Do you find it increasingly difficult to take with the daily flowage of e - ring armor ? Do you wish your e - mail client could partake in information with other Mac programs ? If so , it may be time for you to choose a new e - post programme .

atomic number 99 - ring mail direction is no place for nostalgia — you should n’t stick with a guest plainly because you ’ve used it since the first Bush administration . You ’re better off basing your choice on the volume of e - mail you receive , the control condition you ask over your tocopherol - mail program , and how well the app fits into your workflow .

Changing e - mail clients does n’t have to be awful . I ’ll help you feel a course of study that fits the elbow room you use e - mail , and then I ’ll show you how to take your subject matter and contacts with you to their new place .

Create an E-mail Wish List

Before you’re able to find the perfect burst , you demand to understand what feature are most important to the way you expend einsteinium - mail . To help you sort out it all out , first consider some of the big issues .

Money MattersIf toll is your primary worry , you ca n’t go awry by choosing an diligence you already have — Apple Mail . Likewise , if you ’ve shelled out money for the Microsoft Office 2004 suite , you already own Entourage .

junk e-mail ProtectionIf you have an e - ring armor account , youwillget junk e-mail . Many ISPs and company networks seek to filter out the obvious junk e-mail before it reaches you . But if yours do n’t do that — or if you ’re still overrun with the stuff — you’ll want an atomic number 99 - mail client that can take on the labor . All the programs we recommend here offer up spam filter that learn how to correctly identify incoming junk e-mail and that transfer it from your in - box . If you receive a luck of spam , you ’ll further profit from a program with sophisticated mail filters , such as those included with Entourage or Bare Bones Software ’s Mailsmith . These filters can help you isolate the spam that duck your other roadblock . ( For tips on extinguish spam , see “ Win the Spam War . ” )

SimplicityCompleting day - to - day e - mail tasks should n’t want unreasonable genius activity . If you often receive or create hypertext markup language - formatted message , for example , you should suppose twice about adopting an e - ring mail guest such as Mailsmith , which makes you jump through hoop to do either . You should also consider the handiness of the information you need . If you routinely use OSX ’s Address Book or iCal , you ’ll be happier if your e - post client does , too .

ManageabilitySome people keep every content they ’ve ever received in one in - box . And that ’s fine for very easy e - post user or people who do n’t mind weeding through an eternal leaning of messages . But if you receive a lot of ring armour , you ’ll do good greatly from a program with sophisticated mail filters that can mechanically sort and prioritize your incoming message .

You also may desire a client that offers compromising scheduling . Although all due east - mail clients can download mail every distich of minutes , only high - destruction computer program such as Entourage and Mailsmith let you create more - complicated schedules — for example , to access a seldom used account only on Tuesdays and Thursdays .

Advanced ControlIf you on a regular basis find or send high volume of mail , you may need something that goes above and beyond the normal call of duty . You might want to utilise AppleScript , Apple ’s native scripting language , to automatise some of your e - mail client ’s tedious tasks . Or you may require to be able to add together chain armor header to your outgoing eastward - mail message — a PGP fingerprint coping , for example .

right AccessE - mail is hosted on one of two form of servers — POP ( Post Office Protocol ) or IMAP ( Internet Message Access Protocol ) . POP report , which download messages to your computer , are more common than IMAP story , which store mail on your ISP ’s host . However , many Web - based e - mail inspection and repair — including Apple ’s .Mac and America Online ’s AOL — necessitate an IMAP connexion . If you utilise an IMAP account and your client does n’t support it , the client is useless to you .

Find the Right Fit

OS X users have several pick when it comes to choosing an e - ring mail client . But three political program stand out from the rest in terms of features , dependableness , and performance — Apple Mail , Microsoft Entourage 2004 , and Bare Bones Software ’s Mailsmith 2.1 . The variety of e - chain mail substance abuser you are will make up one’s mind your choice . ( For a fast overview of the programs ’ features , see “ E - mail Programs Compared . ” )

The Casual E-mailer

You receive a light to restrained amount of e - mail and do n’t spend much time trying to keep it organized , beyond dividing it into pamphlet . You already use ( or would wish to expend ) Apple ’s Address Book and iCal platform , and you desire an atomic number 99 - mail program that can take reward of them .

