This document provides information and tips about various webmail services (Outlook.com, Gmail, Yahoo Mail) and cloud computing options (Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud). For each service, it outlines how to create an account, features, and tips for using the service. It also provides brief descriptions of what cloud computing is and how services like Google Drive, OneDrive, and iCloud allow storing and accessing files online through web-based apps and syncing across devices. The document aims to help readers who offer public access computers troubleshoot issues with these common webmail and cloud services.

1. Reader’s Advisory
For Webmail and
Cloud Computing
Aimee Sparzynski,MLIS
asparzynski@middlesex.ca
Kempenfelt 2014

2. Note
If you offer access to public computers or wifi in your branch, if you loan laptops, tablets
or emails be prepared to provide answer questions and troubleshoot problems. This
means getting to know your hardware, your software, your OPAC, your wifi network.
Goodwill Community Foundation International
Computer Hope Home & Learn
Gale Courses

3. About
• Free web-based email provided by Microsoft;
formally known as Hotmail. (Hotmail users
retained their email addresses, but have been
forced to migrate to the new platform).
• Outlook.com is tied to OneDrive and gives users
access to Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and
OneNote web apps.
• Your Outlook email address is also your Microsoft
ID which serves to identify you as you navigate
through all these services as well as the Windows
Store and Windows Phone Store.

4. Creating an
Account
• New Users must provide 1 of the following to
create an account:
o Phone number
o Alternate email address
• Birthdate, gender, county and postal code are
also required.
• New accounts begin with 5 GB of storage and
this grows automatically.
• Accounts expire after 270 days of no use

5. Tips for Use
To print the content of a message,
click on the 3 dots and select ‘print’
from the drop down menu.
There are two options for opening attachments.
‘View online’ creates an online preview of the
attachment or opens it in the appropriate
Microsoft web app. ‘Download as zip’ save the
file in a zip folder on your computer
To write a new message click on

6. Tips for Use
Selecting the down arrow next to Outlook in
the upper right hand corner allows users to
select from a number of options:
The ‘Outlook.com’ tile takes users to their inbox and ‘People’ to their
contacts. OneDrive is cloud storage and the other tiles take you to
Microsoft Office web apps.

7. About
• Free web-based email service provided by
Google.
• Your Gmail account also gives you access to
Google Drive, their cloud computing service. This
includes apps for word processing, spreadsheets,
presentations, and drawings.
• It also serves as your Google ID and identifies you
as you navigate through a number of Google
services including YouTube and if you own an
Andriod device the Google Play store.

8. Creating an
Account
• A phone number and alternate email are
requested, but not required to create an account.
• Birthday, gender, and country are required.
• 15 GB of storage is available immediately.
• Accounts are deleted after approximately nine
months of inactivity.
• Gmail no longer offers a security question
password recovery option. Users not
willing/unable to provide a phone number or
alternate email will not be able to recover an
account with a forgotten password.

9. Tips for Use
To print the content of a message
click on the printer icon in the upper
right corner of the message
You can either download attachments to
your computer or save to Google Drive.
Once save to Google Drive you can open
and print all within the web browser
To write a new email click on

10. Tips for Use
Clicking the images of nine small squares
will give users access to a number of
Google Services including Google+,
YouTube and their Google Drive.
Your Google account will follow you from
service to service saving information
about your searches and views. The save
information will also travel to any of
Google’s mobile apps that you have
associated with your Google ID.

11. About
• Yahoo! Mail is free web-based email service provided
by the company Yahoo!
• Yahoo! Does not offer cloud computing. They have
partnered with a service called Dropbox to offer cloud
storage to their mail users, however this requires
creating a separate Dropbox account.
• Your Yahoo! Mail address also serves as a Yahoo! Id,
allowing you to customize the information you see on
their website as well as access their other services
(fantasy sports, dating, games and more).

12. Creating an Account
• A mobile number is required to create a new
account.
• Birthday and gender are also required.
• Email storage is unlimited.
• The time period before expiry due to inactivity
is 6 months plus 2 months for each year the
account has been active. Accounts can be
retrieved but all stored data, such as emails,
are lost.

13. Tips for Use
To print the content of an email
select ‘More’ and then ‘Print’
from the drop down menu
To create a new
message click on
‘Compose’
You can choose to either view your
attachment online or to download in. If
downloading you can save it to your
computer or to Dropbox.

