Ok i have a domain name and want to use it to have my own email address and use osx mail to get mail from it. Now my domain registrar (1and1.co.uk) has a email service which allows IMAP and POP3 but you have to pay monthly for it so i was wondering if anyone new of a free service that lets you use your own domain name to use for an email address and supports IMAP or POP3?

Most domain names have forwarding. So forward to your GMail account and Use the free POP3 and IMAP services of GMail.

I have a hosting account and a domain at 1&1 and they have free POP3 and IMAP email...

Yep, easiest solution.

Just set gmail to use your custom domain email address as your default reply-to address you're all set and forward from your domain to your gmail account.
This way you always have web access to your email and Apple Mail 3.0 can use IMAP access to gmail to keep emails in sync.

If you ever change hosting companies its two simple changes and no lost mail.

Tru dat.

I've got dreamhost... I feel so special with my own domain-based e-mail addy

umm, or its called setting up your own dns records and mail server

Google Apps:

http://www.google.com/a/

I use, love it. All you do is register the domain name you own with Google, set up one CNAME record so they can verify that you do indeed own the domain, and then point your MX records at their Gmail servers. It's just like Gmail, but your email ends with @yourdomain.com instead of @gmail.com.

I second Google Apps. I have been using it for about 9 months now and no issues. I get all my email at home through Thunderbird and I can use any web browser to log in and check it as well. Works very nice and costs me nothing as my registrar provides free DNS hosting.