I am data gatering to see if it is possible to do text e-mail
from this system. I have fax modem as well but don't
know if it still works. What programs would I need and or
can I do it all from the prompt? I don't know much more
then the dir command. I know, I sound like a basket case
but I'm trying to help out a friend how loves to tinker and
has this old system and would like to e-mail his daughter
with it. please let me know if this is a hopeless project.
Thank you.

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~jchap/tvde.htm

http://www.washington.edu/pine/

http://www.nettamer.net/tamer.html

Here's another:

http://www.komaromi.com/dos_email/

Setting up the e-mail is usually easy, configuring TCP/IP for DOS may be a bit tricky (look for a "generic-local" ISP--i.e. NOT A-O-L, Earthlink, PeoplePC, etc...)

This tutorial will show you how to forge an email to ANYONE from DOS.

NOTE YOU MUST TYPE VERY SLOWLY, IF U MAKE A SPELLING MISTAKE THE BACKSPACE KEY WILL NOT WORK AND YOU WILL HAVE TO START OVER.

Step 1: Open DOS(Command Prompt).

Step 2: Then you have to know the mail server address you want to use, i.e.
Hotmails is mx1.hotmail.com, but through hotmails you can
only send e-mail to other hotmail addresses.

Step 3: Type in the command prompt "telnet mx1.hotmail.com 25" of course replace
mailserver with the one you want to use and the 25 is the port that the SMTP
and ESMTP uses. We'll use Hotmails, Example;

telnet mx1.hotmail.com 25

Step 4: Then when you hit Enter[return] it will say "220 Connected ready".
Also, between that might be version numbers and the date and time.

Step 5: After its connected, type helo and then the name of the sender, i.e.;

helo Admin

Step 6: After you have defined the helo,hit Enter.it will say maybe somthing like:

"250 Hello"

Step 7: To define the return address you need to type in i.e.:

mail from:<returnaddress@hotmail.com>

You can replace "returnaddress" with whatever you want, webmaster, admin,
whatever. After you hit Enter for that it might say somthing like,

"250 returnaddress@hotmail.com....Sender OK"

Step 8: Then to specify who you want to send it to type

rcpt to:<whoever@hotmail.com>

Like I said earlier, with most SMTP servers you can only send to there
own E-Mail addresses, Hotmails mail server can only send to other Hotmail
accounts, this isnt true for POP3 accounts, but with SMTP it is.

After you hit Enter for the rcpt command it should say somthing like

"250 whoever@hotmail.com"

Step 9: Now to type the message you want them to read, type data i.e.

data

Then hit enter, it should say somthing like;

"354 Start mail input; end with <CRLF>.<CRLF>"

That basically means type your message and then hit enter once then
type a period, then hit enter again. i.e.;
Hey how r u?
.

Like that..After thats dont it should say something like

"250 <MC1-ABUNCHOFNUMBERS-f2.hotmail.com> Qued Mail for delivery"

Step 10: YOUR DONE, just type "quit" after that message is displayed.