E-mail programs for Mac OS X: what do you use?

Phil St. Romain · 03-08-2002, 09:32 AM

You do not have to post a comment to vote.

----------------------

Eudora here, although I've tried many others. It's still got some rough edges--like not allowing copy/paste of URLs into the link editor--but all in all, it does the job for me very well.

Using Mozilla as my web browser, I'm often taken to its email client when I click on an email link. Email in Mozilla is decent.

I tried Entourage in the Office test drive, and thought it simply wonderful. If I could purchase just Entourage as a stand-alone email client, I'd probably do so.

Mail.app is very nice, but lacks some of the power features of Eudora that I constantly use.

I've also used Power Mail and a few others, and found them OK, but just keep relying on Eudora.

Craig R. Arko · 03-08-2002, 09:45 AM

I use Mail.app but am not overly fond of it. I'm considering PowerMail as a replacement.

If Entourage X was available on it's own I'd also consider that. Julie seems quite happy with it, despite the PowerBook hard drive issue.

Benad · 03-09-2002, 04:00 PM

I use both mutt and Mail.app.
Yes, mutt, the command-line application. I had to configure sendmail, install mutt with Fink and configure mutt to use fetchmail (which I previously configured also).

I also installed urlview (manual configure/patch/install) and w3m (through Fink), and I can read HTML attachments and go to web sites, using the terminal alone.

That way, I get securely get all my email and browse the web through an ssh connection to my home computer.

I guess I'm starting to be a UNIX geek...

(edit: "mutt", not "Pine". I use Pine at my university, and mutt on Mac OS X...)

- Benad

DSHwrd · 03-12-2002, 03:17 PM

Do you Yahoo?

Well, when I got OS X, I learned to Yahoo. I do not like Mail.app, Eudora, or any of the others, they just don't float my boat. I do like Euntorage(Spelling?), so when Micromoney finally decides that they'll let you buy it as a stand alone application, I'll buy that.

Right now, I have everything forwarded to my Yahoo account. So I can easily check it wherever I am.

Just my two pennies,

cubester · 03-15-2002, 05:52 PM

Mail seems to display HTML messages better for me than Eudora could, and I find it generally appealing. I don't need poweruser email features, but I would like a "recipients list" like Eudora has, so I can quickly send a new email or forward to a frequent recipient (drop down menu of recipients) I hope apple integrates this into a future version. Also, I don't understand why the keystroke command for get new mail is command + shift + N, instead of command + N, as I will be getting new mail more often than anything else, and I shouldn't require two hands to do it.
Mail also seems to fail to display Base 64 encoded messages. Is this true for all?

yoyo52 · 03-17-2002, 11:02 PM

I've paid for Eudora, but it isn't up to prime time on X yet, so I use Entourage exclusively. I started off with Mail.app before Entourage became available, but it just can't compare to what Entourage offers.

Phil St. Romain · 03-22-2002, 02:18 PM

Just curious, yoyo, about what makes Eudora not up to prime time yet for OS X. It's pretty much 99% of what the OS 9 and Windows versions are. And seems very stable. Maybe there are some features we can help you discover.

yoyo52 · 03-22-2002, 03:36 PM

The thing that I've found least satisfactory/reliable is html rendering. The latest version does render html, but there are times when layout gets skewed so that the mail is hard to read. I'm hoping that when the non-beta Eudora for X comes out that will be resolved.

I'm also not happy that to open a URL you need to hold down the command key, but I can live with that. Importing mailboxes from Entourage I still haven't figured out how to do--nor addresses from Entourage. Any suggestions on how to do those things would be very welcome!

JayBee · 03-27-2002, 08:54 PM

I must admit I REALLY like Mail.app. Can't say I've tried much else, but since OS X Beta I've been using it as my main client.

On my old windows machine, I was always on the lookout for an app as pared down and functional as Mail, but couldn't find one. All I want is a simple client that grabs my mail, displays it nicely, and lets me send clean plaintext mail. Add to that an address book integration and an easy way to backup, and I'm a happy camper.

I've always been a little wary of the "eggs in one basket" approach of some other clients - the seem to be screaming "Hey! Put all your contacts, appointments, reminders, planners, attachments, emails, receipts and other such important data in HERE! That way, when I die, I'll kill your life in one fell swoop...!"

