1 What is Email?

Email is a way of communication. It is fast, efficient and economical. You can type out the text of your message, then add attachments to it – these can be photos, text, files, graphics, or even multimedia files. All you need is an email program, like Outlook Express. And you will also need to know your recipient’s email address, which is unique to that person. The notes below are specific to Outlook Express, but you will find that the email program you want to use is extremely similar.

Elements of Outlook Express

• Menu Bar – gives you access to Outlook Express command menus
• Toolbar – gives you access to frequently used commands
• Message List – this list displays message headers in selected folders (eg. Your ‘Inbox’ folder will probably be the folder you have open) An open envelope icon next to an email denotes it has been read already. A closed envelope icon and bold text denotes the email has not yet been read.
• Preview pane (also called Message Pane) – this displays the contents of the message you have selected
• Contacts - displays a list of contacts from the Address Book
Folder List – this is a graphic display of email folders.  Click on a folder to display its contents
• Status Bar – this displays the current status of Outlook Express.  After connecting, a “Working Online” message shows up in your status bar.