Email is a computer based method of sending messages from one computer to another. From its humble beginnings 40 years, it has matured to become a crucial tool in utilising the power of the Internet. More people have access to email than to any other Internet application, and despite the problems with spam email and viruses, email remains popular because of its low cost, universality and ease of use. This section looks at the advantages of email over other methods of communication, how email works and other ways of communicating using the Internet.