Hmm. No thanks. At least when Mail.app dies, I don't lose Address Book data

<edit>
And who needs Entourage to organise your life when you have STICKIES!?
</edit>

durandal64 · 04-06-2002, 01:36 PM

I'd like to use Mail.app, just because I try and use as many Cocoa apps as possible (I can't stand the crappy font antialiasing in Carbon apps, nor their nonstandard interface), but alas, it's a piece of crap. I use Entourage.

DSHwrd · 04-10-2002, 02:49 PM

Hey,

Thanks to a recent birthday!! I now have Office v.X! It's sweet! But alas, Entourage is terribly slow when listing the messages I have received. It takes a good 10 seconds or longer to show any number from 15 - 100 messages. Is this normal? Or is this just my computer?

- G3 500Mhz
- 512MB RAM
- 16MB VRAM ATI 128 SomeOrOther(Rage Pro?)
- 40G HD, 3G Swap

Just wondering,

xchanyazy · 04-10-2002, 09:11 PM

This sounds somewhat familiar - something about leaving the messages on the server without downloading them.. make sure you are downloading the messages to your harddrive.

tarmaque · 04-10-2002, 09:56 PM

I use Mail.app exclusively and it suits my feeble needs. I only get about two messages a day or so. I must say that I don't particularly like it, and all I can say is that I like it better than any thing else I have tired. I would use Mozilla, except that I have the same complaint about it's mail UI that I have about Mozilla's UI in general-- It's ugly and complicated. If Chimera ever grows up maybe.... For the time being, I'll use Mail.app and Omniweb (with Mozilla around for those things that these two won't do) and keep my fingers crossed for something better.

Eudora? don't like it.

Anything Microsoft? I avoid it like the Herpies symplex III.

sarcasmatron · 04-10-2002, 10:04 PM

The Citrix Java client is pretty cool and it another reason not to have to use my Dell at the office.

I can also VPN into work from wherever I am and I have access to all of my Outlook functionality.

durandal64 · 04-10-2002, 10:17 PM

I'm changing my vote. I figured I'd switch to Mail for an extended period of time, just to give it a shot.
I have to say, I'm a sucker for Quartz font rendering and the Cocoa interface in general. Mail isn't as extensive or customizable as Entourage. For example, I can't choose to start my replies below quoted text, which really peeves me. However, I do like the way mail handles inboxes much better than the way Entourage does. All in all, I believe that I'll stick with Mail.

sangandongo · 04-13-2002, 01:24 PM

nothing beats mutt in my book.

brodie · 04-13-2002, 04:05 PM

hey Phil, all these polls, you sure your not a market researcher?

Phil St. Romain · 04-13-2002, 09:00 PM

Quote:


	Originally posted by brodie hey Phil, all these polls, you sure your not a market researcher?

Ha, brodie, I'm just curious about some of this, and also trying to get some involvement going . I think the polling feature on this software is kind of fun.

I have to say that on this particular topic, I'm surprised at the popularity of Entourage. I knew Mail would be up there, but given that Entourage is not a freebie, I would have thought Eudora would have been second. Guess it just goes to show how many people use Office for X.

Cheerios · 04-18-2002, 12:01 AM

mail... it's there, it suits my needs, it's easy... I'm happy!

The 9 version of eudora annoyed the heck out of me, i abhor Enterough... :shrug: Why fix what isn't broken?

carrollr · 04-18-2002, 02:03 PM

I realize I'm a little off topic, but what are people who use groupwise going to do with OS X?
We are forced to use it by the suits. They do have a webmail, but it ain't the best solution.
Any ideas?

03-08-2002, 09:32 AM	#1
Phil St. Romain Site Admin Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 2,350	E-mail programs for Mac OS X: what do you use? You do not have to post a comment to vote. ---------------------- Eudora here, although I've tried many others. It's still got some rough edges--like not allowing copy/paste of URLs into the link editor--but all in all, it does the job for me very well. Using Mozilla as my web browser, I'm often taken to its email client when I click on an email link. Email in Mozilla is decent. I tried Entourage in the Office test drive, and thought it simply wonderful. If I could purchase just Entourage as a stand-alone email client, I'd probably do so. Mail.app is very nice, but lacks some of the power features of Eudora that I constantly use. I've also used Power Mail and a few others, and found them OK, but just keep relying on Eudora.

