Your Internet Connection

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Since you're reading this book, I'm going to assume that you already have an Internet connection of some sort. But what sort do you have?

• An online service. Most online services offer Internet connectivity these days, and more and more people are taking advantage of the simplicity and extra help that an online service provides. Examples of these are Prodigy, America Online, CompuServe, and the Microsoft Network.
• A dial-up Internet Service Provider (ISP). Because these companies don't provide their own content, they can undercut the online services on price, and are a better deal for experienced users who want only to use the Internet. Examples are SpryNet, Iquest, and GNN.
• A direct connection through a LAN. If you access the Internet from work, your company may have a full-time Internet connection through your LAN. That means you don't need a modem, and you'll be surfing at ten times (or more) the speed of modem users. Lucky you.

Why does it matter? Because your connection type somewhat dictates the mail package you use. Online services want you to use their own proprietary mail software, while the latter two service types enable you to use any mail program you like.

Hardcore e-mail users sometimes maintain two separate Internet accounts�one on an online service, and one with an ISP. That way they have two different e-mail addresses, and can keep their business and personal mail separated. If you participate in LISTSERV discussions (groups that exchange ideas via e-mail), and you are an online services user, consider getting an ISP Internet account just for the additional e-mail address, so you can keep the LISTSERV traffic separate from your regular e-mail; otherwise your regular e-mail may become bogged down amid the hundreds of LISTSERV messages that pour into your inbox every week.