, like Yahoo!, Microsoft, and Google offer | | | | that allow you to connect Outlook for free. Google's |
| free web-based email accounts, as do hundreds of | | | | Gmail is the biggest and best-known of this elite |
| smaller companies. But not all free accounts are | | | | group. |
| suitable for use with Outlook. The top choice for | | | | With Gmail, you get a massive amount of space |
| most people is to connect Outlook to a free Gmail | | | | (measured in Gb) of mail storage right on Google's |
| account from Google. Once you have Gmail, it only | | | | servers. Gmail also provides powerful search |
| takes a few minutes to configure the Gmail Outlook | | | | capabilities when you search your mail through the |
| connection. This allows you to use Outlook to read | | | | web interface (basically doing a Google search on |
| messages sent to your Gmail account. It also allows | | | | your own email). Google supports the Gmail service |
| you to send messages from Outlook that use your | | | | with advertising, but you only see the ads when you |
| Gmail address. | | | | use your Gmail account with your web browser, not |
| Why use Gmail? Well, there are lots of other free | | | | when you use Outlook 2007. Gmail is definitely the |
| email accounts out there, like Yahoo! Mail & | | | | free email service of choice for connecting to |
| Hotmail. But connecting them to Outlook for free is | | | | Outlook. |
| the rub. Some Web-based email accounts are set up | | | | The directions for making the Gmail Outlook |
| so you can view them using your Web browser, but | | | | connection are moderately difficult, but in my |
| they don't allow you to connect to them with | | | | experience, most people can make the connection on |
| programs like Outlook. Other email accounts (Yahoo! | | | | their own or with a little help. The instructions are |
| Mail & Hotmail, for example) allow you to | | | | posted on the Gmail site if you want to try it |
| connect them to Outlook, but they charge you a fee | | | | yourself. |