Outlook Express 5.0.2 and Entourage for Mac

What can I say about Microsoft's ponderous free combined email (POP3/SMTP/IMAP) / Usenet news client?

It is an understatement to say that I'm not a Microsoft software fan, and I wouldn't use OE on a bet, and indeed I have purged all M$ software from my hard drive on principle. However, OE's a feature-laden beastie, for folks who inexplicably like such monstrosities.

Features in OE 5.x include:
• Address AutoComplete
• Smart Attachments
• One Key Read
• An Info Bar
• Advanced Find
• Address Book Enhancements
• Account Setup Assistant (mixed blessing)
• Easy Importing of filed from other email clients
• Junk Mail Filter
• Schedules
• Mailing List Manager
• Multiuser Support
• IMAP Support

Address AutoComplete allows you to type an address in a message, upon which Outlook Express will show names and addresses of contacts in your Address Book that match, whether you type a first name, last name, nickname, or e-mail address.

Smart Attachments encodes attachments using AppleDouble format, which can be read by both Macintosh and Windows operating systems alike. Other encoding formats are also available.

The Improved Preview Pane lets you easily read e-mail and perform common e-mail tasks without opening a separate message window. For example, you can use buttons in the Preview pane to increase the size of text and rewrap text so that it's easier to read a message.

One Key Read helps you to save time by minimizing the number of key strokes and mouse actions required to read messages. Pressing the spacebar will scroll through a message. At the end of the message, press the spacebar again to move to the next unread message.

The Info Bar, located at the top of messages you receive, contains information about the message. For example, if you replied to a message, the Info Bar includes the date you replied and provides a link so that you can view your reply. If you performed more than one action on a message, a link appears so that you can view the history of the message.

You can use the Advanced Find dialog box to search for messages by a wide variety of criteria, and by more than one criterion at a time.

In addition to storing email addresses and phone and fax numbers, the Outlook Express 5 Address Book has custom fields you can use to add any information you want, such as birthdays or names of spouses. The Address Book is also tightly integrated with messaging; for example, when you address a message, you automatically access addresses in your Address Book. And when you receive a message from someone, you can easily add the sender to your Address Book.

If you regularly receive junk e-mail, Outlook Express 5 can automatically identify potential junk messages. In the Junk Mail Filter dialog box, you can specify how you want to distinguish messages identified as potential junk mail. For example, you can make the messages a different color than your other messages, mark them as read, or run an AppleScript to handle them.

In Outlook Express 5, you can automate certain tasks by creating a schedule that specifies what you want Outlook Express to do and when you want it done. Outlook Express then performs the tasks at the time you specified.

Outlook Express 5's Mailing List Manager helps you manage the messages you receive from the mailing lists you subscribe to. The Mailing List Manager can automatically sort and file these messages, so that you can keep them separate from your personal and business messages.

Outlook Express 5 also supports users who share a computer by storing separate account information and Preference settings for each user. Outlook Express also supports the new multiuser functionality available in Macintosh OS version 9.0 and later.

Additional Features In Outlook Express 5.1
- Drag & drop installation with self-healing lets you quickly install and start Microsoft Outlook Express 5.
- If Microsoft Office is installed on your computer, you can easily check spelling in your messages. You can choose to check spelling as you type messages or all at once when you send them. You can also switch spelling dictionaries without quitting and re-starting Outlook Express.
- The Mail Merge feature in Microsoft Word lets you easily address letters and envelopes to your Outlook Express contacts.
- Improvements to Unicode, character set encodings, and newsgroup encodings makes it easy to send attachments and receive messages composed in other languages.
- Individual signature for each email account.