Our testimonial : Apple Mail 1.3 .

Why : Apple ’s e - ring mail client has evolved into a reasonably mature program . chain armour is accessible enough for beginners and staring enough for people who need to oversee a temperate amount of e - mail service .

Mail include all the introductory rules necessary to ably route content to different mailboxes ( although the leaning of formula is n’t as extensive as that of Entourage or Mailsmith ) . Users who cooperate with others via e - post will particularly prize Mail ’s Thread view , which groups messages that are part of an ongoing exchange . But Mail ’s scheduling options are passing limited compare with those in Entourage — you ca n’t make multiple agenda , and you ca n’t ask Mail to check your mail less often than once an 60 minutes . There is possible for adding more - advanced feature article ; Mail offers solid backing for AppleScript and permit you trigger an AppleScript from a mail linguistic rule .

Of course , Mail ’s neat advantage is its desegregation with other Apple app . you may configure iCal to ship proclamation of upcoming result through Mail . And you’re able to add contacts to Address Book with the clink of a release .

The Office E-mailer

You trust on Microsoft Office to get your job done , and you want an e - mail program that seamlessly integrate into your work flow . You get a moderate to grave amount of atomic number 99 - mail and you need a direction to quickly separate through your incoming messages , pick out the crucial content from the not - so - important greenback , and file away them away in the appropriate folder .

Our Recommendation : Microsoft Entourage 2004 .

Why : Entourage offers nearly every feature found in Mail ( except integration with other Apple programs and substance threading ) and many more .

Entourage ’s greatest strengths lie in its direction features . Its mail rule can filter messages in ways not possible in Mail — for instance , you’re able to produce rules that put on only to content formatted as HTML . And its Mailing List Manager greatly simplifies the process of sorting mailing - list e - post . The program ’s Project Center , which allows you to unionize contacts , events , mail , and document by project , is unmatched in any other e - mail node .

Entourage can schedule more tasks than Mail can . It ’s also the only e - mail service customer in this roundup that can trigger an AppleScript from a schedule — for deterrent example , to archive content when you chuck up the sponge the programme .

retinue does n’t share selective information with Address Book or iCal . Instead , it offer its own tools for get by contact , calendar , notes , and more . If you work in a cross - platform office , you ’ll appreciate the curriculum ’s superior musical accompaniment for Microsoft Exchange Server — server - base package that allow Entourage and Outlook users share link and calendars over a web . Entourage is also the only Mac e - chain mail client that can send out and receive Hotmail.com messages by nonremittal .

Entourage ’s weakest link is its single database . A bloated database can slow up down performance , and if it becomes crooked , you could lose everything . If you choose Entourage as your Es - ring armor client , you should regularly back up suite ’s Database file ( locate in your user folder at text file : Microsoft User Data : Office 2004 personal identity : Main Identity ) .

The E-mail Commander

You ’re no Es - ring armour novice . You use e - mail for forward-looking job , such as running a newssheet or managing multiple accounts , and you need to have full access to your e - mail setting . You also desire a no - trumpery program that can apace search and manipulate a high volume of e - mail .

Our Recommendation : Bare Bones Software ’s Mailsmith 2.1 .

Why : Although Mailsmith is reachable enough for typical Mac users , it incline to appeal to a extremely technical — and proudly geeky — hearing .

If you ’re customary to other e - chain armour clients , you may be thrown off by Mailsmith ’s spartan interface and its lack of agreeableness common in other e - chain armour plan — for model , support for HTML messages ( though you’re able to consider such message in your default web internet browser at the dog of a clit ) , support for IMAP e - post accounts , and an in - line spelling chequer .

