Do I need an account with Microsoft (or AOL, etc.) if I use Firefox??

Question

Must I have an account with Microsoft (or AOL or whoever) if
I use Firefox?
Why am I making a monthly payment to Microsoft if all I
use for internet action is Firefox?? I would rather pay Firefox!
I use Windows Vista.
I have IE8 installed and use it for email only.
Can I change all emails to Firefox?? How?
Thank you for the information.
Edward Atwater

Answer 1

■ '''Computing Basics''' it is easy to find some basic information using a
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine web search]
*as an example [http://lmgtfy.com/?q=computing+basics CLICK this ] or maybe you will need to double click it.
* see the help site of well known [http://www.google.co.uk/support/?hl=en Google] there are of course alternatives.
The links that follow may be rather complicated to understand at first. But you can use websearch to find meanings of any new words, and the computing basics type articles should be easier to understand if you are new to this.
■ '''The Internet''' requires some sort of device eg computer, or say a smart phone, and connection of some kind to an [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISP ISP] most of the time those sorts of thing are not free. AOL probably is an ISP (or portal ?) and probably also provides email or webmail.
■ '''Email'''
*of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webmail Webmail] variety will work on firefox
* Hotmail, as it was called, is provided by Microsoft, usually free of charge, and is now called Windows Live I think. You need an account, and an email address to use email.
* standard types of email work differently and use something such as [http://en.flossmanuals.net/Thunderbird/HowEmailWorks Thunderbird]
This forum is for discussions of firefox, so there may be better places to ask your questions but I hope I have pointed you at some useful information.
Happy browsing, John