I have been using gmail for years now, since the early days when finding someone to invite you into the club of gmail users was harder than getting into some exclusive nightclubs.

It’s now open to any and all comers, and I heartily recommend it. In the three years I have been using it, it has never been down more than a few minutes at any one time, and that happens so seldom it is simply amazing. No lost mail, no issues around Spam (their filters get a little too aggressive at times, and requires one to glance once in awhile to make sure there is not a message from Mom which got sucked into the Spam trap), and a constantly growing capacity. Last I looked, it was closing in on 6GB. I have many thousands of messages and lots of attachments in my mailbox and still have 84% of my alloted capacity left.

Yes, I am pitching gmail as an alternative!