03-09-2002, 04:00 PM	#3
Benad Prospect Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Montreal, Canada Posts: 38	Mutt!!! I use both mutt and Mail.app. Yes, mutt, the command-line application. I had to configure sendmail, install mutt with Fink and configure mutt to use fetchmail (which I previously configured also). I also installed urlview (manual configure/patch/install) and w3m (through Fink), and I can read HTML attachments and go to web sites, using the terminal alone. That way, I get securely get all my email and browse the web through an ssh connection to my home computer. I guess I'm starting to be a UNIX geek... (edit: "mutt", not "Pine". I use Pine at my university, and mutt on Mac OS X...) - Benad Last edited by Benad; 03-09-2002 at 04:02 PM.

03-12-2002, 03:17 PM	#4
DSHwrd Triple-A Player Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Okinawa, JP Posts: 118	Yahoo! Do you Yahoo? Well, when I got OS X, I learned to Yahoo. I do not like Mail.app, Eudora, or any of the others, they just don't float my boat. I do like Euntorage(Spelling?), so when Micromoney finally decides that they'll let you buy it as a stand alone application, I'll buy that. Right now, I have everything forwarded to my Yahoo account. So I can easily check it wherever I am. Just my two pennies, __________________ - Daniel S Howard - Okinawa, JP

03-15-2002, 05:52 PM	#5
cubester Prospect Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: NYC Posts: 3	Mail Mail seems to display HTML messages better for me than Eudora could, and I find it generally appealing. I don't need poweruser email features, but I would like a "recipients list" like Eudora has, so I can quickly send a new email or forward to a frequent recipient (drop down menu of recipients) I hope apple integrates this into a future version. Also, I don't understand why the keystroke command for get new mail is command + shift + N, instead of command + N, as I will be getting new mail more often than anything else, and I shouldn't require two hands to do it. Mail also seems to fail to display Base 64 encoded messages. Is this true for all?

03-17-2002, 11:02 PM	#6
yoyo52 Prospect Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 20	I've paid for Eudora, but it isn't up to prime time on X yet, so I use Entourage exclusively. I started off with Mail.app before Entourage became available, but it just can't compare to what Entourage offers. __________________ When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.

03-08-2002, 09:45 AM	#2
Craig R. Arko Site Admin Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 3,988	I use Mail.app but am not overly fond of it. I'm considering PowerMail as a replacement. If Entourage X was available on it's own I'd also consider that. Julie seems quite happy with it, despite the PowerBook hard drive issue.

03-22-2002, 02:18 PM	#7
Phil St. Romain Site Admin Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Wichita, KS Posts: 2,350	Just curious, yoyo, about what makes Eudora not up to prime time yet for OS X. It's pretty much 99% of what the OS 9 and Windows versions are. And seems very stable. Maybe there are some features we can help you discover.

03-22-2002, 03:36 PM	#8
yoyo52 Prospect Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 20	The thing that I've found least satisfactory/reliable is html rendering. The latest version does render html, but there are times when layout gets skewed so that the mail is hard to read. I'm hoping that when the non-beta Eudora for X comes out that will be resolved. I'm also not happy that to open a URL you need to hold down the command key, but I can live with that. Importing mailboxes from Entourage I still haven't figured out how to do--nor addresses from Entourage. Any suggestions on how to do those things would be very welcome! __________________ When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw. Last edited by yoyo52; 03-22-2002 at 05:02 PM.

