Best Email Client For Mac?

[Sheryl]

I am in the process of switching from Windows to Mac and it's pretty frustrating. My biggest unhappiness is with the Mail program, I hate the way it insists on showing the first few lines of each email rather than just subject line, doesn't let me separately choose whether to send or receive or both when I want, and above all am being driven mad by how it handles attachments. A web search turned up some text to use in terminal that at least got it to stop showing jpeg attachm,ents as images but recipients still complain they can't open attachments I send. Also hate that I have to open a separate contacts app to get tio my address book.

I was using Outlook Express and was totally happy with it but of course it doesn't run on a Mac, and I don't want to install Windows for Mac as that would negate the main advantages of Mac as I understand it (i.e. less vulnerabiliuty to viruses and frequent slow downs).

I am considering downloading Eudora. Thoughts? I do NOT need anything fancy. I just need to send and receive emails, often with attachments, nothing more. And I do not like MS Outlook. I have never used Eudora biut it looks like it would be similiar to Outlook Exopress. Dioes it run well on a Mac?

Also - any advice on what to do about scanned files coming out too blurry? And how to stop the "Preview" program from being the default to open jpeg files?

And lastly -- is there anyway to get the ctrl-C/V/Z functions of Word to work on a Mac?

It's a steep learning curve indeed. I like the battery life and quick start up but not at all a fan of the software so far...

Thanks!

[DMC1]

Apple Mail is great and did it not come free with your device?

Sorry just re-read your post. Are you saying Apple Mail is no good or only MS Outlook from before?

Edited November 1, 2012 by DMC1

[Sheryl]

I'm saying I seriously hate Apple Mail and it doesn't suit my needs at all. Looking for an alternative that will work in Mac. I was very happy with Outlook Express but that doesn't run in Mac. Looking for something close to it that will.

[nullx8]

For copy and paste operations simply use command key instead of the control key.

Most combinations are the same.

[nullx8]

The "problem" that some users can not open attachments you have sent

Is simply that the mail.app from os10 does strictly follow the rfc based standards, but outlook does not.

The attachment dialog has a checkbox called "windows friendly attachment" this checked will tell mail app to not use the standards and send it the same rubbish way as outlook does it.

Funny thing is, this standards are made initially by microsoft, but they do not follow them.

So "windows friendly attachment setting" will fix that.

[nullx8]

About the mail.app in general, i do not think there is anything "basic" like outlook express.

Mail.app does directly compete with Microsoft outlook for windows, but its free.

Mozilla thunderbird would be a option if you like the rubbish windows way. But that would be a huge step back in productivity matters.

You can disable the message preview in the list view just like you can do it on outlook or outlook express, by simply turn it off in the preferencies-view

But on mail.app you can choose the layout more detailed and can even select how many lines preview you want to have (setting this to none will disable it)

Or you can switch to "old layout" this will turn off all the great list features at once (exept of thread view) and you almost that bad as with outlook express

[rogerdee123]

MS Office for Mac 2011 (home & business version) has Outlook EMail client. Maybe this is better for you than 'Mail'.

I loved Eudora/Mac when we still used OS9 on Mac. They were very slow with an OSX version and by the time it finally came out I had already switched. NOw I think Eudora hasn't been updated for 4 - 5 years ... but I may be wrong.

I also don't like 'Mail' and frankly I don't like Outlook either. But presently I used them both. I think many Mac users are waiting for an excellent email client program .... same same waiting for decent accounting program ... that works on current version of OSX.

[Sheryl]

nullX,

What you said worked re the view, it is fine now, many thanks.. But I alreadty had it set on Windows friendly and still a problem with attachments. It also likes to embed attachments in the middle of the message rather than at the end, an annoyance, and of course there is nio option that lets me send only without receiving (as I oiften want to do) and the fact that hitting "send" sends it instantly if I am online has causes me...problems. Granted, I suppose with time I will learn to just not hit the send botton unless I'm 100% sure, but it is annoying. I liked the way OE would put it in outbox and send only if instructed to. Gave me a seciond chance to rethink before sending.

Before I drive you all crazy with a zillion more questions, has anyone seen anywhere a guide to help Windows users make the switch to Mac? You know,. something that would tell people used to Windows where to find equivalent functions/do similiar things on Mac. I find the help menu to be useless as was the small booklet that came with the computer, and it is very time consuming to have to google everythime I want to know how to do something. I had the computer a week before I realized the apple icon was sort of like the control panel, for example.

Rogerdee, waht is the MS Office 2011 program called? I have Office but can't seem to find it...unbless you mean MS Outlook which I hate almost even more than I hate the apple mail app.