Additional Features in version 5.0.2:
• The Progress window now appears in the foreground when users run a schedule manually, and it stays in the background when the schedule runs automatically.
• Launch speed has been improved for users with very large databases
• Users can expect improved performance in the following areas:
• Importing messages and contacts from Claris Emailer
• Connecting with Apple Remote Access
• Connecting to their ISP's POP server
• Replying to messages with an extra From header
• Reading complex HTML messages

Minimum System Requirements for Microsoft Outlook Express 5.x
- Macintosh with a PowerPC processor
- Macintosh OS version 8.1 or later
- 6 MB of available RAM with Virtual Memory on (7 MB recommended)
- 15 MB of available hard disk space for Outlook Express
- Open Transport 1.1.1 or higher

OE 5.x stores all messages in one huge database file -- definitely not my cup of tea. There's no way I'm going to entrust my e-mail files to Microsoft software!.

Entourage For Mac

Entourage 2001 for Mac is an offshoot of Outlook Express 5.x, retaining the interface, email, and newsgroups capabilities from Outlook Express and adding a personal information manager to keep track of tasks, notes, appointments, contacts, and more.

In other words, even more bloat in an already loaded to the gunwales application.

As I said, if you like that sort of stuff....

Entourage System requirements:
• PowerPC 120MHz or faster
• Mac OS 8.1 or higher. Mac OS 8.5 or higher recommended
• 32 MB of RAM with at least 1 MB of Virtual Memory for Mac OS 8.6 and earlier, 48 MB of RAM with at least 1 MB of Virtual Memory for Mac OS 9.0 and later.
• CD-ROM drive
• Display capable of 256 grays or colors at 640x480 resolution. Display capable of thousands or millions of colors and resolutions of 800x600 or higher recommended.
• 160 MB hard disk space. Will vary depending on how much data you store and the options you choose to install. You may require more or less hard disk space.

Entourage is Only available as part of Office 2001

For more information, visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/
or
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/oe/

POPmail 2.2

A simple email client from the University of Minnesota. POPmail supports POP2, POP3 and IMAP servers.

For more information, visit:
http://www1.umn.edu/adcs/help/email/MacPopmail.html

POPmail/Lab 1.2

The Lab version of POPmail is a simple POP3 e-mail client optimized for use in computer labs and on kiosks. Here the idea is that roaming users (people on a shared machine in a lab or at a kiosk) should be able to read and compose mail without necessarily removing mail from the POP server and permanently storing it on the computer they are using. Since you can read mail without moving it off the mail server, you do not need to carry a floppy disk to keep a copy of your e-mail. Any mail you have not deleted remains on the mail server. Because POPmail/Lab was designed for computer labs and kiosks, the user interface was kept as simple as possible so that there is minimal training required.

For more information, visit:
http://www1.umn.edu/adcs/help/email/MacPopmail.html

PowerMail 3.0.9v2

My son has been an enthusiastic PowerMail fan for several years, although he has recently defected to OS X's Mail module.

PowerMail 3 is a major rewrite of CTM Development's Macintosh e-mail. Built on top of the PowerMail Engine, a robust cross-platform foundation encapsulating 8 years of messaging and directory experience, PowerMail 3 was developed with the following objectives:

• Establish a lean, mean and efficient alternative e-mail client for people who care about e-mail
• Acknowledge the importance of our user's data accessibility by offering reliable storage, high-speed indexing and the ability to export to a variety of standard formats
• Design and implement a clean, robust Macintosh user-interface
• Contribute to the on-going diversity of mail clients on the Mac
• Evolve our code base on a regular basis to meet customer needs quicker
• Excel in supporting multi-lingual, world-wide mail using Unicode standards
• Support advanced Mac OS 9 technologies as well native multi-tasking and memory protection on Mac OS X
• Provide a smooth migration experience to users of Claris Emailer, OE 4.5, Eudora, Netscape Communicator and PowerMail 2

Beyond the classic PowerMail feature set (high-speed find-by-content using Sherlock search technology, multiple accounts) PowerMail 3 includes user-experience and feature enhancements in the following areas:

