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"In my last column we began discussing alternatives to Apple Mail. We looked at Mozilla Thunderbird, a young, powerful, and promising open-source option.
"Now, do you want to take a look at the most powerful Mail replacement on the market?
"It's called Eudora.
"There are many ways it could be described: a 1,000-pound gorilla, an old-timer, a reliable veteran, etc. Eudora has been under development since 1988, and it's still going strong. This veteran has always offered more raw power than any other email application on the planet, and it kept improving.
"Despite MS Entourage's progress, Eudora still beats them all."
I agree with that statement unreservedly. Eudora has been my workhorse email client since version one point something back in the '90s, and while I've experimented with many other email applications over the years, I'm not in the slightest tempted to switch. Eudora is powerful, versatile, flexible and as reliable as an anvil. It has never lost data on me or seriously malfunctioned. It has a superb search engine, great, built-in address book feature, highly user-configurable filtering, and Eudora archives are delightfully compact and easily portable between computers. You can even use the same Eudora Folder with OS X and Classic on the same Mac.
Complaints? While Eudora is generally pretty fast, it does tend to bog down when OS X's memory gets into virtual mode on my older, not-very-fast computers. Scrolling can be frustratingly slow on my 700 MHz G3 iBook running Tiger, especially using a scroll wheel (it remains lightning-quick in OS 9, but alas development has ceased on the Classic version, which remains available at version 6.1). It would be nice if Eudora was Cocoa-native and supported OS X Services, but it's cross-platform development probably rules that out.
However, on the balance, these are minor niggles. Eudora is one of my very favorite software applications, and if there is ever a Mac software Hall Of Fame, it merits being near the top of the list.
Michel Munger doesn't like Eudora's interface, calling it "bitterly unfriendly". I beg to differ. Emphatically. The interface, or rather the lack of an overbearing one, is one of the things I love about Eudora. I have never taken to the now-conventional three pane email client interface since the days of Claris Emailer and Netscape Messenger forward. Eudora stays out of my way unless I want it (I keep the (user-customizable) toolbar turned off too).
However, Michel acknowledges that:
"If you are ready to learn and don't care much about the poor [in his estimation] interface, the beauty of Eudora is that its only limit is taking out the trash, feeding the dog, and giving a massage to the wife. I'm barely kidding."
Michel suggests that "Eudora can easily be compared to Microsoft Word - you will never use 100% of its power, and using half of it can accomplish great things." That's true, except for the important point that unlike Word, Eudora isn't bloatware (the application folder is 10.9 MB), and doesn't cost a bundle. Indeed you can use it for free if you're willing to live with some streamed advertising. Otherwise, it's fifty bucks.
Michel Munger summarizes:
"If you truly learn to use it, you may refuse to use anything else afterwards."
I couldn't agree more
You can read Michel Munger's commentary here:
http://lowendmac.com/ibasics/05/1201.html
More about the Eudora 6.2.3 Email Client
The current version of Eudora for the Mac is 6.2.3.
ScamWatch: This new feature combats "phishing" schemes that use disguised URL's to gather personal information. Eudora now detects if the URL in the link differs suspiciously from the host name and warns you to exercise caution before making the connection.
Eudora 6.2 also offers improved Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) compatibility with OpenSSL, frequently used in enterprise environments. Also new are IMAP improvements for better email synchronization between multiple computers and locations.
A new TRUSTe study found that 70% of email users unknowingly visited a spoofed Web site, and 15% have divulged personal information such as credit card or social security numbers. "Phishing" is the act of sending an email falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise, in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that can be used for identity theft. In response to the growing problem of online phishing schemes, Eudora 6.2's ScamWatch analyzes the weblinks within email messages for phishing or other deceptive practices, and warns the user to exercise caution before making the connection. Specifically, ScamWatch looks for the use of IP addresses rather than hostnames, or hostnames in link URLs that don't match hostnames in the link text.
