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Why should I have a web-based email address?

There are a few main reasons to switch away from your ISP-based (Verizon, Comcast, Earthlink, etc.) email address.

1. You can check your email anywhere you can access the web. Your sister’s house. The local library. An internet cafe in Rome. No need to be in front of your computer with Outlook or the awful email software your ISP made you install. Just open a browser, and you’re all set. Bonus: all web-based email providers also include an address book, so all your contacts are always there too!
2. When (not if, when) you wind up changing to a different internet provider, you don’t have to worry about changing your email address. Here’s the scenario: You currently get your internet from Verizon, so your email address is yosemitesam@verizon.net. But then you switch (you move, get a better deal, etc.) to Comcast for some reason, and now you a) have a different email address, yosemitesam@comcast.net, and b) you no longer have that @verizon.net address. Now you have to tell all your friends about your new email address, and what about all those email newsletters you subscribed to… You get the point. It’s a big pain. I’ll move on.
3. It’s free. So, combined with the above practical reasons, why not?

Google's Gmail is a DeGeeked recommendation for its ease of use, chat functionality, and bevy of add ons (calendar, docs, etc.).