Performance:
• Smaller memory footprint, faster execution speed than other popular mail clients
• Background indexing of mail accelerates sending and receiving mail by 400%
• Multi-threading allows reading and writing of mail while downloading from multiple server accounts
• Virtually unlimited filtering
• Special attention paid to users on wireless networks (discontinuous connections, bandwidth constraints) and portable computing needs

Ease of use:
• Redesigned address book with true groups, folders and multiple e-mail addresses per recipient
• Ability to view mail databases with or without preview panes
• Import assistant
• "View only" filtering on any given column of a folder
• Redesigned scheduling: stored sets include master SMTP server to override current setting on a per-schedule basis
• Better error handling and notification
• Improved interaction with POP3 server-side message database
• SMTP batch-sending by domain
• Colored labels for folders and messages
• Contextual menus for folder lists, message lists and message bodies
• Multiple signature database with random signature functionality
• Spell checking using Word Services AppleEvent suite, allowing the user to pick spell checkers
• Inline input of all of the application's International text fields (not just text body), and improved support for right-to-left scripts
• Compatible with PGP™ digital signatures and encryption
• Supports Mac OS 9 technologies (Keychain, Unicode…)

• PowerMail 3.0.9v2 for Mac OS X, 9 and 8 is now available. The 30-day demo can be upgraded online to a full commercial version; English and French languages available.

Upgrades for previous versions purchased in 1998 or 1999 are US$ 29, and are free for all PowerMail 2.4 new orders placed since January 1st 2000.

New single-user licenses of PowerMail 2.4v7 are available immediately on-line at US$ 49.

System Requirements
• Power Macintosh
• Mac OS version 8.5 or later.

For more information, visit:
http://www.ctmdev.com/powermail3.shtml

QuickMail 2.1

CE Software, Inc.'s QuickMail Pro is a personal E-mail client designed for office, home, or school. It's easy-to-use, reliable, affordable and works with the latest Macintosh and Windows system software. QuickMail Pro features an advanced contact manager, multiple E-mail account handling and hierarchical file folders.

New Features in 2.1
• Supports messages containing HTML.
• Secures QuickMail Pro client from unauthorized access without needing to log out.
• Incorporates Mac OS 9 Multiple user support.
• Contact Manager can sort entries into customizable categories.
• Enhanced search capabilities within Contact Manager.
• Improved printing options for contacts information.
• Automatically adds filename extensions to ease file translation between Macintosh and Windows.

Returning QuickMail 2.0 Features:
• Mail Browser:
• View incoming, outgoing and filed messages in a single Mail Browser window for fast, simple navigation. The preview pane displays message content before opening the entire document.
• New Address Book:
• Your address book doubles as a contact manager for access to complete contact information. Store E-mail addresses, postal addresses, phone numbers and more. You can also use contact information from other QuickMail" users. Simply drag and drop the information into your own contact manager.
• Multiple Account Management:
Simultaneously gather and organize messages from multiple E-mail accounts in QuickMail's "Mail Browser" window.
• Per-Recipient Enclosures and Receipts:
• Customized addressing sends enclosures and requests return receipts on a per-name basis. Icons next to the recipients's name indicates who gets the enclosure and who should send a receipt.
System Requirements
• 68040 Processor or greater
• MacOS 7.6.1 or greater
• 16 MB RAM
• 10 MB Hard Drive spacespace (Additional hard drive space required as data accumulates)
• TCP/IP network over Ethernet or Dial-up PPP

