Web2Pop - and other free POP mail alternatives

[manko]

For those of you looking for a solution to your impending loss of free POP mail, Web2Pop might be the perfect solution to keep your current address. The shareware version works with Yahoo and Hotmail. Registration is $19.

I'm definitely going to give it a try.

 

[emonkey]

Nice. Maybe i'll give this one a test.

(Note: This is exactly why that other thread about yahoo and the end of free pop mail shouldnt have been locked. Now we're going to have a bunch of new topics for ever free pop email or software solution like this...)

 

[Marauder-]

Outlook XP and Outlook Express currently already have support for downloading Hotmail. They might work for Yahoo as well so that $20 could be used towards a Office XP / Windows purchase.

 

[manko]

BTW, after looking at some of the free POP mail alternatives, myrealbox is looking like the best choice. I've actually had an account with them for quite a while, but until now, I rarely used it because I didn't want to go through the hassle of changing my address everywhere.

As far as free POP services go, it looks like the only one with absolutely no ads. No targeted spam in your mailbox, and no ads tacked onto the end of your email. It's run by Novell as a beta/showcase for their mail server technology.

Please be gentle and don't swamp them out of existence.

 

[GroundedSailor]

Here's a website where you can choose from hundreds of email providers

Check it out

Some offer free email forwarding and POP3. Find one that suits your needs.

Vote for Yahoo/Hotmail with your feet.

 

[grinningwolf]

I'm checking out alternatives, but that's because the firewall at work is going to start blocking
access to major webbased email providers. So myrealbox sounded good until I came across
this in one of the FAQs:

Q: I am on a Yahoo! Groups mailing list and have stopped receiving my mail. What's wrong?
A: The Yahoo! Groups mailing lists have been a major source of spam over the last couple
years and have been getting worse and worse. We have tried to work with them many
times but they have done nothing to prevent the spam.
We are sorry to tell you that because of this we no longer accept any mail from Yahoo! Groups.

Since I moderate 5 yahoo groups that's a nogo for me. I haven't been really happy since
onelist became egroups and comcast took over by adelphia cable modem and hostpro got
taken over by Interland.

 

[ltm]

I wholeheartedly agree that the Yahoo Mail fee thread should NOT have been locked. :|

<rant>
I've been reading and participating on this forum for around a year now, and I just hate how so many threads get locked. Hey, guys, once the thread has been created, the "damage" has been done. It's one extra topic that users might click in to and reply, if they are interested. I fully understand how illegal/scam/affiliate threads should be locked. And sure, if someone wants to start a thread on global warming or gun control, sure, that's obviously far off the continum of topics.

But posting a cold deal, like the impending Yahoo POP3 mail deal, promotes discussion on the topic, plus low cost/free solutions to the problem. The Hot Deals forum is the best one out there, and it should be a place where people post AND seek hot deals. Yeah, yeah, there's the I WANNA thread, but few actually read it.
</rant>

That being said, I am pissed as hell Yahoo has decided to charge $20/year for their service. I've stuck with Yahoo for several years under the concept that they were going to be in business forever and had decent reliability, and figured I'd have that email account forever. Damn.

But now, for the 3 accounts my family uses, I'm gonna pay $60/year? I don't think so. The Web2Pop program is an interesting solution, but I'm afraid of the matrix on their website that shows the oddities their program applies to the header/body/etc for each domain, like Yahoo.

I think I'm interested in the ".name" domain. Anyone know a registrar/email provider with a good .name package? I've been slowly going through the many providers at
.name's website but haven't picked one yet.

 

[sync]

<< For those of you looking for a solution to your impending loss of free POP mail, Web2Pop might be the perfect solution to keep your current address. The shareware version works with Yahoo and Hotmail. Registration is $19.

I'm definitely going to give it a try. >>


If Yahoo is trying to get people to pay for this service, then I imagine they'll try to thwart solutions like this.

 

[dimwit]

Isn't yahoo already offer free pop3 service if you sign up for some email list? And most mail clients can put that mail straight in the spam bin.

 

[speeddragon]

They are... until 4/24/2002...



<< Isn't yahoo already offer free pop3 service if you sign up for some email list? And most mail clients can put that mail straight in the spam bin. >>

 

[sun818]

Unless Yahoo is your main account (which is unlikely), why not use a web based e-mail application like mail2web.com? Its like using Eudora or Outlook from a web page. So, if you delete a message, its really GONE! It even has IMAP support. Its free and each message as little "sent using mail2web.com" like every free service.

 

[manko]

<< Unless Yahoo is your main account (which is unlikely) >>



That's just it. Yahoo is my main account. Sure, I have a few other accounts. I even have 6 mailboxes with my ISP, but guess what? My ISP destroyed millions of customer emails over a week long period in a little spat with @home late last year. Yahoo has lasted me through a number of ISPs, different jobs and different states. Most online sites I'm registered with, my domains and most of my online shopping accounts are with Yahoo. Until now, despite spotty POP3 service, it has been the most consistent address. I was originally a member of Geocities, so I've had the address for quite a while.

