what's the best email for personal use?

I have recently encountered recurring problems with my ATT/Yahoo email. Turned out that, evidently, it was not a browser problem since the same problems of looping and locking out occurred on FF, Chrome, and Safari. the problem was remedied, then returned, then remedied again, but then other problems and annoyances have become too big a nuisance.
I have had an att.net email address from inception and don't wish to change it. (I have a gmail acct as well, but less active.)
I used to use Outlook Express, which then became Live Mail.
What I want is a free email "client" as the term goes, that is web-based for access anywhere, preferably cross-platform to sync with my Ipad & phone, and that at least allows an option to block all advertising (probably for a fee?), or one that works with AdFender or similar blocker (as Yahoo does not). Maybe using an "alias" on gmail is possible, as long as my address still appears in correspondence as from ~att.net.
My browser of choice has been FF, but some commentators found the new version to "buggy". I don't use IE, and I don't care to be a pawn to the Google cyber-empire. Safari may be acceptable; I use it on my Ipad. My laptop runs on Win 7.

Suggestions, please? Thanks.

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