[noahvail]

^{Nobody has mentioned gmail yet. I've been using it for years now, had a lot less problems than any MS mail app that I've tried, though I have the new outlook as my backup email. Apple mail was horrible for me - there must be a learning curve, but I just couldn't "get" it, eh. Gmail is free, you can opt-out of their adverts, and the anti-spam portion works exceptionally well. Best of luck to you.}

[nikster]

What version of OS X are you using?

Why would you want to send without receiving? Just wondering ....

Mail has its annoyances but it's all in all much better than any of the alternatives on the Mac.

MS Office 2011 has Outlook for Mac which should work in the exact same way Windows outlook works. IMO it's mind blowingly annoying - those few times I have to use it, I just wonder... so I guess you probably have the same perception the other way around

Google for "OS X mail client" and you'll find many.

I am excited by this one: http://www.uniboxapp.com - maybe it will be the end all be all of mail clients?

I have friends who swear by Gmail, they just use it in the browser. Gmail has lots of fancy features for a web browser app and seems generally well received. I think Mail.app is better but each to their own.

For example search in Mail is brilliant:

- I type 2011 in the search box

- Mail offers me to use the conditions "Dates - 2011", I hit return

- Then I type "Dav" - Mail offers me "David K." from my contacts, I hit return - voila I got all email in 2011 from David K. filtered in real time even though I have 10GB worth of email to sort through.

The only criticism I have with Mail is the way it hides the outbox. The outbox appears only if a message send failed. If the message send is in progress, or it worked, you never see it. This leads to a funny effect where Mail can actually lose a mail in the outbox - happened to me once or twice.

I agree re: adding attachments in the middle - that's good when you want to annotate a picture, but for pretty much any other attachment you kind of really want to have it at the end. You can drag the attachment to the end with the mouse of course.

For which app to use to open which file, hit CMD-i on any file, like on a JPG. It will pop open an info window, and there you can set it so files of this type are opened by a certain app. Or just this one file is opened by a certain app.

The Preview app in particular is actually really great - you have to pay a lot of money to get an equivalent on windows. Preview can annotate images and PDFs, it can sign PDFs with your signature! The first time you sign something, it scans your signature from a blank piece of paper using the built in webcam - very clever I have to say. Then it's one click to insert anywhere.

The system wide help is just as useless as it is on Windows. Avoid it. Just type whatever you want to know in Google - I am not sure why you say that that's slow, usually I find whatever I need in seconds, and one of the first results has what I wanted to know.

Ask questions in this forum. That's what forums are for.

Oh yeah get MPlayerX - it's a free app that will play any video. Infinitely better than the native Quicktime player. I've used CMD-i on all my movie files to play them with MPlayerX instead.

Edited November 1, 2012 by nikster

[nullx8]

and the fact that hitting "send" sends it instantly if I am online has causes me...problems. Granted, I suppose with time I will learn to just not hit the send botton unless I'm 100% sure, but it is annoying.

[/Quote]

Well this is something general you need to ajust with using a Mac.

If you tell the Os or an app to dor things, it really does it

So if you hit "send" it will do what you order it to do ... Which is sending the email.

I dont exactly understand why this is a issue.

If you just want to store it, you can draft it. (Simply close the window, mail will then ask if you want to save it)

If you are offline or on a terrible connection, simply go offline, in the mail app. Then all connections will drop and clicking send results in the mails are placed in the outbox folder ... Once going back online all pending actions will be executed.

Like deletions and delivering outgoing mail and refreshing folder lists (in case you use imap)

If you just want to send and not recieve (i have no idea why anyone would like to do this, but i guess that is a windows thing, i remember doing things like this in my old dark windows times too, but i cant remember why i done it)

Anyway, you can turn off (check fir messages) but this will not entirely turn off the fetching if you use imap.

If you use pop3 is fine since you not really use most of the power the app comes with.

I use mail.app since basically forever, tried alot of alternatives, but as said before, thee is simply nothing better out there that can beat the productivity and performance of mail.app (not even close)

There was one app called sparrow, which was very futuristic and cool. But google bought the company and they not doing updates anymore. (The app is still avaiable)

I use gmail with mail.app via imap, have about 15gb of emails stored (about 400.000 messages)

I can instantly find messages back from 1996 or so in secounds.

I dont think there is anything else out there performs that well as mail.app

Its actually kind of funny watching others beeing in a constant fight with windows or other crappy mail programms like eudora or thunderbird, loosing items or never finding things.