Also addressing security for the site environment, Eudora 6.2 now uses OpenSSL, the state-of-the-art standard in email security and encryption. The OpenSSL Project is a collaborative effort to develop a robust, commercial-grade, full-featured, implementation of Secure Sockets Layer (SSL v2/v3) and Transport Layer Security (TLS v1) protocols as well as a full-strength general-purpose cryptography library, you can learn more about it at:
http://www.openssl.org
Eudora 6.2 offers improved IMAP functionality to synchronize and access email from multiple devices and locations. For Macintosh users, Eudora's offline IMAP performance takes a big step forward by allowing offline deletions, and online message management in a nearly seamless fashion. Windows Eudora users in IMAP will notice significant performance and functionality improvements in filtering and message synchronization.
The Eudora Dock icon now displays the number of unread messages in your inbox. Kind of cool and potentially quite convenient.
Eudora 6.2 can also now insert 24 originally designed graphical emoticicons in your messages, available through standard ASCII character configurations, automatically converting ASCII emoticons like
into colorful, expressive pictures, or from the Insert Emoticon submenu in the File menu.Eudora 6.2's search capabilities go beyond the convenience of being able to launch Web searches without having to leave the application. Eudora WebWords, lets you access Google's index of over 3 billion URLs and sponsored links. Users can perform the web search by either selecting a word or phrase anywhere within an email message, or by using the search window in the toolbar.
To make a WebWords word or phrase selection, Control-click on a word or words in your email to activate a contextual menu. While WebWords is designed to search the web, the same convenience is made to search Eudora mailboxes and folders.
The search will be shunted to your default Web browser and results appear in a special, Eudora motif, Google list. Very slick, and adds even more depth to this powerful email client's already impressive feature set.
SpamWatch: (Paid mode only) Introduced in Eudora 6.0, SpamWatch easily and automatically filters out junk mail. Now in Eudora 6.1 you can see how well SpamWatch is filtering junk mail with SpamWatch Statistics.
Content Concentrator Profile Control: Content Concentrator from Eudora 6.0 gets to the heart of an email thread - at a glance. Now in version 6.1, the addition of the profile control setting offers more convenient access to contract or expand the view of the thread.
Contextual Filing advanced matching: Select a word within a message, and with one click, file it in a folder or mailbox of the same name, or containing that word. Now in version 6.1 has been improved to include advanced matching. A word or words selected within a message can be filed with a single click in a folder or mailbox that contains the same words.
Mac OS X importer and address book sync: (Mac OS X only) Simple import for Apple Mail into Eudora 6.2 Eudora 6.2 also takes advantage of the Apple address book to provide the best of all email and address functionality.
IMAP mailbox sync: Eudora 6.2 allows users to specify which IMAP mailboxes should be synced on mail checks. A menu item provides a toggle so that users can "Sync on Mail Check" or not.
Mailbox Drawer: (Mac OS X only) Convenient access to all mailboxes from any mailbox window.
Fast, Powerful Search: Search through thousands of messages in seconds, using multiple search criteria.
Enhanced Filters: Thousands of combinations available for sorting and organizing your mail box contents.
Virus Protection: Eudora doesn't allow anything to run from your mail unless you want it to, which stops viruses and trojan horses cold. Eudora also warns users about opening potentially dangerous content.
Drag and Drop Attachments: Drag attachments from an email on your desktop or from your desktop into an email.
Formatting and Styles: You can generate styled text (font, color, size, style, margins, etc.) from the Text menu. You can also paste in styled text. Styles are maintained when included in replies and forwarded messages.
Strikeout Style Button: (Windows only) Show edits using the cross outs on selected text.
In-line spell checking: Eudora highlights the misspelled words in your message. You can review, override and add words to your dictionary.
Color Labeling: Assign colors to sort your mail either manually or automatically using filters.
Customize your Toolbar: Arrange the toolbar layout, add or remove function keys.
Mail Sort: Sort the contents of a mailbox by clicking on a column header. You can choose to sort by Sender, Date, Subject, Label color, etc.
Import: Easy import from other common email clients (see below).
Kerberos V Authentication: One-time security login for site licensees.
Eudora Sharing Protocol (ESP): Automatically sync and share files with family, friends and co-workers. No need for a separate server or resending large attachments.
