Comments on: Do You Use a Mail Client, Which One, and Why or Why Not?

By: Kevin C. Tofel

Kevin C. Tofel — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:16:15 +0000

Hmm… I’ve read Google’s TOS for the Google Apps for Domains service we use. I don’t see any clauses that would support “All your private email is sitting on Google servers around the world open to anyone and any government entity to look at.”

Google does aggregate and share non-personal information for sure, but my e-mail isn’t open to anyone in the world. I’m not saying we shouldn’t consider privacy aspects of using this or any other cloud service, but let’s keep it real.

By: Dave

Dave — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:34:39 +0000

e What emails do you have that is so important that no-one can see this? Yes, Google might give your emails to the government, but for what purpose? They would only do so if there is a reason for that. I, for one, am not scared of loosing my clients to ‘the government’ :).

By: FlyboyArt

FlyboyArt — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:44:17 +0000

Are none of you at all concerned that Google offers Gmail for free so they have (1) no legal obligation to you and more importantly, (2) they can do what they want with all your email. All your private email is sitting on Google servers around the world open to anyone and any government entity to look at. You have no privacy rights whatsoever here. If you are just using Gmail to keep in touch with friends that’s one thing but if you use if for business accounts you’re nuts!

By: xcessi

xcessi — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 06:50:06 +0000

I was a long time user of MS Outlook, but I recently dumped it for GMAIL.
Gmail’s new offline feature was the final push I needed.

By: Syquus

Syquus — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 01:44:31 +0000

Rarely I spend half an hour reading blog post comments!but this’ so interesting :)
I started using pop accounts with old versions of Outlook(97 and pre).I used my own mail servers (from qmail to exchange) in order to learn. Tired of differents webmails (propietary or gnu),I moved to gmail on 2004.Its IMO, and by far, the better and well balanced email solution. Currently I delegate all my mailboxes management to Google servers (no diff here if gmail or Google Apps).
ATM I access my accounts with outlook 2007(POP3, leavin mess’ on google servers). Average of 4000 mails (archived doesn’t count) and works like a charm. for 15% of mail checks,I use my Windows mobile 6.1 with IMAP. Sorry.dense post, too late for me!(gmt+2!)

By: CSMR

CSMR — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 01:08:52 +0000

Phil Lee: that’s an awfully complex set up. Any advantages to doing all that?

Kevin: good pros and cons points. But I’m not sure about performance of Outlook 2007: on my system it’s pretty much instant and even on my dad’s 4+ year old pentium M laptop it takes 2s to load fully from scratch: I wouldn’t say it’s a slow application.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:52:37 +0000

I’m still using Apple’s mail.app, but I’ve made several attempts to just ditch it and go all online. But for some reason I just can’t seem to get myself to it. Although I like the concept of the labels, the long list in the left sidebar are anything but useful to me, as it cuts of names. I, for example, have specific client labels that IMAP shows as folders inside a folder called ‘Clients’, so each label is called ‘Clients/Client Name’. Though GMail shows this like ‘Clients/Clie..’, as the sidebar is not wide enough.. How do you do this? I’d like to keep order in my labels/folderers. I think that’s the biggest reason why I didn’t go all online yet.

By: Phil Lee

Phil Lee — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:32:48 +0000

I use Outlook 2007 at work to access our Exchange server. I use a Hosted Exchange service for my personal email. When I’m at home I use mail.app on my iMac and MacBook to access the Exchange server. This took a bit of trial and error to set up but has been working well for the last 2 months. On my work PC I access this via Outlook Web Access using Firefox with the IE Tab add-on or use my MacBook. When I’m out and about I have a T-Mobile MDA Vario III setup for push email. I also have Outlook 2007 configured in a Fusion virtual PC if I really need to access the full functionality of Exchange on either my iMac or MacBook.

I also use a couple of tools to keep Exchange, Mac and phone in sync. I use BusySync to sync iCal with my Google calendars. I have GooSync on my phone which also syncs with Google. The phone automatically syncs with the Exchange server so I have access to my calendars on all patforms at all times. Finally I use the free version of SyncMate to sync contacts between my Macs and phone.

By: Miles M

Miles M — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:11:05 +0000

Forgot to include in my response above: I installed Google Calendar sync app — it syncs Outlook calendar (but not contacts) with Google Calendar. Entries to Outlook calendar at work appear on my dumbphone, and at home. It is a good alternative to Google Sync, which does not work with non-Smartphone.

By: Kev

Kev — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:39:49 +0000

I use Apple Mail as my personal mail email client, never seen a need to change from it really and it works great and manages multiple accounts really well, but… At work it has to be Outlook and the 2007 release is a big part of my life because of the calendar tie-in etc.