14. Other Webmail Options
• Top 13 Free Email Services from About
• A comprehensive list from freemail.com
• Article from SitePoint
• www.mail.com

16. What is cloud computing?
• This term has a number of different meanings and has
been used differently by various companies.
• Typically, it is used to refer to the idea of storing files
on a remote server rather than the hard drive of a
computer so that the files are accessible from
anywhere via the internet.
• Some providers are now offering web-based apps that
allow you to edit and create files in a web-based
environment. This means you aren’t required to have
the necessary program installed on your computer.

17. About
• Google Drive allows users to store uploaded files so
they are accessible on any computer with an internet
connection. Users are given 15 GBs of storage for free
and additional space can be purchased.
• Users may also sync their computer with Google Drive.
This means all the information stored on your
computer’s hard drive is also stored on Drive. This is
done by installing software on your computer.
• Mobile apps are available for Android, Apple and
Windows 8 to enable on-the-go access.

18. Features
• Google Docs, Slides and Sheets are web based
applications that allow you to create and edit
documents, presentations, and spread sheets.
Utilizing drive these files can be edited by
multiple users at the same time.
• Files can be viewed anyone, simply provide them
with the link and make sure the privacy settings
are set as desired.
• Files can also be made searchable, which means
they will appear in search engine results.

19. Getting Started
• Create a Google account. If you have a Gmail address, it
also serves as your Google account or you can create a
Google account with an email address from another
provider.
• Then upload files to your account or sync Google Drive
with your computer. You can also create files with Google
Docs, Slides and Drawings.
• To invite others to view or edit a file, open the file and click
the ‘Share’ button in the upper left corner. Under ‘Who has
Access’ select change and choose the desired setting.
• Users must have a Google Account to edit a shared file but
the file can be viewed by anyone if set to public.

20. About
• Microsoft OneDrive allows users to store uploaded files
so they are accessible on any computer with an
internet connection. Users are given 7 GBs of storage
for free and additional space can be earned or
purchased.
• You can sync across your devices and computers by
installing the app on your desktop and mobile devices.
• Desktop users of Microsoft Office can choose to have
files saved on OneDrive simultaneously updated while
they are working.
• Files can be viewed and edited by multiple users at the
same time.

21. Features
• OneDrive gives you access to Microsoft Office
web apps for Word, Excel, PowerPoint and
OneNote.
• Anyone you choose to share a file with can
edit and save changes without logging into a
Microsoft Account.
• You are able to make files completely public,
which means they are searchable and
viewable by anyone.

22. Getting Started
• Create a Microsoft account. If you have a Outlook.com
address, it also serves as your Microsoft account or you can
create a Microsoft account with an email address from
another provider.
• Upload or create documents or sync with your computer.
• To share with others, select a file and click the ‘Share’ link
along the top. Here you have two options:
• Invite People – only the people you email this too can view
or edit the file (depending on settings).
• Get a Link – anyone with access to the link can view or edit
the file (depending on settings) and you can choose to
make it public, meaning it is searchable.

23. About
• Only Apple device users can create a new
account. Once created the account can be sync'd
with Windows PCs.
• iCloud serves as storage for any digital products
you purchase from Apple (music books, apps).
You can also choose to save photos and other
files. They will be instantly sync’d across your
devices.
• New users are granted 5 GBs of storage (although
and can purchase more space.

24. Features
• Web-based productivity apps (called ‘pages’,
‘numbers’ and ‘keynote’) are still in beta.
• Each iCloud account includes a free, ad-free
email account.
• You can access iCloud through any computer
by visiting www.icloud.com
• The ‘Find My iPhone’ feature is managed
through iCloud.

25. Getting Started
• Make sure you are using iOS device or Mac and
that the OS is up to date.
• Go into the settings and turn on iCloud by clicking
or tapping on the icon. Entering your existing
Apple ID or create a new one to manage your
iCloud account.
• Activate your iCloud email account (you cannot
opt out of this step).
• Do the same on your other Apple devices.
• Download the iCloud Control Panel to sync your
PC.

26. Thank you for your time.
Aimee Sparzynski
Middlesex County Library
asparzynski@middlesex.ca