This is just in the past once accepted to do it the mac-way

[freo]

I started using a MacBook Pro a few months ago after using Windows for twenty + years and now I dread having to use my Windows laptops

I use Gmail but I did try the Apple Mail program but couldn't see any benefit for me in using it so I'am not much help with that

I found some of the information on the links below helpful in understanding how to use OS X compared to Windows

I have been using the LibraOffice for documents and spreadsheets as it can be used on both Windows and OS X

Good luck with your new Mac you find the learning curve worth it in the end

http://www.apple.com/support/switch101/

http://www.macworld.com/article/1143519/mac_windows_switchers_guide.htm

http://www.libreoffice.org/download/

[SoloFlyer]

Anyone know how to get Mail to syn with Hotmail/outlook the way it does on the phone?

(ie delete on one will delete on the other?)

[JusMe]

Although it's a bit old, published in 2008, there's O'Reilly's Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual Leopard edition, many things would not have changed.

You can either search for it yourself, or download it from SendSpace. http://www.sendspace.com/file/7jb2m0

[Sheryl]

Many thanks for all the tips. I have downloaded the O'Reilly guide, looks to be exactly what I need.

I also HATE Outlook, what I liked was Outlook Express which is an entirely different program. I have found some versions online that allegedly work in Mac but on dodgy looking sites so not sure if they are legit. If anyone can advise on that I'd much appreciate it. I think I have had enough experience of the Mac mail program at this point to know that I am not going to like it any better with time and I need a program that is not brower based (so that, for example, I can reead old emails and attachments while offline).

Yes, I know that to save in Mac mail without sending I should click save and not send. The problem is that (1) I have grown used to hitting save and still having a second chance because in Outlook Express you can do that, you can select an option where nothing is sent from outbox until you tell it to, and especially when tired I tend to forget that this is no longer the case; and (2) Even when I think I am sure I want to send it sometimes happens that I subsequently realize I don't, e.g. I may get a nerw incoming email that changes the situation. This plus better handling of attachments are my remianing beefs with mail.app.

Another related issue is that I am haviung a very hard time obtaining an SPSS version that will run on Mac although they seem to exist. Any tips on that wil be appreciated. (I also have a hell of a time installing any new programs on the Mac but from what I have read that is a common problem and I'll eventually figure it out).

Laslty even after many downloads of new programs I will be left with at least some to run that don't work in Mac, this includes a number of small custim made programs. At the time of purchase I decided against installing Windows because as I understood it, it would defeat the whole purpose I had in mind in switching to Mac i.e. I'd again be vulnerable to viruses. Plus it would eat up a lot of space. But now I am struggling with the inconveinance of needing to swtich back and forth between computers. Some of these are programs I use very often.

Any thoughts about how I might handle this just to run a few small programs? Is there some bare bones approach to windows installation I could use that would eat up less space but still run special apps designed only for windows? If I do this will virus vulnerability remain limited to the wiondows partitioned part of the computer?

[nullx8]

Anyone know how to get Mail to syn with Hotmail/outlook the way it does on the phone?

(ie delete on one will delete on the other?)

IMAP ! its a worldwide OS indipendend standard (even Microsoft does it .. and that means somethings haha)

some hotmail accounts not have it enabled and require a PLUS Account.

older accounts should work out of the box.

[nullx8]

SPSS: http://www14.software.ibm.com/download/data/web/en_US/trialprograms/W110742E06714B29.html

windows: http://download.cnet.com/Microsoft-Virtual-PC/3000-2094_4-211267.html

windows can access the HPFS+ Partition of osx if some extra tools installed. if not its moreles safe to say windows can't really mess with the OSX installation.

acessing a virus infected windows partition is not really harmfoul since applicatins can't run on osx.

[Sheryl]

Thanks. I'd seen gthat link but it's only for a 14 day demo and no way to determine in advance if it'll let me buy online (all my credit cards have my Thai address and many US businesses won't accept that online). But for lack of a better option I'll go with it for now and hope it proves purchasable when the 14 days are up.

[nikster]

Searching for spss in the Mac App store, I found Wizard Pro - looks pretty cool even though it's $200... it can apparently do the same things SPSS can, and imports/exports SPSS data files.

"Installing" an app on the Mac is as easy as dragging the App icon to your "Applications" folder. Or anywhere else, really, but it's neat to keep them all in Applications so you know where to look for them.

Most Mac apps come as DMG files which is a kind of virtual disk - open it, find the application icon, drag it to your applications folder.

Windows users are baffled by this - where is my 20-step installer? There is none.

Uninstalling - drag the application to the trash. That's it.

