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Where's the Mail

Windows 7 doesn't have email?

This is a little "de-feature" that had slipped me by. No longer can I tell my customers that "Windows comes with everything you need to access the internet and stay in touch with family and friends". Now I have to explain that Windows comes with everything to access websites (and a few extra little bits like media centre, integration within a windows 7 network through it's libraries and other useful, time saving features), but for my "older" customers, it isn't everything that they may want it to be. So what to do..?

I have noticed some OEM laptops (Toshiba, Lenovo etc), have taken to bundling an email package (Thunderbird is the last one I remember) which sort of defeats whatever object Microsoft were trying to aim for. I haven't looked into the reasons for not including a mail client - and, quite frankly, I don't really care - but we do need a solution. Given that I have been "told off" in the past for forgetting to include a PDF reader in a Windows installation, we need to look at something.

So, complaints aside, what shall we use?

Microsoft don't include their Windows Mail package any longer (introduced in Windows Vista) prefering instead to point you at their "Live" system. If you type "email" into the excellent Start button search box, you will be presented with a link to download the whole of the Live System. This is a massive suite of programs and you should take time to read about each of them to decide how useful they will be for you. I am currently using the parental controls component on the computer the children use. My eight year old started to describe his searches in Google... That's what you get for sending them to school, literate children who can search the world wide web with real words!!

If you decide to choose Windows Live Mail, installation is straight forwards - just follow the instructions. Setting up your email address is reasonably straight forwards, just follow the wizard. Do remember that you will need to have your email providers details to hand. The following points are a minimum:

• Your email address (obviously)
• Your username. this is usually your email address, but for some providers, it may be the start of the email address or the last bit of your email address (like Freeserve/Wanadoo/Orange) or something completely different
• Your password
• The POP3 server address (pop.emailprovider.com or mail.emailprovider.com or pop3.emailprovider.com or something else)
• The correct SMTP server. Now, this is where it can get messy.
  If you are using the email service of your internet service provider (me@btinternet.com for instance), then this may well be your ISP's SMTP server (E.G. mail.btconnect.com). If your are using a third party email service like Googlemail, you will need to check the following details with your internet service provider if a) you can use a third party SMTP server for sending email or b) if you are able to use your third party email address on the ISP SMTP server. My goodness it can get messy. Some ISP's are hopelessly jealous (as well as being generally hopeless) and will not allow you to use a third party SMTP server nor will they allow you to send email that is anything other than their own domain (aol.com is a particular service that I have had problems with in the past). For my own setup, I use BT Business and I have asked them to allow me to send emails from caaos.com through their SMTP server... they call it a white list
• Whether or not the smtp server requires authentication

I am afraid that there are a couple of other bits and bobs that you may need to set up, but those listed above are the minimum. If it doesn't work after setting up with the details you have amassed, give your ISP a call in the first instance. They are better placed to help (although it can feel like pulling teeth at times!)

Windows Live email allows for multiple email addresses giving a family the opportunity to use a single Windows profile. As with anything new, you have to just get in there and play - and don't forget that search engines are a great source of information. A few choice keywords and you will find the solution to most, if not all of your problems. And for those solutions that you can't quite implement, come and find me at CAAOS.

Some email packages for you:

• Outlook. approx £85 stand alone. Part of the Microsoft Office Business Suite of applications, this is the stallwart of the business world. Available as a standalone application or as part of MS Office Suite
• Windows Live. Free. A Microsoft package full of tools that you may find useful. Do take time to read about the individual applications rather than just downloading all of them
• Thunderbird. Free. Produced by the same people who brought you Mozilla Firefox, this program has a large, loyal group of followers and is well renowed for its ease of use and speed.
• Google Mail. Free. Google Mail is predominantly a web mail based system but does have an interface into a more traditional client based system (Outlook, Windows Live etc.). Utilising the Google search engine amongst other technologies, the Google mail system provides a massively available, surprisingly functional email and communication facility. It integrates into other Google apps (as you would expect) and really does go a long way to removing our dependance upon the desktop. Definately worth a go. If you have a Google account for other Google aps, then you have a googlemail account
• Webmail. Talk to your ISP or just access their home page to start using their system

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Sky on my TV

You may have noticed TV item appear on the media centre front page. Press the green button on your remote control (or click on start and look for the green icon to the media centre), scroll down to the TV section and there, to the left of the highlighted icon will be Sky Player

Clicking on Sky Player takes you to a new screen presenting you with T&C's. You will notice, almost immediately that this is a subscription only service. The subscription only service follows these rules: Sky subscription plus Sky multiroom allows you to watch Sky channels in low definition on your media centre. If you already have a Sky subscription to Multiroom, that is fine - nothing extra to pay. If you don't, then the privilege of watching Sky in low definition, internet streaming will cost you about £5 per month

WHAT..!

Now, did any of you click the little "put a media centre widget" item when setting up media centre? You will have noticed that it is now "advertising" Sky..!

..and there was me thinking that I had already paid for Windows

I am afraid that I don't agree with Sky and the whole premium content TV thing. To pay for a TV service and then be presented with adverts seems a bit wrong... but then we are not here to run Sky down - there are plenty of people with much better journalistic....... So, the reason for this little comment:
How to remove the Sky Player form the media centre.
Download and run Media Center Studio

This is a great little tool and just works. When the program is running, click on the menu item in Media Center Studio labelled Start Menu. Scroll down the list of menu items until you find the FIRST TV section. There will be a load of Promo icons that don't have any pictures associated with them. Find the one called InternetTV and untick the tick box. Click Save and then start media center again. Sky has gone!!

You will notice lots of other "Promo" placeholders... I am going to leave those switched on for now and see what happens over time.

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