Maybe, now you can see how this is a big deal for some people. Not to mention how many people I recommended to use Yahoo and I even recently signed up my Parents with Yahoo, for the same reason - free POP mail access. As long as there are alternatives, I'm gonna have to switch. And I won't miss Yahoo's spam at all. When all the free services are gone, I can tell you that Yahoo will be the LAST place I want to sign up for a pay service. I'd rather pay anyone else but them.

 

[sun818]

If I was an internet company -- assigning your technical staff to work on a free service is an unwise idea. Listen, I pay $83.40 a year for a Mindspring account. I expect reliable and consistent service if I pay for it. If its free... what's that old saying, "You get what you pay for"? $20 a year for Yahoo e-mail is a hot, hot deal! If Yahoo has lasted you through a number of ISPs that attests to the reliability and consistency of the service. So, I am a bit confused when you rather pay someone else but not Yahoo. If this is your main account, bite the bullet and start paying. Yahoo gave you free service for YEARS. Isn't it time you paid them for their services? The days of free are gone and internet companies need to make money to stay afloat.

 

[manko]

This might me a hotter deal than Web2Pop: a freeware Perl script that does the same thing (grabs email from your Yahoo webmail account): http://users.erols.com/wayne/code.html

You'll also need Perl on your system.

 

[Sir Fredrick]

Web2Pop looks cool. I use eudora and also have a handful of webmail accounts. I can finally get all my mail in one place.

 

[ltm]

Well, I think I found something better than Yahoo's $20 offer. I have 3 accounts for family members, and there is no way I'm paying (3 * $20) = $60/year for Yahoo pop3 mail.

So, Yahoo also offers another deal, for $35/year. They register your own domain name, and give you Yahoo/pop3 email for FIVE accounts.

That way, if you have multiple people who want Yahoo mail, you can get together and share the same domain name, and get the same Yahoo quality email systems. Click here for details: Yahoo's Personal Address offer

 

[manko]

As others have suggested, you can also register a domain almost anywhere (for around $15/yr if you search) and they will throw in a handful of POP mailboxes with the domain...

So you could do the same thing a bit cheaper and get together with friends and family to make it cheaper still. Of course, you wouldn't get the same high quality Yahoo spam you've become accustomed to.

 

[ltm]

Two quick items, manko. First, most of the places I saw that you could register a domain at, and they gave you "email" was to FORWARD email, not give you a POP3 server to hit to get that email. Since we're all here to discuss ways to get around Yahoo's POP3 fee, that solution won't work. -- Unless, of course, you've found a registrar that gives you (free/low cost) POP3 email???

Additionally .. I've used Yahoo's POP3 "Yahoo Delivers" system for a few years. I get maybe 4 pieces of Yahoo Spam each month. Sure, I get spam from lots of other sources but that's not Yahoo's fault.

 

[Floydian]

I too have used yahoo pop mail for years and hate to see it go, luckily i just use it as a solid address, and i can just switch over everything (still sucks thouguh :/) not going to pay 20 bux a year for it, especially with other adresses I already have and don't pay for directly (website host company has pop email, msn (crap btw), myrealbox), no reason to use yahoo at all now. Sorry yahoo.

Thanks for the tips, I signed up for myrealbox

 

[manko]

<< First, most of the places I saw that you could register a domain at, and they gave you "email" was to FORWARD email, not give you a POP3 server to hit to get that email. Since we're all here to discuss ways to get around Yahoo's POP3 fee, that solution won't work. -- Unless, of course, you've found a registrar that gives you (free/low cost) POP3 email??? >>



Maybe these will help. I haven't looked at them, so I can't vouch for them (they were posted in a FW thread):

http://www.nextreg.com/
http://www.stargateinc.com/Pages/default.asp
http://www.cyberwings.com/

Personally, I already have a host that includes 5 POP mailboxes, plus unlimited forwarding addresses (not as cheap as $19/yr - but what I pay is still a decent deal for the hosting service, and I'm already paying it anyway).

 

[ltm]

Cool. Thanks for the suggestions. I'll take a look.

 

[BruinBill]

If I was an internet company -- assigning your technical staff to work on a free service is an unwise idea. Listen, I pay $83.40 a year for a Mindspring account. I expect reliable and consistent service if I pay for it. If its free... what's that old saying, "You get what you pay for"? $20 a year for Yahoo e-mail is a hot, hot deal! If Yahoo has lasted you through a number of ISPs that attests to the reliability and consistency of the service. So, I am a bit confused when you rather pay someone else but not Yahoo. If this is your main account, bite the bullet and start paying. Yahoo gave you free service for YEARS. Isn't it time you paid them for their services? The days of free are gone and internet companies need to make money to stay afloat.

I dont think so... speak responsibily PLEASE...

since when did the word FREE escaped our dictionaries.....

if you want to PAY for everything in this world, pay me (us) for having to look at your reply...

 

[sun818]

BB - Did you have a point?

 

[IHaveHotDealitis]

I just got a free pop3/smtp account. If you want the link, PM me. I will not post it cause its the only free pop3 I know of..

 

[richd111]

Free POP3 listings at google