But for exercising complete controller over your e - mail client , Mailsmith ’s tilt of features is unvoiced to beat . Although the programme does n’t search mounds of subject matter as speedily as Qualcomm ’s Eudora — one ofMacworld ’s past favorites for advanced substance abuser — Mailsmith does a well job of pinpointing the messages you ’re after , thanks to its extremely configurable hunting feature . For exemplar , you may search for words that begin or end a text string , or use extra grep fiber to identify on the loose patterns of text . And the choice for create ring armour filters are just as expansive .

Mailsmith offers build - in support for PGP encryption and Michael Tsai ’s herculean SpamSieve software system — which is superior in many ways to what you ’ll find in Mail or Entourage . And if you ’re handy with AppleScript , you could automatise nearly all of the program ’s function .

Make the Switch

Regrettably , there ’s more to change tocopherol - mail client than just determine which one suit you . There ’s also the sometimes - mussy stage business of go e - mail and addresses to a new plate .

Most e - mail programs have an Import command that automates the cognitive operation of moving your eastward - ring armor , contacts , and other data . But if the Import option does n’t stick out your client — or if it does n’t do a sufficient job — there ’s still hope . you may almost always get the job done with a third - party utility or by manually change your file into the received mbox or vCard formats . ( For details on bugger off your files into these format , see “ Exporting to Standard File Formats . ” )

Here are some guidepost for add your older messages and contacts into your young programme .

Moving to Mail

E - mailIf you ’re moving to Mail from Entourage , Outlook Express , Netscape / Mozilla , or Claris E - mailer , open Mail ’s Import Mailboxes command ( Indian file : Import Mailboxes ) and pick out the appropriate import alternative . you’re able to also spell mbox files that you created in another coating . In the Import windowpane , choose Other , press the right - arrow button , and navigate to the localisation of the mbox Indian file .

Although Mail offers to mechanically import vitamin E - mail from Eudora , the process is far from idealistic — it ignores attachments and removes HTML and rich - text arrange from your subject matter . Instead , use Andreas Amann ’s freeEudora Mailbox Cleaner . This utility correctly change messages , as well as filter and nickname Indian file .

ContactsMail stores its contacts in Apple ’s Address Book . you may spell address from Entourage , Outlook Express , Palm Desktop , Eudora , Claris E - Norman Mailer , or Netscape / Mozilla by using the Import Addresses AppleScript .

If you have n’t already instal OS X ’s Script Menu ( look for a lilliputian scroll that appear in the Finder ’s computer menu bar ) , go to your software program : AppleScript leaflet and double - select the Install Script Menu particular . Then , from the Finder , snap on the freshly instal Script Menu and choose Address Book Scripts : Import name and address .

Moving to Entourage 2004

E - mailEntourage ’s Import bid ( File : Import ) will transfer eastward - mail content and destination from Entourage , Outlook Express , Eudora , Mail , Netscape Communicator , and Claris E - Norman Mailer . If you ’re come from a different e - mail client or from a unlike computer , first export your content as an mbox file , and then sweep up this file onto the Folders On My Computer ledger entry in Entourage ’s Folders pane .

ContactsIf you have touch , calendar , note , and other bits of data point stored in Microsoft Outlook or a personal information manager such as Palm Desktop , you may easily bring them to Entourage 2004 with the help of Paul Berkowitz ’s $ 20 aggregation of AppleScripts , Export - Import Entourage X. This collection includes more than 50 scripts for move almost anything into and out of Entourage X and 2004 .

If you have vCard files that you exported from another practical program , you could also spell these by dragging them into Entourage ’s Address Book window .

Moving to Mailsmith

E - mailWhen you launch Mailsmith for the first meter , it offers to spell mail and inter-group communication selective information from a variety of programme , including Eudora , Claris E - mailer , and Mail . If you need to import mail from other clients or want to summate messages after the initial meaning process , you may do so by draw mbox files into the Mailsmith window .

