Comparison Between E Mail And Postal Service example essay topic

New technologies are allowing us to do things faster, easier, and more efficiently than ever before. Almost every new innovation in technology improves the speed and productivity of any task at hand. Electronic mail (E-mail) is possibly one of the greatest things to happen to the world. Despite this, there are people who find to many mistakes in using either E-mail or conventional mail. To help decide whether to use E-mail or the United States postal Service, a comparison of each one's speed, ease of use, reliability, and cost is a helping factor. The speed in which the mail is transported is an important factor in sending mail by either E-mail or the postal system.

E-mail easily has the leading edge in this field. With a click of a button, a message can be sent and received in a few seconds to several minutes. Whether you are sending E-mail to someone next door or across the world, the time it takes to send the message is usually the same. Data files can be easily sent to someone over E-mail; unfortunately, the larger the file is in size, the longer it will take to send and receive the E-mail. Data files can be mailed to people using the postal system if the data is copied to a floppy disk or a compact disc.

The postal service can send any kind of package, from a simple letter to a computer, for a price depending on its size weight, and desired shipping speed. The speed of the postal service is a problem though. A single letter can take two days to a few weeks depending on the location of the sender and the destination. The mail has to be taken to a main post office branch in the area to be sorted and delivered to the nearest post office of the receiver. Even though this might seem impractical, mail that is sent next door might travel hundreds of miles to another town and back to reach the destination. Ease of use is another major factor in choosing what medium to use even though it can be quite costly.

E-mail has the disadvantage when comparing it from this side. People who wish to send E-mail will need to know how to use a computer's software, as well as the person receiving the E-mail. Individual computers will be needed in order to send E-mail to both parties. A computer can cost around eight hundred to several thousand dollars depending on the quality of the computer. An internet connection to send and receive E-mail costs ten to fifty dollars a month, depending on the speed of internet plan, even if the internet is used or not.

The only advantage to E-mail is that no stamps are required to send a message and the price to send a message never changes. The postal system is different since the only a customer needs to know is how to address an envelope. The cost of writing a letter is by far cheaper than using email. The only items that are needed are an envelope, forty can be bought for two dollars and fifty cents, and a stamp, which costs thirty-four cents. Although the stamp may seem inexpensive, the price of a stamp is constantly rising as the postal service's cost increases. No monthly fee is required to use the postal service, and anyone can send or receive a letter as long as they have a valid address.

Ease of use and lower cost gives the postal service an advantage over E-mail. Reliability is probably the most important factor in each method of mail. E-mail has somewhat of an advantage since it is sent over a computer network, usually any error in sending the letter is caused by the person sending the mail. E-mail is never lost or stolen since it is always sent to the defined address. E-mail is not all that privates since it is sent through multiple servers, and the server administrators can read and copy the message and its attachments if they wish to.

E-mail has no authentication that the message has been sent from the person claiming to send the E-mail. The postal service has, on the other hand, more problems with its reliability. Error is not uncommon since humans are sorting and delivering the envelopes and packages. Letters and packages are delivered to the wrong person occasionally with this service.

Thieves or grumpy postal workers can easily steal mail or packages from mailboxes if they feel like it. The postal service has no guarantee that a package will not be damaged or lost during shipping, and insured unless it is sent registered at an additional cost. Authentication with mail is more valid, since a signature can be seen and tamper devices can be placed on the envelope or package to help show any tampering of the letter or package. E-mail and traditional mail can both be unsafe and unreliable in their own ways. After reviewing the pros and cons for each type of way to send a message, either way is no safer than the other is.

The pros and cons of using either type differ in each category though. E-mail may be faster and easier to send files, but is by far much more expensive after purchasing all the equipment needed. The postal system may be easier to use, but can be slow and no guarantee can be made that the mail will not be lost or damaged. The choice a person chooses to send the message must rely on individual needs and economics..