For more information, visit:
http://www.cesoft.com/index.html

QuickMail Pro 2.1

QuickMail Pro 2.1 New Features and Benefits
• HTML Support - QuickMail Pro now allows you to see HTML messages as they were intended to be seen with the simple click of a button.
• Mac OS 9 Multi-user support
• Multiple Mac OS 9 users maintained separately on the same machine.
Allows QuickMail's functionality to be customized per logged in user in Mac OS 9. Integrates QuickMail more closely with the latest Mac OS technology.
• "Mail Browser" Interface- Incoming, outgoing and filed messages are displayed in a single, intuitive window including a message preview pane. More flexible interface allows quick access to exactly the information you want to see, the way you want to see it. Save time finding the info you need. No need to scroll through a long list of folders. Quick and easy navigation of your Inbox, Outbox, Sent Items, Receipts, Trash and filed mail folders.
• "Lock" Feature allows users to secure the QuickMail Pro client without the necessity of logging out secures your QuickMail Pro client from unauthorized access
• Hierarchical Folders - An unlimited number of folders containing an unlimited number of messages can be filed within other folders. Easier and better organization of filed messages. No need to scroll through hundreds of messages to find the information you need.
• Contact Manager Enhancements - Enhanced search capabilities have been added to the Contact Manager. Save time and find e-mail addresses with ease. Search address books for contacts using a variety of criteria.
• Address Book/Contact Manager - QuickMail's address book now stores E-mail addresses and other contact information including postal address, phone numbers and more. Save money and computer resources. With QuickMail Pro, your E-mail client does double-duty as an easy-to-use, comprehensive contact manager that stores all your important contact information. Addressing messages has never been easier. Just drag and drop a name from the address book to the message. No more bothersome modal addressing screens to click through. Share contact information via E-mail. Makes keeping up with current contact information easy.
• Improved Contact Handling. Sorts contacts into cutomizable categories
Stay organized and save time by sorting contacts into easy-to-remember cutomizable categories.
• Multiple E-mail Account Support. QuickMail Pro can gather and organize E-mail from multiple accounts in the single Mail Browser window. Managing multiple E-mail accounts Ð home, business, school, etc. Ð is easy and convenient. No need to spend time manually logging into and out of multiple E-mail accounts. QuickMail Pro handles it automatically.
• Improved Printing Options. Print selected contact information using simple layouts
• Automatic Receipt Filing. Return receipts are automatically filed into a "Receipts" folder within the Mail Browser. Save time receiving, reading and disposing of return receipts. QuickMail files them for you in one convenient place. You'll always know who has read your messages and who hasn't.
• Streamlined MailManager Interface. The three phases of creating a MailManager mail handling rule Ð the name of the rule, its conditions and its result Ð have been combined in a single window. Creating MailManager rules that keep your mail organized automatically is now faster and easier than ever before.
• File Name Extensions Handling. File name extensions can now be automatically appended to attachment names Makes cross-platform file transfers easier. Minimizes problems viewing a Windows-created document on a Macintosh, and vice versa.
• Streamlined Search Interface. Search criteria and results have been combined in a single window. Faster and easier access to QuickMail Pro's powerful search engine makes finding E-mail messages a snap.
• Improved Enclosure Handling QuickMail Pro now displays the name, type and size of files attached to E-mail messages. In addition, attached files can be launched by double-clicking the file icon. Quicker and easier access to attachments.
• Internet and Proprietary Directory Access. QuickMail Pro's address book includes a full-featured directory service client based on the Internet's powerful LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol). Fast and easy searching of powerful LDAP servers on the Internet or within your company. Quicker access to the contact information you need. You don't have to leave your address book to access Internet directories. Adding information uncovered in the directory search to your address book is easy and convenient.
• Per-recipient Enclosures and Return Receipts. When composing a message, the QuickMail Pro user can easily choose which of the message's recipients receive an enclosure and which provide a return receipt by checking or unchecking an icon next to the recipient's name. More precise control over which people receive enclosures when messages are sent to multiple recipients. Preserve bandwidth by not sending enclosures to the people who don't need to see them. Cut down on the number of return receipts you have to deal with by only asking for them when they're really needed.
• vCard Support. QuickMail Pro clients can automatically add contact information stored in electronic business cards to address books. Fast and easy entry of important contact information into address books. Easily send contact information to friends and colleagues Ð just drag and drop an entry form from your address book onto a new E-mail message and send.
• Mail Pick-up Prompt QuickMail Pro client can be configured to "listen" to a cue from the QuickMail Pro Server telling the client there is mail waiting for pick up. Reduce network traffic and improve bandwidth because QuickMail Pro dials into the server only when there are messages for it to pick up.

