Unicode-savvy (or not) web email services

Unicode support still varies greatly amongst the major free web email services.

Following is the updated ranking from best to worst for the top four:

1. Gmail: messages with Unicode text composed in a web browser appear correctly everywhere, such as browsers and desktop POP3 clients such as Outlook Express.
2. AIM|AOL Mail: most improved service, with messages with Unicode text composed in a web browser -- either in both plaintext and richtext/HTML messages -- appearing correctly everywhere. Mailbox can now be accessed with desktop clients through the IMAP protocol. Negative is that the web interface is ad-laden and quite confusing.
   
3. Yahoo!Mail: with the older, non-beta version, messages with Unicode text appear correctly on Yahoo!Mail or Gmail, but not in Outlook Express. POP3 access is not free in the US.
4. Hotmail: this is the worst. Messages with Unicode text composed in a web browser do not display correctly anywhere! Come on, Microsoft -- make Hotmail as Unicode-savvy as your desktop applications.

So, try out the first two, but avoid the last!