automatically check for new email?

Right now I use yahoo.com to access my sbc.global.net emails but it doesn't have auto check. I want it so that my computer automatically checks for new emails every 5 minutes or so and makes a sound to alert me if I have a new email. Is the easiest way to do this to install windows live mail and manually setup pop/smpt ect..?

Those options are available in WLM

As long as you have the pop3 server address for your email you can try something like Poptray - this is an old program but works fine with win7.
It can also handle IMAP and HTTP type email using plugins available on the website, I find it better on resources than running a full mail client to allow checking.

PopTray Mail Notifier

Those options are available in all email clients. When running, Thunderbird notifies me of new mail on live.com

I also use a Firefox add-on, Webmail Notifier

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/webmail-notifier/

The tray notifier I use is PopMan 1.3 It's free and you can download here:

PopMan

One nice thing about these notify apps is you can delete on the server. If it looks like it might have an attachment bomb, delete on the server and it never even gets on your machine.

edit: btw it also works on Vista64. Don't have a 64 bit W7 to try it on.