Powerful Address Book: Automatic email address listings. Enter custom fields and multiple nicknames. Drag and drop nicknames to the toolbar for quick new message creation. Integrated VCard support.
MoodWatch: Lets you know about the flame content in incoming and outgoing emails.
Email Usage Stats: offers private, personal and interesting insight to a user's day-to-day email activity and patterns.
Multi-tasking: Compose, receive and send mail simultaneously. By checking and sending mail as a background operation, Eudora lets you work in other applications while your email is transferring.
Automatic Name and Address Completion: Eudora automatically completes the recipient name you are typing using information from your Address Book.
Task Progress Window: Monitor task activity progress when sending or checking mail.
Personalities: You can create various names from which you send and receive email with the Personalities settings. As an example, you might use one personality (email address name) for friends and family and another personality for business correspondence.
Animated GIF Images: (Mac only) Turn on this feature in the Fonts & Display Setting to view animated GIF images.
IMAP: Internet Message Access Protocol allows you to access email stored on a remote server. Using IMAP you can switch from computer to computer and still see the same Eudora interface from multiple locations.
LDAP Directory Services: Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) allows you to look up contacts using LDAP servers such as WhoWhere.
Despite the fact that there are a number of other very attractive email clients available, none, including OS X's own Mail app., has been able to woo me away from Eudora. The combination of speed, an interface I like however much some complain that it's "antiquated" (hey; if it ain't broke, don't fix it), a powerful and fast search engine, and rock solid dependability -- after what must be literally hundreds of thousands of messages, Eudora has never lost any data of mine). I've been using Eudora as my primary email client for seven years, and my entire Eudora Folder accumulated archive of tens of thousands of email messages is still only about 185 MB (the Mail Folder itself is 156 MB).
Another thing I like about Eudora, although it applies to a number of other email clients as well, it that the mbox files it used to store messages can be opened with a text editor and easily converted for use in other mbox-compatible programs with a bit of resource editing.
Just drag a mailbox to ResEdit or ResFool and when the window opens (it will be blank) select "Get Info For --" from the File Menu. That will bring up a dialog box with the File Type and Creator Codes.
File Type:
Eudora - TEXT
Creator Code:
Eudora - CSOm
Change them to the other application's Creator Codes and the mailbox will convert. This makes it possible to move or share mailboxes between the two applications, and of course works in both directions.
Eudora 6.2 for Macintosh supports direct import of mailboxes and address books from Apple Mail, Microsoft Outlook, and Claris Emailer.
In Eudora 6.2, go to File: Import. Select the account(s) you wish to import.
While Eudora cannot import from all programs, there are many options to help get your old mail and address books into Eudora. http://www.emailman.com/conversion/Andrew Starr's conversion information page provides online information on how to convert from Netscape Communicator, QuickMail, and Pegasus Mail.
After downloading and running the Eudora installer, you can choose the Eudora licensing mode you prefer:
Eudora 6.2 can be downloaded from http://www.eudora.com/download. Eudora 6.2 in Paid mode is available for $49.95 for new purchasers; $39.95 for previously paid registered users within 24 months from registration and no charge to users who purchased and registered the Paid mode of Eudora within 12 months. Paid mode features SpamWatch, in addition to all of the new features in 6.2. Technical support is available only to Paid mode users. The program is free when used in Sponsored mode, which contains all the features of Paid mode, except for SpamWatch. It also displays advertising in the user interface.
Paid mode:
• Feature-rich version (includes SpamWatch)
• Access to person-to-person technical support
• 12 months of upgrades included
• $39.95/$49.95
Sponsored mode:
• The same software features as Paid mode (except for SpamWatch)
• Ad window and up to 3 sponsored toolbar links
• No person-to-person technical support
Light mode:
• Fewer features, but it is still free
• No ad window
• No person-to-person technical support
All three modes are accessible within the application once you've installed
and launched it, and you can switch from one to another at any time.
Download:
http://www.eudora.com/download/
For more information, visit:
http://www.eudora.com/
Charles W. Moore
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