03-27-2002, 08:54 PM	#9
JayBee Major Leaguer Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Posts: 437	Mail.app I must admit I REALLY like Mail.app. Can't say I've tried much else, but since OS X Beta I've been using it as my main client. On my old windows machine, I was always on the lookout for an app as pared down and functional as Mail, but couldn't find one. All I want is a simple client that grabs my mail, displays it nicely, and lets me send clean plaintext mail. Add to that an address book integration and an easy way to backup, and I'm a happy camper. I've always been a little wary of the "eggs in one basket" approach of some other clients - the seem to be screaming "Hey! Put all your contacts, appointments, reminders, planners, attachments, emails, receipts and other such important data in HERE! That way, when I die, I'll kill your life in one fell swoop...!" Hmm. No thanks. At least when Mail.app dies, I don't lose Address Book data <edit> And who needs Entourage to organise your life when you have STICKIES!? </edit> __________________ JayBee -- It's all relative, you know

04-06-2002, 01:36 PM	#10
durandal64 Prospect Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Springfield, IL Posts: 42	I'd like to use Mail.app, just because I try and use as many Cocoa apps as possible (I can't stand the crappy font antialiasing in Carbon apps, nor their nonstandard interface), but alas, it's a piece of crap. I use Entourage. __________________ Damien Sorresso

04-10-2002, 02:49 PM	#11
DSHwrd Triple-A Player Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Okinawa, JP Posts: 118	Entourage Slowness? Hey, Thanks to a recent birthday!! I now have Office v.X! It's sweet! But alas, Entourage is terribly slow when listing the messages I have received. It takes a good 10 seconds or longer to show any number from 15 - 100 messages. Is this normal? Or is this just my computer? - G3 500Mhz - 512MB RAM - 16MB VRAM ATI 128 SomeOrOther(Rage Pro?) - 40G HD, 3G Swap Just wondering, __________________ - Daniel S Howard - Okinawa, JP

04-10-2002, 09:11 PM	#12
xchanyazy All Star Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Dexter, MI, USA Posts: 704	This sounds somewhat familiar - something about leaving the messages on the server without downloading them.. make sure you are downloading the messages to your harddrive. __________________ - Greg Happy user of OS X since the Public Beta. Help Team Mac OS X cure cancer, Alzheimer's, ALS, Parkinson's, and more!

04-10-2002, 09:56 PM	#13
tarmaque Prospect Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Vancouver, WA Posts: 21	Suits my feeble needs I use Mail.app exclusively and it suits my feeble needs. I only get about two messages a day or so. I must say that I don't particularly like it, and all I can say is that I like it better than any thing else I have tired. I would use Mozilla, except that I have the same complaint about it's mail UI that I have about Mozilla's UI in general-- It's ugly and complicated. If Chimera ever grows up maybe.... For the time being, I'll use Mail.app and Omniweb (with Mozilla around for those things that these two won't do) and keep my fingers crossed for something better. Eudora? don't like it. Anything Microsoft? I avoid it like the Herpies symplex III. __________________ When he concentrates, prepare against him; where he is strong, avoid him. Sun Tzu

04-10-2002, 10:04 PM	#14
sarcasmatron Prospect Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 2	Outlook via Citrix The Citrix Java client is pretty cool and it another reason not to have to use my Dell at the office. I can also VPN into work from wherever I am and I have access to all of my Outlook functionality.

04-10-2002, 10:17 PM	#15
durandal64 Prospect Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Springfield, IL Posts: 42	I'm changing my vote. I figured I'd switch to Mail for an extended period of time, just to give it a shot. I have to say, I'm a sucker for Quartz font rendering and the Cocoa interface in general. Mail isn't as extensive or customizable as Entourage. For example, I can't choose to start my replies below quoted text, which really peeves me. However, I do like the way mail handles inboxes much better than the way Entourage does. All in all, I believe that I'll stick with Mail. __________________ Damien Sorresso

04-13-2002, 01:24 PM	#16
sangandongo Prospect Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: d/fw Posts: 4	mutt! nothing beats mutt in my book. __________________ -- ghx

04-13-2002, 04:05 PM	#17
brodie Triple-A Player Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 143	hey Phil, all these polls, you sure your not a market researcher?

04-18-2002, 12:01 AM	#19
Cheerios Prospect Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Stockton, CA Posts: 43	mail... it's there, it suits my needs, it's easy... I'm happy! The 9 version of eudora annoyed the heck out of me, i abhor Enterough... :shrug: Why fix what isn't broken?

04-18-2002, 02:03 PM	#20
carrollr Prospect Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 3	I realize I'm a little off topic, but what are people who use groupwise going to do with OS X? We are forced to use it by the suits. They do have a webmail, but it ain't the best solution. Any ideas? __________________ "It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them." -Mark Twain