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do you guys actually use the built in mail client?

ipodlover77

ipodlover77

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 17, 2009
1,373
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With lion including the updated mail client, how many of you guys are (or already are) using the native mail client? I personally use the web version of gmail. figure it'll eat less memory than setting up the macbooks client but to the people that do use the built in one,

what benefits does it give you over the web version?
 
ipodlover77 said:
With lion including the updated mail client, how many of you guys are (or already are) using the native mail client? I personally use the web version of gmail. figure it'll eat less memory than setting up the macbooks client but to the people that do use the built in one,

what benefits does it give you over the web version?
Click to expand...

I use Sparrow. Way better than native Mail or webmail.
 
hitekalex said:
I use Sparrow. Way better than native Mail or webmail.
Click to expand...

so what does the third party clients offer that convinces users to use it instead of the web version? i always felt that Gmail web was fast and easy to navigate cause everything is stored in the cloud.

just curious if im missing out on the third party clients
 
ipodlover77 said:
so what does the third party clients offer that convinces users to use it instead of the web version? i always felt that Gmail web was fast and easy to navigate cause everything is stored in the cloud.

just curious if im missing out on the third party clients
Click to expand...

Similar reasons why people prefer native apps on an iPhone to Safari. Native UI more responsive & more esthetically pleasing, easy switching between multiple accounts, OS-level notifications, always-on background operation..

Just more pleasant all around experience compared to web browser.
 
hitekalex said:
Similar reasons why people prefer native apps on an iPhone to Safari. Native UI more responsive & more esthetically pleasing, easy switching between multiple accounts, OS-level notifications, always-on background operation..

Just more pleasant all around experience compared to web browser.
Click to expand...

This. As a web app developer I can tell you web is always inferior to native apps.
 
Mail 4 was pretty lame, in my opinion. It lacked features and looked terrible. If Mail 5 (in Lion) hadn't come out when it did I would have bought Postbox. I love Lion's native email client. It's intuitive, pleasing to the eye, and has some nice features. Postbox and Sparrow are always at the back of my mind though...
 
ipodlover77 said:
so what does the third party clients offer that convinces users to use it instead of the web version? i always felt that Gmail web was fast and easy to navigate cause everything is stored in the cloud.
Click to expand...

I don't use Gmail so this is an honest question: How do you know when you get new mail? In other words, what prompts you to log in and read your mail?
 
ipodlover77 said:
With lion including the updated mail client, how many of you guys are (or already are) using the native mail client? I personally use the web version of gmail. figure it'll eat less memory than setting up the macbooks client but to the people that do use the built in one,

what benefits does it give you over the web version?
Click to expand...

I've always wondered the same. I use outlook at work ( they make me). But my personal email is gmail and I always use web based.

My reasons for not using native applications.

1) I don't fully understand, how mails are stored locally...IMAP, POP3...
2) I find my personal emails personal, if that makes sense; I'd rather log in every-time to view emails.
3) Your windows friends want you to show or click through stuff...I don't want them to accidentally click on some mail.
4) Storage...let google store my email.

5) Gmail's Implementation of Labels and ever growing awesome bunch of Labs (features)
 
Nermal said:
I don't use Gmail so this is an honest question: How do you know when you get new mail? In other words, what prompts you to log in and read your mail?
Click to expand...

If you keep Gmail open in a tab the tab shows the count of unread messages, and it updates itself faster than any email client I've ever used. There are also Apps like Gmail Notifier that will give a small pop up window using Growl when new emails arrive (especially handy if you don't have Gmail open).
 
My 2 cents..

I am still on Leopard - am new to Mac and just cant get the feeling:)

I find a few features here and there that I like - but the mail program in general sucks. When I set up two accounts through IMAP for school and work, it combined all the inboxes under one tab (though it does break them out), it put all the sent items under one tab (though you can break them out) - but with a kicker - all folders show who sent or who its from - you cant do who sent in one, and who received in others.

Also, I am trying to set it up to store my sent items on the server - its like mail created more than one sent folder, and now on my iphone it shows more than one sent folder - even though there is only one on the server. What gives?

I have spent more time trying to fix my contacts/mail issues with my new mac than i ever did setting up and using any computer in my life.

any suggestions? maybe lion will fix my issues?

dont want to hear from some douche about mac vs. windows or whatever - just want to know what you guys all do to make this thing work as seamlessly as i was used to with win xp sp3 outlook 2007 and how it synched with my iphone.

now that i switched over, i am kinda regretting the ease of use that had… please help!
 
I have been using postbox. I got the "forever" upgrade back with version 1.0. I love it and swear by it both for IMAP management and every day emails. I have 6 email addresses as separate boxes on it (5 business, 1 regular) and it works without a hitch!
and the search / attachment view is amazing and a great time saver. :)
 
meckjoo said:
I am still on Leopard - am new to Mac and just cant get the feeling:)

I find a few features here and there that I like - but the mail program in general sucks. When I set up two accounts through IMAP for school and work, it combined all the inboxes under one tab (though it does break them out), it put all the sent items under one tab (though you can break them out) - but with a kicker - all folders show who sent or who its from - you cant do who sent in one, and who received in others.