By: Dane

Dane — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 03:05:04 +0000

This was a good article with a lot of good comments. I use gmail sparingly and Outlook 2007 religiously with my private exchange account.

I guess I would have to ask those here, is there any concern for the privacy of your information when using gmail or similar free email accounts? I noticed that some also forwarded their work email to gmail etc…I see that as a BIG problem considering how google sifts through all your mail indexes it.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:57:03 +0000

Desktop: gmail (love the fast searching and label access, very consistent regardless of what is going on on my machine or how many emails etc).

I use Gmail Mobile’s java application and wap version of Google Calendar. Plus Opera Mini.

By: sbtablet

sbtablet — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:40:23 +0000

I use Gmail exclusively. I have my Gmail page set up with the Remember the Milk gagdet for tasks, which I like much better than the new Gmail tasks, and frankly, better than the interface on the RTM website, too. I also have my Google Calendar displayed under my Inbox, with labels on the right, via Google labs. So I have an integrated calendar, mail, tasks view that works great for me.

I used to use Outlook, but I really love the threading and the labels approach of Gmail. I also just don’t like the current Outlook 2007 interface. Not sure why.

My one beef with Gmail is that their contacts section needs work. I find the way they handle creating groups and email to groups counterintuitive and frustrating. I would use that feature so much more if it were possible to add someone to a group more easily.

Personally, I like storing my email on the web, although I am trying out the offline Gmail client. I figure that if somebody snoops on my computer, they are that much less likely to be able to read my email. Unless they have my fingerprint.

By: Thunderbird User (cross platform of course)

Thunderbird User (cross platform of course) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:42:50 +0000

Use Thunderbird and IMAP with an IMAP server (lot of them out there, 1and1.com will host on a Linux box, and has a ton of features (including registration of domain name with the reg fees built into the hosting with TONS of email addresses allowed… cost is cheap.

Can then use the Thunderbird Sync Kolab to set up the contacts to sync (have access to those contacts from any device that can run Thunderbird) and BETTER YET you can KEEP YOUR CONTACTS stored up on the IMAP server (don’t need Exchange or LDAP to keep that simple stuff for simple low budget users). OF note, you can try out Thunderbird with Google’s IMAP stuff and see if that works better. Thunderbird is available for LINUX (I used that), Open Solaris (I test that and watch out as by next 6 months Open Solaris will be a very interesting OS option for many to try out as the Ian, as in Debian Ian is working at SUN on OpenSolaris now…, so Open Solaris is good today, and will be even better tomorrow and Open Solaris includes Thunderbird as their default email client), Ohh, Thunderbird will work on Windows (could do that, but have not for years now) and Thunderbird will also run on Mac OSX as well (got a Mac device around here somewhere so yes I do that too at times), so there you have it… one client, many OS, and can synch contacts (and other stuff) with Sync Kolab.

Note that Sync Kolab’s author has mentioned that a complete rewrite is in store at some point, and that would only make it all better than it is already.

And I have heard say, that must be said to all the Outlook users… that really, if you don’t want the exposure to viruses, then change your OS to one that is less used by others! If you want a big company behind the OS, then try OpenSolaris in about a few months time they will have a new version out (the only problem I have had is that OpenSolaris didn’t have the drivers for just one netbook I was testing the other day. So? Go to their site, they will send you an install CD (like Ubuntu will send you and install CD) or download the iso files, burn a LIVE CD and give it a shot). I liked it, just had that little driver problem that I mentioned before (that might have been cleared up by now)?

By: Doc

Doc — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:57:45 +0000

I’m in quite the unusual situation. The large company I work for currently uses Exchange/Outlook and this is what I use for work. I like Outlook right now since I use David Allen’s GTD work method and Outlook fits this pretty well.

The unusual part is that the company I work for is buying into SaaS like there’s no tomorrow. Some time this year we will be switching to Corporate Gmail! No more exchange and maybe no more Outlook. I’m hoping I can make the list for one of the first internal roll-outs ;-)

What I had been wondering was how my HTC Apache running Windows Mobile would handle this. This move to GMail is one of the reasons I’m seriously considering buying a Palm Pre once they’re available. I’m just not sure how this is going to work with GTD. It will definitely be a new mechanic for me.

By: Sam Hogue

Sam Hogue — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:18:08 +0000

I mainly use Yahoo webmail. I like yahoo’s PIM stuff, especially contacts, so much better than Google, and yahoo mobile on my phone lets me dial directly from my web browser, saving me the hassle of even loading contacts onto my phone at all. I do, however, use Zimbra on my netbook, mainly as an offline backup in an emergency.