Account with your internet provider? Already included in access charge ?

Might be able to configure it to run with Thunderbird. (Used to be Mozilla Firefox companion for email now on it's own)

I ran Outlook Express for years and had to give that up going to windows 7.

I detest web mail as I have a folder hierarchy set up to sort incoming stuff into different folders and have a huge drafts folders where I keep interesting hyperlinks and other information I want to find again later. Web mail is out of your control and subject to being purged and you are limited on physical size for your account.

When the emails get downloaded to your program and machine you have control over sorting, keeping and archiving what you feel is important.