Also, I am trying to set it up to store my sent items on the server - its like mail created more than one sent folder, and now on my iphone it shows more than one sent folder - even though there is only one on the server. What gives?

I have spent more time trying to fix my contacts/mail issues with my new mac than i ever did setting up and using any computer in my life.

any suggestions? maybe lion will fix my issues?

dont want to hear from some douche about mac vs. windows or whatever - just want to know what you guys all do to make this thing work as seamlessly as i was used to with win xp sp3 outlook 2007 and how it synched with my iphone.

now that i switched over, i am kinda regretting the ease of use that had… please help!
Click to expand...

There is no standard for mail boxes in IMAP, with the sole exception of 'INBOX'. So as soon as a client needs a folder for something else, it has to make up a name for it. Different clients make up different names. Some clients even make up different names according to what language they're run in.

Your first point is simply called a 'Unified Inbox'. Whether or not you like this is up to you. You don't have to use it, as you say you can just break them out. Personally I also don't like combining them on my desktop most of the time ('them' being work and private mostly), so I select the individual inboxes.

I don't understand your second point. Mail sees 'sent' and 'received' as entirely different things because the origin of e-mail is different. You can add and remove columns by using View -> Columns.
 
I use the native mail client in OS X. I've got more than one email account so its much more convenient to just have mail open in the background and be notified when a new mail comes to any of my accounts. I can see the benefit of web mail if you've got just one account but as soon as you go beyond this its easier to manage all of your mail through a client rather than on numerous web pages.
 
One feature not mentioned about a native mail app vs web is offline storage of your emails.
There are times when the internet goes down and you need access to certain info from emails.
This happened to me the other day, my home internet conenction went down because the cable company decided the lines connected to our house were no longer needed. Had to call up ISP, and had all my account info stored from an email we got from them the other day (all online billing and junk so no actual paper trail).
If I used only gmails web client I would potentially be stuck (not really as I have an iPhone with data...... but lets pretend that didn't exist).
:eek:
 
I use Mail in Snow Leopard and I keep it open at all times (though with no open windows). Whenever I receive an e-mail, a little red badge will appear to let me know. It really works flawlessly.

Looking forward to Mail 5 in Lion!
 
I use Mail in Snow Leopard; the thing I don't lack is the overall lack of information, particularly when sending messages; the little mini-pane for message activity is really horrible and feels wedged into the interfaces.

In general it just works, and I've never seen anything in another e-mail client that has convinced me it'd be so much better than Mail. I just wish Apple would stick with one basic interface and work on making everything as stream-lined, and functional as possible. That said, the new Mail's layout does look pretty promising.
 
I use the native mail app. I agree with the earlier note that mail fits aesthetically. Out of all of the applications I've used, mail is the only one that lets me open hyperlinks in messages in what it terms behind mail. I use spaces and keep chrome in space one and mail in space 3.

When I scan though my morning mail, I open them "behind" mail and keep going without having a web page pop up over my current email message/article/digest. Then I just scroll through the webpages at my leisure through the day. It works well for me. I would like the ability to right click and select turning the message into a calendar event.
 
I have mail coming in from a Google Apps account, an Exchange account and a MobileMe account and use the native mail app as I find it gives me decent functionality and a clean interface. I did try Outlook for a while and quite liked it, but until it gets CalDAV support it's no good for me
 
I use Mail on OS X and Outlook 2010 on my Windows box as I have 3 email accounts so it's much easier to keep track of everything in the one app.

Much prefer Mail over Outlook as a unified inbox is default in Mail, yet have never got it to work in Outlook. Looking forward to seeing how the Lion version runs.
 
Nielsenius said:
Mail 4 was pretty lame, in my opinion. It lacked features and looked terrible. If Mail 5 (in Lion) hadn't come out when it did I would have bought Postbox. I love Lion's native email client. It's intuitive, pleasing to the eye, and has some nice features. Postbox and Sparrow are always at the back of my mind though...
Click to expand...

I love Mail 5 but just for testing purposes I am using Postbox 2.5 and it is lacking some native OS features such as OSX dictionary support using the Ctrl-command-D I am more than likely will go back to Mail 5 since I have my Exchange Account on it as well. I do love the tabs in Postbox and well as the quick reply function Have any one checked it out?
 
haravikk said:
I use Mail in Snow Leopard; the thing I don't lack is the overall lack of information, particularly when sending messages; the little mini-pane for message activity is really horrible and feels wedged into the interfaces.
.
Click to expand...

Under Window on the menu bar in Mail is 'Activity' or just use Command Zero to bring up the activity window. :)
 
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