Google Mail (Gmail) has been my primary email for about 2 years. I find their spam filters excellent, and the ability to retrieve mail via Outlook a major selling point. Other free email services offer POP support but I don't feel their spam filters work as well, and many don't even offer POP support.
But now to the point of the post. Gmail is now available to anyone who wants an account. I suggest that if you are looking for a good alternative to your ISP's email, Gmail should be high on your list. Another bonus to using Gmail, is that if you ever change Internet providers, your email address does not change.
Get Gmail here.
Gmailing - TMS