Generally I write the email as a somewhat less-than-formal cover letter and include a real cover letter and my resume as attachments. Is this redundant, or is it the “accepted” practice? I mean I really hate to be disregarded as an applicant just because technology shifted the procedure around a little… 
I’m not sure what accepted practice is, but I always include a cover letter unless I’ve specifically been told not to bother.
Also, what the hell’s a “submittal?” You too good to send “submissions?” 
If I’m applying on-line, I write a formal email that serves as my cover letter, and attach my resume. My rationale is that the email is the first thing they see, so if I don’t nail it there, they may not even look at the resume or cover letter attachments.
I do the same as porcupine: the alternative is to duplicate at least some of what I’d say in the covering letter in the email.
I attach a Word document comprising a cover letter followed by my resume. I figure it is likely that a company scans or prints the email attachment, so it is best to include the cover letter “keywords” with the attachment.
If an address is provided in an ad, and it sounds like a really good job, I mail the cover letter and resume, printed on good, heavy paper. That way, it “stands out in a crowd”.
I use the e-mail as the cover letter, but attach a copy of the cover letter as a separate document. Lots of people who sort resumes simply do the “right click and print” thing on the attachments, or so a personnel friend tells me. She says that she rarely if ever actually reads the e-mail. I figure that my way they’ll get the cover letter no matter what.
I, too, have used just the e-mail as my cover letter with my CV (resume) attached. First impressions and all…
In fact, I just accepted a job offer for my first teaching post in the UK (yay me!) which was applied for in this manner - just an e-mail and CV attached.
Well, here’s hoping that HR people at tech companies actually read emails…
:crosses fingers: