A POP3 email account is an essential part of a good web hosting package. You can communicate with your clients through email for marketing, feedback and important information about their orders. This makes it imperative to be able to retrieve email messages from any network or client platform easily.
An email reader is required to send and receive email through a POP3 email account. Usually, the following applications serve as email readers.
• Outlook Express
• Netscape Messenger
• Eudora
• Juno
• Outlook
• AOL email
• Pegasys
There are various advantages and shortcomings of POP3 as listed below
Pros
a) It is very easy to create new messages without being logged on the Internet. Editing of messages can be done while it is still in the “hold folder” and you also have an option for modifying the message priority and time and date of sending it.
b) Emails can be read even when you are offline. This is due to the fact that your email I stored on your computer and not in the mailbox alone.
c) You can avoid the annoying advertising and promotions while reading your emails in a POP3 account.
d) There is no need to wait for a long time while your attachments open. It is much faster due to the presence of email on your PC.
e) Usually, there is no size limit on the sent or received mail. Your hard drive determines the size of your mailbox as the emails are stored on your computer.
Cons
a) You may be targeted by email containing virus if you have JavaScript enabled in your email reader. This may allow rogue JavaScript to be embedded in the emails.
b) As all email messages are stored on the computer, there may be less hard disk space left for other important information.
c) Sometimes, email folders may become corrupted and it may be very difficult to recover valuable information.
d) There are privacy issues attached with POP3 accounts. Sometimes, your email messages can be read using other applications even if you have not disclosed your password.
