Macintosh email: What are the options?
If you're a Mac user, the good news is that there's really no urgent need for you to find an alternative to Eudora 6.1. There may indeed be life after Eudora 6.1, but you don't have to go there yet. It turns out that the security holes that are prompting Windows users to either abandon Eudora 6.1 for a newer version or seek an entirely new email application do not affect Eudora for the Mac.
That said, there are a few reasons you might want to upgrade or change anyway. For instance
-- Spam. The spammers keep changing their tactics, but an up-to-date spam blocker (like the ones found in newer email applications) can help keep this down to a minor nuisance.
-- Some newer email applications (including Eudora 6.2.1) take fuller advantage of the vCard format of Mac OS X's Address Book, a versatile central storage area for names, postal and email addresses, phone numbers, and other information on your contacts.
-- If you have upgraded to a new computer, you may want to aviod extra clutter and switch to the email application that's packaged with OS X -- particularly if you're not importing all of your old email archives.
Bear in mind, though, that any time you add new software to your computer, you are bound to encounter a learning curve and you may also face a new set of problems.
A Few Options
A quick search of the web will turn up a number of email applications for the Mac. Some cost more, some less, and others cost nothing at all. We'll look at just a few of these: Eudora 6.2.1, Mail 1.3.9, Thunderbird, and Entourage.
Eudora 6.2.1
Eudora 6.2.1 by Qualcomm is the newest version of what Eudora users already have. It has better spam detection and filtering features than Eudora 6.1. Like Eudora 6.1, it also works with OS X's Address Book.
Because this is a new version of Eudora, it will be the simplest and most reliable process for transferring your old mailboxes, addresses, and settings.
Some of you have indicated that you plan to continue using Eudora. ANR Communication Services will be contacting those people in the next week or so with specific instructions on how to upgrade Eudora. If you do choose Eudora 6.2.1, you'll have to pay for a license (good for one year). Our department is buying licenses at a volume educational discount and we are recharging offices at our cost of $23 per user. (Our order already went in for this, so if your office didn't place an order that included you and we have to make a second purchase, the price may be higher.)
Mail 1.3.9
Apple includes its own email client, called "Mail," with Mac OS X. If your Mac is running OS X, Mail is probably there, too. Aside from that fact that you don't have to install it, the application has other good points including a good spam filter and (this may be the best part) free automatic updates as part of OS X's System Update. Of course it integrates with the OS X Address Book. Strictly speaking, the software isn't available free of charge, but it's part of the initial package when you pay for OS X.
One drawback is that transferring addresses and nicknames from Eudora 6.1 is much more complicated than it ought to be. Some Eudora addresses and nicknames may not transfer into the OS X address book, which, unlike Eudora, uses the vCard format for addresses.
Another drawback is the way Mail handles your old mailboxes when you import them from Eudora. For one thing, all imported mail is marked as "unread" since you've never read it in Mail. For another, all imported mail loses its original "sent" or "received" date and instead is assigned the date of importation into Mail.
Both of these problems can be remedied easily, however, using free downloadable utilities. We'll have step-by-step instructions in tomorrow's lesson.
You can read more about Mail 1.3.9 at
http://www.apple.com/macosx/tiger/mail.html
Thunderbird 1.0
Thunderbird is Mozilla's open-source email client application available for free download, and this one really is free. Because it's also available for Windows and Linux, it lets you handle your email the same way regardless of which type of computer you happen to be using. And in case you like to customize, Thunderbird lets you add features to the program by adding any of a variety of plug-ins (more than 200 are listed on the Mozilla website).
Thunderbird can import mailboxes and settings easily from a variety of email applications, including Eudora 6.1. You will find step-by-step instructions for transferring from Eudora in tomorrow's lesson. If you don't want to bother with Mail's slightly messier file transfer process or you're a strong supporter of the open-source movement, Thunderbird may be just the thing for you.
You can read more about Thunderbird 1.0 or download the application at
http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/
Entourage
Entourage makes our list mostly because it's what Microsoft has to offer for email on the Mac. In reality, though, Entourage is more than just an email application: it's an overall "organizer" package that includes an email client along with a datebook, project planner, and PalmOS device interface among other things. Entourage also allows you to share information with other Entourage users if your office has a Microsoft Exchange Server. All of this comes at a price, though: $399 (or $149 student/teacher discount) for Entourage. If all you need is an email client application, Entourage is an awfully expensive solution. ANR Communication Services will not be supporting Entourage.
If you want to find out more about Entourage, though, visit
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/entourage2004/entourage2004.aspx?pid=entourage2004
Summing It Up
Keep in mind that the overall objective here is to send and receive email without having to deal with an inordinate amount of spam. Any of the first three alternatives -- Eudora 6.2.1, Mail, or Thunderbird -- will accomplish that.