Edited November 3, 2012 by nikster

[JusMe]

Any thoughts about how I might handle this just to run a few small programs?

Unless it's something incredibly specialist, you can get Mac native programs which do the same thing as your Windoze programs. Either do some checking about, or ask, perhaps on this forum. Many people will either know the Mac program equivalent of a Windoze one, or perhaps just explain what you want done and we'll know a Mac native application which does that.

Nikster said that uninstalling is as easy as dragging the application to the trash. That's true, although that doesn't get rid of small preference files and invisible little bits. An easy app like CleanApp or AppCleaner or AppZapper will dispose of all those when you want to keep space on your drive from cluttering with remnants of apps you no longer use.

[DMC1]

Any thoughts about how I might handle this just to run a few small programs?

Unless it's something incredibly specialist, you can get Mac native programs which do the same thing as your Windoze programs. Either do some checking about, or ask, perhaps on this forum. Many people will either know the Mac program equivalent of a Windoze one, or perhaps just explain what you want done and we'll know a Mac native application which does that.

Nikster said that uninstalling is as easy as dragging the application to the trash. That's true, although that doesn't get rid of small preference files and invisible little bits. An easy app like CleanApp or AppCleaner or AppZapper will dispose of all those when you want to keep space on your drive from cluttering with remnants of apps you no longer use.

Jus me what about 'Disk Doctor' ? Does that do the same job?

Sheryl - stick with Apple Mail if you can. I was same as you at first but now I think it's great.

Edited November 3, 2012 by DMC1

[nullx8]

Nikster said that uninstalling is as easy as dragging the application to the trash. That's true, although that doesn't get rid of small preference files and invisible little bits. An easy app like CleanApp or AppCleaner or AppZapper will dispose of all those when you want to keep space on your drive from cluttering with remnants of apps you no longer use.

Never ever ever ever install anyting like that !!! (This includes maccleaner and all the other junk advertised all over the web if you use safari on mac)

They just as worse as they are on windows!

The only difference is that windows is so messed up out of the box that "a helping hand" does some times make some sense.

But on mac os this is simply not the case and now since 10.8 the operatingsystem soes take care this things as well (even it was never really required on a mac)

There are only a handfull places where settings and other items are stored, it take minutes to clean them up manually.

And save alot of trouble comes along with this virus like programms (its harder to control this clean and care apps as the work they do after a certain time and stage)

As long you not working for the FBI or do anything against the US, better not bother

Besides its not like 50MB costing 1000 bucks this days, so dont bother.

Just keep the data, and have someone professional clean it up if its bothering somewhere in the soul.

The success of this kind of applications are only that great because of peoples switching from windows or too much infected with the windows way of doing things.

In general: "A mac does take care himself"

On exessive use there may be some files left over or not belong anymore, but then its saver and faster and probably cheaper to do it manually and save the performance and space used by this nanny apps.

[Sheryl]

The programs I refer to are completely specialized, apps developed in Cambodia (non copyrighted) and work only on Windows. They do not exist commercially. There are no Mac equivalents. I hate to do it but it looks like a Windows partition is in my future.

I'm happy enough with the machine - like the speed & efficiency and the battery life. It's the software I have problems with. Full of apps I don't need or want, and the ones I do need, I don't like their versions of. Too little control left to the user and too much trying to decide for you. But then, if it were up to me we'd still all be using DOS and typing in commands....

And, installing is NOT at all that simple if the app did not come from the Apple store (which I have browsed without finding anything I would ever want). If it comes in a DMG file, there are a series of steps you have to follow, and if it doesn't (as the ones I am trying to install do not) -- well I have yet to succeed though from various websites I believe it is eventually possible. I think they have designed it to make it very hard to install other than their own software.

[nullx8]

The programs I refer to are completely specialized, apps developed in Cambodia (non copyrighted) and work only on Windows. They do not exist commercially. There are no Mac equivalents.

Osx comes since a few years with buildin cocca api, its actually very easy for a (good) programmer to get basically anything to work.

Also with xcode its easy to recompile applications written in C to osx

nothing is impossible

Edited November 3, 2012 by nullx8

[JusMe]

DMC 1: I'm not familiar with Disk Doctor. For problems, I've found Disk Warrior fabulous. For data recovery, I think I once used Data Rescue II, but I've also got File Salvager. Sorry, not quite sure what DD is supposed to do.

As for getting rid of unused applications, I've used AppZapper effectively and safely for a number of years. It does clean out the junk when one no longer wants a particular app, and give you the options of either keeping or trashing those excess files.

