Set up your accountBefore Mail can check your email account, you must set up your account. If you entered your email information when you first turned on your Mac, Mail is ready to go and you can skip to page 152. If not, you need the information listed below to create an account. This information comes from your Internet Service Provider (ISP), as explained in Chapter 9, so if you don't know what an ISP is, please read that information!Email address: Your provider gave you an email address, or asked you to create one. It looks something like this:
Your provider will tell you exactly what this is. It's usually something like this:
If you have an ISP but you also have several different email accounts from other places, such as from your own domain or someone's web site, ask your host what the incoming mail server is for that account.Account type: It's usually either a POP account or IMAP. A .Mac account is IMAP; most local providers are POP.User name: This is often the same as your email address, but not always because it's actually the user name for your account with that provider. Ask your provider what it is; if you can't, try using your email address.Password: This should be the password for your email, but if that won't work, call your provider and ask if they have a different password for your account with them than from your email account.SMTP: No matter how many email accounts you have from how many different places, this is always the name of the provider you pay each month to connect you to the Internet. For instance, I have five different email accounts at five different servers, but the SMTP for every one of them is the sameit is Comcast because that's who I pay each month. That's who all of my email goes out through. An SMTP address usually looks something like this:smtp.comcast.net When you open Mail for the first time, it will ask you for the information explained on the opposite page, as shown below. There are five or six windows like this where you will be asked to fill in the information.Don't worry if you don't know exactly what to enter hereyou can always change it, as shown below, or click "Cancel" and fill it in the account information later.You can add more accounts, change existing information, and customize your accounts from this dialog box: Go to the Mail menu, choose "Preferences…," and single-click the Accounts button in the toolbar.To add another account, single-click the + sign.[View full size image] |