If you have any questions or difficulties, please feel free to call Damon, Claudia, or Blaine. We'll do our best to answer your question or resolve your issue.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Damon DiPietro
ANR Communication Services
Phone: (530) 297-4433
Fax: (530) 757-5731
Claudia Myers
ANR Communication Services
Phone: (530) 297-4444
Fax: (530) 297-4438
Blaine Sullivan
ANR Communication Services
Phone: (530) 297-4440
Fax: (530) 297-4438
That said, there are a few reasons you might want to upgrade or change anyway. For instance
-- Spam. The spammers keep changing their tactics, but an up-to-date spam blocker (like the ones found in newer email applications) can help keep this down to a minor nuisance.
-- Some newer email applications (including Eudora 6.2.1) take fuller advantage of the vCard format of Mac OS X's Address Book, a versatile central storage area for names, postal and email addresses, phone numbers, and other information on your contacts.
-- If you have upgraded to a new computer, you may want to aviod extra clutter and switch to the email application that's packaged with OS X -- particularly if you're not importing all of your old email archives.
Bear in mind, though, that any time you add new software to your computer, you are bound to encounter a learning curve and you may also face a new set of problems.
A Few Options
A quick search of the web will turn up a number of email applications for the Mac. Some cost more, some less, and others cost nothing at all. We'll look at just a few of these: Eudora 6.2.1, Mail 1.3.9, Thunderbird, and Entourage.
Eudora 6.2.1
Eudora 6.2.1 by Qualcomm is the newest version of what Eudora users already have. It has better spam detection and filtering features than Eudora 6.1. Like Eudora 6.1, it also works with OS X's Address Book.
Because this is a new version of Eudora, it will be the simplest and most reliable process for transferring your old mailboxes, addresses, and settings.
Some of you have indicated that you plan to continue using Eudora. ANR Communication Services will be contacting those people in the next week or so with specific instructions on how to upgrade Eudora. If you do choose Eudora 6.2.1, you'll have to pay for a license (good for one year). Our department is buying licenses at a volume educational discount and we are recharging offices at our cost of $23 per user. (Our order already went in for this, so if your office didn't place an order that included you and we have to make a second purchase, the price may be higher.)
Mail 1.3.9
Apple includes its own email client, called "Mail," with Mac OS X. If your Mac is running OS X, Mail is probably there, too. Aside from that fact that you don't have to install it, the application has other good points including a good spam filter and (this may be the best part) free automatic updates as part of OS X's System Update. Of course it integrates with the OS X Address Book. Strictly speaking, the software isn't available free of charge, but it's part of the initial package when you pay for OS X.
One drawback is that transferring addresses and nicknames from Eudora 6.1 is much more complicated than it ought to be. Some Eudora addresses and nicknames may not transfer into the OS X address book, which, unlike Eudora, uses the vCard format for addresses.
Another drawback is the way Mail handles your old mailboxes when you import them from Eudora. For one thing, all imported mail is marked as "unread" since you've never read it in Mail. For another, all imported mail loses its original "sent" or "received" date and instead is assigned the date of importation into Mail.
Both of these problems can be remedied easily, however, using free downloadable utilities. We'll have step-by-step instructions in tomorrow's lesson.
You can read more about Mail 1.3.9 at
http://www.apple.com/macosx/tiger/mail.html
Thunderbird 1.0
Thunderbird is Mozilla's open-source email client application available for free download, and this one really is free. Because it's also available for Windows and Linux, it lets you handle your email the same way regardless of which type of computer you happen to be using. And in case you like to customize, Thunderbird lets you add features to the program by adding any of a variety of plug-ins (more than 200 are listed on the Mozilla website).
Thunderbird can import mailboxes and settings easily from a variety of email applications, including Eudora 6.1. You will find step-by-step instructions for transferring from Eudora in tomorrow's lesson. If you don't want to bother with Mail's slightly messier file transfer process or you're a strong supporter of the open-source movement, Thunderbird may be just the thing for you.
You can read more about Thunderbird 1.0 or download the application at
http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/
Entourage
Entourage makes our list mostly because it's what Microsoft has to offer for email on the Mac. In reality, though, Entourage is more than just an email application: it's an overall "organizer" package that includes an email client along with a datebook, project planner, and PalmOS device interface among other things. Entourage also allows you to share information with other Entourage users if your office has a Microsoft Exchange Server. All of this comes at a price, though: $399 (or $149 student/teacher discount) for Entourage. If all you need is an email client application, Entourage is an awfully expensive solution. ANR Communication Services will not be supporting Entourage.
If you want to find out more about Entourage, though, visit
http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/entourage2004/entourage2004.aspx?pid=entourage2004
Summing It Up
Keep in mind that the overall objective here is to send and receive email without having to deal with an inordinate amount of spam. Any of the first three alternatives -- Eudora 6.2.1, Mail, or Thunderbird -- will accomplish that.
If you have any questions or difficulties, please feel free to call Damon, Claudia, or Blaine. We'll do our best to answer your question or resolve your issue.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Damon DiPietro
ANR Communication Services
Phone: (530) 297-4433
Fax: (530) 757-5731
Claudia Myers
ANR Communication Services
Phone: (530) 297-4444
Fax: (530) 297-4438
Blaine Sullivan
ANR Communication Services
Phone: (530) 297-4440
Fax: (530) 297-4438