What Email ?

[modeller]

I have three email providers Orange web mail, Dads Windows Live Mail,
Dads Gmail, I don't pay any of them so how do they make any money. ?

My Internet provider is Plus Net Description mcci+MccciBrowser to whom I do pay.

I recently had a Google page offering me a Free Trial of emails ! Presumably it would then be chargeable . Why on earth would anyone consider that attractive. ! I obviously have misunderstood something .

Could someone please explain.

[VHG]

Well Orange provide your web mail as part of their service which you pay for, Microsoft provide Live Mail as part of Windows that you pay for, and Google provide GMail and they make their money from advertising.

But nowadays it is not just about providing email but also digital download of music, games, films, TV shows etc (which you have to pay for), and the company you email with are more likely to be the company you also use for digital download.

So for example if you have an Android smartphone (and Android is written by Google) you normally logon to your phone with a Gmail address (also from Google) and then download apps and other media from the Google Play Store (some of which you pay for).

Same with Apple, you have an iPhone and you logon with an Apple email address then use Apple iTunes.

And of course all these companies (Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Apple, etc) want you to logon to your devices with THEIR email address so you use THEIR digital download (that is where the money is).

That is why you now need to logon to Windows 10 with a Microsoft email address, and that is why Amazon now sell their "Fire" tablets (so you can download media from the Amazon store).

So it is not so much about offering email for free, but about having as many people using your computer systems so they have a "captive" audience who will then download digital media.

Remember much music is now downloaded from iTunes or Amazon and not bought on physical CDs. Same goes for films and games and TV shows.

It is the future.

[ichkeria]

You don't need to login to Windows 10 with a Microsoft email address.
I certainly don't

[VHG]

>>You don't need to login to Windows 10 with a Microsoft email address.
I certainly don't

No you don't HAVE to (though they do try to push you down that route on a new install), but if you don't you can use the Windows Store.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-10/getstarted-explore-the-store

[VHG]

Whoops

>>>but if you don't you can use the Windows Store.

That should say

...but if you don't you CANT use the Windows Store.

[ichkeria]

Sure VHG I agree with your post largely but I had a bit of a double take about that. Of course with Live Mail generally you can sign up to the web mail and use it for free and also, I'd imagine, use the desktop client on platforms other than Windows if you were so inclined.
I seem to recall that if you want to take advantage of Microsoft's free development licences them you need a live mail account
I've never tried to use the Windows App Store . I've yet to find anything I'd remotely want to use - on a desktop at any rate

[ichkeria]

Not sure you DO need a microsoft email address to use the app store. Just tried it.
And of course you don't need an apple email address for iPhone/iTunes either.

[modeller]

VHG I'm puzzled ! You say I pay Orange ,and Microsoft but that is the point . I Don't pay Anybody apart from Plusnet my broadband and landline phone provider.

I have a desk top PC and I use Microsoft Visa .
I have had a pay as you go Nokia mobile for quite a few years but it is only used for a few calls. No contract . So I only pay them about £10 a year.

That was the point of my question how do free companies like Orange make money. They don't even have advertisements. Similarly with W

[modeller]

cont . Similarly with Windows Live Mail , there is no separate charge from them ' The only charge is from the internet provider.