Sheryl: I know my sister still uses Windoze because there's some accounting software that she'd have to make some changes for, and keeping her clients happy is more important than the ease of Mac operation. But you could probably find some Mac software that would do the job, if you're specific about what job you want done.

You also said: And, installing is NOT at all that simple if the app did not come from the Apple store (which I have browsed without finding anything I would ever want). If it comes in a DMG file, there are a series of steps you have to follow, and if it doesn't (as the ones I am trying to install do not) -- well I have yet to succeed though from various websites I believe it is eventually possible. I think they have designed it to make it very hard to install other than their own software.

I've never bought software from the Apple store, and my drive is full of so many applications that someday I've got to go through and trash the ones I really don't use. Open the DMG file and you're presented with an option - use an installer, or simply drag the application into your applications folder. Then you run that application right away. Incredibly simple. Apple is very protective, but there are so many developers out there, that there is a vast number of third party applications you can, and probably should, use. browsers, torrent apps, download managers, disc burning software, etc.

[Sheryl]

The programs I refer to are completely specialized, apps developed in Cambodia (non copyrighted) and work only on Windows. They do not exist commercially. There are no Mac equivalents.

Osx comes since a few years with buildin cocca api, its actually very easy for a (good) programmer to get basically anything to work.

Also with xcode its easy to recompile applications written in C to osx

nothing is impossible

For sure a programmer could do this, but is this something an ordinary user can do?

[Sheryl]

Nikster said that uninstalling is as easy as dragging the application to the trash. That's true, although that doesn't get rid of small preference files and invisible little bits. An easy app like CleanApp or AppCleaner or AppZapper will dispose of all those when you want to keep space on your drive from cluttering with remnants of apps you no longer use.

......

There are only a handfull places where settings and other items are stored, it take minutes to clean them up manually.

......

On exessive use there may be some files left over or not belong anymore, but then its saver and faster and probably cheaper to do it manually

could you be more specific i.e. how would one do this manually/where would the left over bits be. Mac doesn't show system files the way Windiows does.

When I have deleted an app and still see folders realted to them soemwhere can I safely delete those too? Or might htey contain things I shouldn't delete?

[Sheryl]

.... Open the DMG file and you're presented with an option - use an installer, or simply drag the application into your applications folder. Then you run that application right away. Incredibly simple.

I have mastered this, but it is installation of apps that do nto come in dmg that hasme stumped. For example I have one that is a bin file. Have yet to be able to install it.

[Dante99]

Sheryl,

"I hate the way it insists on showing the first few lines of each email rather than just subject line, doesn't let me separately choose whether to send or receive or both when I want,"

I have been using Mail for years and it shows me the subject line only, not the first few lines of each email. Probably you need to adjust your Preferences in the Mail program to get it the way you like it. I also do not experience the problem you mention about can not separately choose to send or receive or both.

You could get some help from other users face to face, hands on the computer or from Mac telephone service and get many things sorted.

[JusMe]

Nikster said that uninstalling is as easy as dragging the application to the trash. That's true, although that doesn't get rid of small preference files and invisible little bits. An easy app like CleanApp or AppCleaner or AppZapper will dispose of all those when you want to keep space on your drive from cluttering with remnants of apps you no longer use.

......

There are only a handfull places where settings and other items are stored, it take minutes to clean them up manually.

......

On exessive use there may be some files left over or not belong anymore, but then its saver and faster and probably cheaper to do it manually

could you be more specific i.e. how would one do this manually/where would the left over bits be. Mac doesn't show system files the way Windiows does.

When I have deleted an app and still see folders realted to them soemwhere can I safely delete those too? Or might htey contain things I shouldn't delete?

It used to be so easy in earlier operating systems, but I think once OSX began, those bits and pieces get put in a number of different places, some of them even invisible.

You can just ignore them and leave them, as they usually only take up a few kb, nothing massive and worrying. I don't want to bother with searching for them manually so use AppZapper, which finds them for me and then offers me the choice of trashing them or not.

You can usually trash any folder related to an app you've trashed. Only time you might not want to, is if you've updated an application and you're trashing the old one. Those bits and pieces can hold preferences, etc. Think if you trashed everything with an email application, and all the emails went with it! But most of the time you can toss anything related to an app you're trashing and don't want anything of it anymore.

Nice to have an external drive as a backup. I used Carbon Copy Cloner (really dislike Time Machine) which makes a pure copy of my hard drive. I can even use it as a startup drive if I want. If I trash an application and everything that went with it, but want something back, it's there for me to drag into my main drive, at least until I've copied my main drive over top of the older one.

Welcome to the world of Macintosh. It will get easier, and you will be glad you've come over from the dark side.