ZenBe is a free web based email service. When I came across ZenBe I was thinking the same thing you’re probably thinking right now. Who needs another free email service? It’s been done before, and done quite well at that. I’ve been using Gmail since 2004 and have been totally satisfied. At least until I tried ZenBe.

ZenBe is currently in beta testing but you can request an invitation for a free account by going to their website. It took about an hour for the invitation email to arrive. After signing up I was taken to my Inbox and immediately blown away by the aesthetics of the site. ZenBe has a sleek interface that any email user will immediately feel comfortable navigating.

If you are already using AOL, Gmail, Yahoo Mail or MSN you can add your email account to ZenBe and it will import the last 30 days worth of email and import new emails every time you login.

ZenBe offers all of the features you expect with any web based email service such as custom filters, tags, attachments and search. While it’s all in a nice looking, easy to use package, that’s not what makes Zenbe special.

The first extra I noticed was the collapsible side panel on the right which displays tabs for a task list, daily agenda, address book and best of all, a Facebook application which shows friend requests, messages and more.

Larger tabs across the top of your email window offer a full featured calendar, a file storage area that sorts emails with attached files and allows you to upload additional files and finally ZenPages.

ZenPages allow you to pull information together from within your account and other areas of the web like YouTube, Picassa, Flickr and more. You can then share your ZenPages with anyone you like by sending them an invite.

I know you probably already have 10 email accounts and adding another is the last thing you need. But take a look at ZenBe. You can take advantage of everything Zenbe has to offer without ever changing your email.

Let me know what you think after you give it a try.

NOTE: I realize that the name and slogan of this site references Zen (A teaching of Buddhism that asserts that enlightenment can be attained through meditation and self-contemplation). The site itself contains no religious doctrine or teachings of any kind.