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Eagerly-anticipated (at least by Eudora fans) Odysseus is a new email client that Infinity Data Systems has been developing since late 2007, designed to be a real replacement for the classic Eudora application we know and love has been released in a 1.0b7 beta build, with more improvements, but still a way to go. This build continues to improve on existing features, while adding a couple of critical ones.
New in Odysseus 1.0 Beta 6:
• Email Download
- Added progress download when downloading email with attachments
- Improved compatibility with POP3 servers
- Odysseus no longer hangs when downloading attachments
Email Import
- Improved speed when importing Eudora email in tandem with large Attachment folder
Encoding
- Fixed crash when encountering malformed/improperly encoded HTML email
- Improved Unicode support
Address Book
- Added ability to import multiple Nickname files
- Added Apple Address Book autofill
Message Viewing
- Corrected Date sort for Search results
- Message Window remembers size and location
- Added message title to Message Window
- Added Unified Preview option (similar to implementation in Classic)
- Fixed issue where fonts weren't properly updated when opening new Classic windows
Message Composition
- Improved formatting of message replies
- Moved insertion point for Replies, Signatures, and Stationery
- Fixed issues that could cause HTML emails to not display correctly
Misc Fixes
- Fixed a number of issues that could cause crashes
What's left? For the remainder of this week, the developers will be focusing on Filters, IMAP, and a Windows Interface, leading up to 1.0 next week. If you don't see a favorite feature in Odysseus as it stands right now... don't be discouraged. The goal right now is simply to get 1.0 out the door with the most commonly used features, with the remaining to follow shortly thereafter.
For me, the make-or-break feature that's still missing is the ability to check individual email accounts separately. I have some 25 accounts configured in Eudora 6.2.4, and it's simply impractical to do mass checks, especially over my bog-slow dialup connection. The other lingering problem is that Odysseus still can't sent mail through my ISP's (Sympatico Canada) SMTP server. This is partly a Sympatico problem, and it afflicts Eudora as well.
The progress bar enhancements are welcome, but still clunky in readout compared with Eudora's excellent Tasks window, and I haven't found any way in the Odysseus Preferences to make message windows display the data strings at the top.
Classic Eudora, which dated back in development continuity, dates back almost to the dawn of the public Internet, and is one of the most refined pieces of software I've ever used. It's also as comfortable as a favorite pair of slippers after all those years of familiarity. In my estimation, it's close to perfection as an email client, so Odysseus has very big boots to fill. It definitely has a way to go yet, but with "official" Eudora now a clone of mediocre Mozilla Thunderbird, it's encouraging that Infinity Data Systems is on the way to developing what promises to be a worthy Eudora successor.
Odysseus is commercial software (as Qualcomm's Eudora was) and not open source, and will sell for $39.95, about the same price point as classic Eudora. The program is being developed with support for Mac OS X and Windows, with Linux compatibility being looked at for the future. Version upgrade prices, anticipated roughly annually, are projected to be$19.95, and if a full version number upgrade occurs in under a year's time, it will be free for users of the previous version.
For more information, go to:
http://www.infinitydatasystems.com/odysseus/index.html
Charles W. Moore
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Thank you so much for the Odysseus update.