GMail and Hotmail are both web-based.
Though I don't use Hotmail...I have noticed that GMail  does seem to take a
lot of resources
and has difficulty loading on a lower end machine.

Possibly using POP3 and an email reader will work better...

http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=13273

your machine probably has OE already and you could use that

Me too.

Your computer needs tweaking. I get to both right away, except
Hotmail is now switching to XP/Vista-compatible only database
system so they can go to hell. Fortunately, gmail works just
fine, and can be accessed via any POP3 client avoiding the www
nightmares.

Get f-prot for DOS. In about 10 years I found ONE virus, but
it's still not a bad thing to check once in a while...

Anyway, get:

npop109win32_EN.zip (size 94 KB)

from

http://www.nakka.com/soft/npop/index_eng.html

If you want to use it with your gmail account (you WILL
unfortunately have to configure that via www, but you can do it
on another machine - I did it on my 10½ yr old 95B computer but
it was a bit of a struggle) you will also need to DL and install
the SSL files (put them in the same directory):

npopssl002win32.zip (size 540 KB)

If you want to use it with a regular POP3 account you may not
even need the SSL files. I have one of those which costs me $15
a year, and I get virtually no spam and no one but my friends
have the address. I got the gmail address for throwaway web
crap, which is what I used Hotmail for before.

The installed program is under 200KB (plus less than a meg for
the SSL files), runs like lightning and supports multiple
accounts. There isn't a help file, the author doesn't really
speak English, but there is an English web site for fans/users.
They have actually rewritten the program "with amazing new
features" but their main new feature is that the program no
longer runs on 95. So that's that.

If you Google for nPop you will find that English site, it has
tips on setting up etc.

You can also ask me here if you have problems. I visit once in a
while - kind of a dead group.

I have tried at least a dozen email programs on this machine,
and this is the BEST. It would be well worth $50 but it's free!

Using Pegasus mail 4.31 on w95b 2.1here.
Free, OK for dialup or Broadband.

My blind friends have been running Eudora for years, and I see the website
(http://www.eudora.com/) still has lots of old versions available
(http://www.eudora.com/techsupport/kb/2350hq.html/, then
ftp://ftp.qualcomm.com/eudora/).

It seems to have three modes, Paid, Sponsored, and Light;
http://www.eudora.com/download/ says Paid is no longer available for
purchase, Sponsored is only available on the latest version (XP/2000), and "
Older versions revert to Light mode ", which is " Even fewer features
a.. No person-to-person technical support" - which is probably exactly what
you want..

Of course, there are DOS prog.s, such as the suite Demon built around KA9Q,
and windows 3.1 ones, but I presume you want a _bit_ more than that (-:!

Wasn't there a version of Outhouse Distress with W95? (Or at least available
for?)

http://www.oldversion.com/program.php?n=eudora has it from 7.0.1 back to
1.4.4 (0.3 MB).