Web-based E-mail - You must be directly connected to the the web to access this type of email. alternatively, with a standard e-mail address through your ISP, (often called POP or POP3,) you need only be connected to the Internet but not the web. A big advantage of Web-based E-mail is that if you change ISPs, you won't lose your e-mail address. Also there are software programs that can forward your web-based e-mail automatically to your ISP’s (POP3) e-mail address/client.  (It's called "forwarding.")  The following is a web address that, at the time of this writing, was the ultimate list of places to get free e-mail addresses (and those that can be forwarded) www.emailaddresses.com.