Windows NT Internet and Intranet Development

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Microsoft Internet Mail


Microsoft Internet Explorer includes an Internet mail application that can be used to send and receive Internet e-mail. Because Microsoft Internet Mail is tightly integrated with Internet Explorer, it can be used to send and receive Internet e-mail messages while browsing the Internet. Ever wanted to share a URL with someone when you stumble upon an informative Web page? At the end of this chapter, you will learn how Microsoft Internet Mail can be used to e-mail a URL to someone with the click of a button.

You do not have to use Internet Mail if you or your users are already using Microsoft Exchange or Microsoft Outlook. Exchange and Outlook offer much more flexibility and many more features. You can set the default mail program used by Internet Explorer by selecting View | Options from the menu bar and selecting the Programs tab.

Installing and Configuring Microsoft Internet Mail

Internet Mail is included with the full version of Internet Explorer, which can be downloaded from the Internet Explorer Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/ie/). If you did not download the full version of Internet Explorer, you can download Microsoft Internet Mail and News from the Microsoft Internet Mail and News home page.


URL: Visit the Microsoft Internet Mail and News home page for the most up-to-date information about Internet Mail and News.

http://www.microsoft.com/ie/imn/ 

If you downloaded the full version of Internet Explorer, Internet Mail can be configured for use by selecting Read Mail from the Internet Explorer Mail button (as shown in Figure 3.1). Internet Mail can also be invoked by selecting Go | Read Mail from the Internet Explorer menu bar.

Figure 3.1. Select Read Mail from the Internet Explorer Mail button.

The Internet Mail Configuration wizard (see Figure 3.2) is displayed the first time Internet Mail is invoked. This wizard asks a series of questions to set up Internet Mail. Internet Mail needs to know your e-mail user name and password, as well as the address of the mail server. If you do not know this information, obtain it from your network administrator or Internet service provider (ISP). After Internet Mail is configured, settings can be changed by selecting Mail | Options from the Microsoft Internet Mail menu bar. Be sure to spend some time browsing the Internet Mail options menu to become familiar with various features of Internet Mail.

Figure 3.2. The Internet Mail Configuration wizard.

The dialog box in Figure 3.3 obtains your name and e-mail address. Type your name and e-mail address and click the Next button. The e-mail address specified in Figure 3.3's dialog box is used by your mail recipients to respond to your e-mail.

Figure 3.3. Type your name and e-mail address.

Enter the address of your SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol) and POP3 (Post Office Protocol) servers, as shown in Figure 3.4. Outgoing e-mail is sent via the SMTP server, while incoming mail is retrieved via the POP3 server. It is possible for the SMTP and POP3 servers to have the same address. If you are not sure what your SMTP and POP3 server addresses are, contact your network administrator or ISP.

Use the dialog box shown in Figure 3.5 to type the user name and the password of your e-mail account. The user name and password information is used by Internet Mail to log in to the POP3 server and retrieve your e-mail messages.

Figure 3.4. Enter SMTP and POP3 server information.

Figure 3.5. Enter your e-mail account name and password.

The dialog box shown in Figure 3.6 is used to select the type of Internet connection used by Internet Mail to connect to the mail server. If your are connected to the Internet via your LAN, select the I use a LAN connection radio button. Select I connect manually if you are not always connected to the Internet. If you have set up Windows NT RAS (remote access service) to connect to your ISP using a modem or terminal adapter, you may select a RAS entry, as shown in Figure 3.6.

Figure 3.6. Select type of Internet connection.

Click the Finish button of the dialog box shown in Figure 3.6 to complete the con-figuration of Internet Mail. Internet Mail is now ready for use, as shown in Fig- ure 3.7.

Figure 3.7. Internet Mail is now ready for use.


Using Microsoft Internet Mail

See Figure 3.8 for the user interface of Microsoft Internet Mail. Internet Mail contains two panes--one for viewing messages and another for viewing message headers. As the message in Figure 3.8 shows, Microsoft Internet Mail messages can be formatted with various text-formatting attributes. Notice how Microsoft's URL in the e-mail message is highlighted. Click URLs contained in e-mail messages to browse them using Internet Explorer.

Figure 3.8. User interface of Microsoft Internet Mail.

Select Mail | Inbox Assistant from the Microsoft Internet Mail menu bar to automatically sort incoming e-mail messages. This feature is particularly handy if you subscribe to Internet mail lists and would like to move mail from these lists to a certain folder. The dialog box shown in Figure 3.9 is used to specify mail-sorting criteria.

Figure 3.9. Specifying criteria for automatic mail sorting.

Internet Mail makes the task of sharing URLs simple. To share a URL that you are browsing with Internet Explorer, select Send a Link from the Microsoft Internet Explorer Mail button's drop-down list box (as shown in Figure 3.10).

Figure 3.10. Select Send a Link from the Microsoft Internet Explorer Mail button.

Notice how the URL of the Web page in Figure 3.10 is used as the subject of the e-mail message in Figure 3.11. The URL of the Web page is also included as an attachment. It can be e-mailed to one or more users by specifying recipients of the e-mail message and clicking the envelope icon.

Figure 3.11. Using Internet Mail to share a URL being browsed with Internet Explorer.


Summary

Microsoft Internet Mail can be used to send and retrieve Internet e-mail. Because Microsoft Internet Mail is tightly integrated with Internet Explorer, Microsoft Internet Mail can be used to send e-mail and share URLs while browsing the Web.


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