When Google launched their free-to-use webmail service a few years back they managed to revolutionise an already developed internet market. They successfully harnessed new technologies to allow for such innovations as a crash-proof autosave feature and the ability to display emails as conversation threads rather than in simple chronological order. The storage space allowance is unparalleled, currently pushing 2GB, and is set to rise to match the requirements of the future.

The only slight stumbling block is that you still need to be 'invited' to use the service. However this anti-spammer feature is pretty much redundant as there are now various websites distributing spare invitations and current members continually get rewarded more. Those struck with paranoia may find the fact that Gmail scans your emails to display relevant adverts worrying and this has previously caused a stir. That doesn't erode the simple fact that if you're looking for a webmail account, this is the best place to go.