What is E-mail?

Basically, e-mail (or electronic mail) is a communications protocol, which allows users to send messages to each other. These are normally word-processed messages, but they can include graphics, files, video and speech - in effect, the electronic equivalent of the Royal Mail.

Once you have someone's e-mail address and the proper software on your PC, you can send a message which takes from a few seconds to a couple of days to reach its target. Many types of e-mail software exist, for most computer platforms. At Swansea College, previous systems used have included Pegasus (for DOS) and Netscape E-mail.

Currently, the standard software for accessing e-mail is Microsoft Exchange, although it can also be accessed from Microsoft Outlook. On the Desktop, this should appear as an icon marked Email.exe.

Contents: E-mail

Skill Check: E-mail