QuickMail Pro 2.x for Macintosh sells for $39.95 for a single user. An upgrade to version 2.0 is $12 per user from version 1.x. Multi-packs are available direct from CE Software. QuickMail Pro is also sold as a component of QuickMail Office - contains client, server and directory system all-in-one-box.

To download QuickMail Pro 2.0 for Macintosh 30-day demo:
http://www.cesoft.com/demo.html

SweetMail 2.09r7

SweetMail is a simple email client that owes considerable inspiration to the classic Eudora Light, but with many more features.

For example, SweetMail supports multiple email accounts and has a wide variety of interface customization preference options. Another big advantage SweetMail shares with Eudora Light 3.1.3 and earlier is that it supports 68k Macs as well as Power PC and OS X. At least that is a big advantage if you have a 68k Mac.

SweetMail's user interface is very nice in its default mode, but you can also customize it to your heart's content using SweetMail's extensive user preferences. And like Eudora Light, there is no program interface or toolbar cluttering up your desktop unless you open a window -- just menu selections on the menu bar -- a motif I prefer.

On the other hand, one thing that I find annoying about SweetMail is that it doesn't display header information in the open received message window, or at least I have been unsuccessful in finding a way to make this happen.

SweetMail's system for archiving messages works fine, and creates only a single, do-all, archive file, which is less versatile and flexible than Eudora's multi-mailbox mode. SweetMail can import archives from other e-mail programs, but has no ability to export archives in, say, Eudora format, as PowerMail does for instance. The potential to reverse-migrate would probably encourage more people to try out the program.

The developer of SweetMail is S. Ichise, a freeware/shareware author living in Kanagawa, Japan. He has written code for 22 years, and was the author of CalendarMenu 3.21 for the Macintosh 'in the old days.'

When I asked S. Ichise what inspired him to develop this program, he replied: "It is a simple answer, there was no emailer I wanted to use. I think it is better to not use modal-dialogs, and to use thread processing. We must be careful about user-inoperable-time for smooth interface."

"I liked Eudora-1.8.x in the old days," he added, "so, basically SweetMail's operation is similar to it."

To a considerable extent he has succeeded in his quest. In terms of "feel," I find SweetMail very much like Eudora Light 3.1.3. It is also small and fast, has a decent search engine, a customizable interface with an array of configuration options, and most important, continues Eudora's minimalist user interface that pretty much disappears except for the menu bar when there are no mailboxes or messages open.

Some SweetMail features include:
Normal Search future
Case insensitive search
Sleep mode
Random signature
External message editor
More contextual menu shortcuts to move carets.
Template feature
Intelligent Auto Wrap
Signature Editor
Duplicate button
Automatic message relay
Remote operation
'POP before SMTP'

The SweetMail Preferences let you do a lot with color. For instance:
Text: Message body's foreground color.
Back.: Message background color.
Header: Header filed foreground color.
Comment: Sentence begins from '#'.
URL: Clickable URL.
Matching: Words matched on extracting.
Level #: Quoted messages
Reset: to factory settings.

System requirements:
Macintosh ( 68K or PPC plus an OS X version)
2MB RAM
System 7.5 or later

SweetMail is $28.00 shareware.

For more information or to download, visit:
http://www2.ttcn.ne.jp/~sweet/mail

SweetMail is $18.00 shareware.

For more information, visit:
http://www2.ttcn.ne.jp/~sweet/mail/

You can read my review of SweetMail (ver. 1.9.3) here:
http://www.applelinks.com/mooresviews/sweetmail.shtml

Email Clients A-L

Email Clients M-N

Charles W. Moore

.