ContactsYou can also spell contacts from Eudora and other vCard - compatible applications by exporting them as vCard files and dragging them into Mailsmith ’s Address Book windowpane .

Message Received

For many of us , east - mail has become an integral part of the workday and a primary agency of keeping in touch with others . gift the smorgasbord of eastward - mail service clients out there , you have no excuse for pose with a program that ca n’t meet your needs . If it ’s clip to switch to a good node , this guide will point you in the good direction . But only you may get the nut wheeling .

needlelike - eyed reader will point out that Qualcomm ’s Eudora 6.1 (; January 2004 ) does n’t appear on our inclination of recommend einsteinium - post clients . Although Eudora has been a past favourite — peculiarly for users who need nearly infinite control over their e - post preferences — the e - mail landscape has change and , alas , Eudora has been dull to deepen with it .

It ’s true that Eudora nominate ready oeuvre of searching monumental mailboxes and volunteer almost limitless ways to customise your mail preferences ( for example , you could designate which lintel will seem in messages get off from a particular account ) . But for most advanced exploiter , these perquisite wo n’t make up for the program ’s aging feature , admit circumscribed filtering options — Eudora provides just two If consideration and four Then actions for sort messages . It also does a poor job of expose complex HTML substance . And although Eudora is scriptable , its scripting lexicon is out of appointment , so the program is more difficult to playscript than Mail , Entourage , and Mailsmith .

If Eudora suits you , by all means stick with it . But if the program no longer fit the bill and if you need right-down ascendance over your einsteinium - mail , I commend switch to Mailsmith .

In a calculate domain rife with uncongenial standards , the mbox and vCard single file formats offer a rare sliver of saneness . By converting your datum into these two cross - platform touchstone — mbox for e - mail messages and vCard for contacts — you could quickly and easily move much of the information in your e - ring armour client and address book to other applications , or even to the same software on a different computer .

Here ’s how to access mbox and vCard files from Mail , Entourage , Mailsmith , and Eudora .

Creating mbox FilesTo generate an mbox data file from Entourage , Mail , or Mailsmith , just press one of the program ’s mail folders and drag it to your desktop . Repeat this for each folder you want to move . remark that in Entourage , the newly generated mbox file wo n’t let in any of the brochure ’s subfolders . You ’ll have to tangle these to the desktop separately .

When you drag Mailsmith ’s letter box to the background , they become text document by default . To spell these file cabinet into Mail or Entourage , you must first append the.mboxextension to them .

Eudora does n’t support this retarding force - and - drop method . To get at its mbox filing cabinet , open up your drug user folder and go to papers : Eudora Folder : Mail Folder .

make vCardsIn most cases , make vCards is also a puff - and - drop affair . To export vCards from Apple ’s Address Book — which both Mail and Mailsmith use — just select the contacts you desire and drag them to the screen background . You ’ll terminate up with a single file with all the selected contacts .

Unlike Address Book , Entourage wo n’t export multiple contacts as a single vCard file . So if you plan to export multiple contacts , it ’s a good idea to first create a folder to hold all of the resulting vCards .

To export Eudora ’s nickname as vCard files that can be imported into Apple ’s Address Book , Entourage , or Mailsmith , use Andreas Amann ’s freeEudora vCard Export .

When contemplating a move to the Mac , one of the first questions many Windows users demand is “ Will I be able to get at my old eastward - mail , contacts , and calendars on my newfangled electronic computer ? ” Thanks to Outlook2Mac , a $ 10 programme fromLittle Machines , the answer is yes .

Outlook2Mac painlessly converts Outlook mail to a sort that you may import into Mail , Entourage , or Mailsmith . It will also export contact and calendar information to any programme that supports the vCard and iCalendar ( .ics ) data file format standard — include Address Book , iCal , and Palm Desktop .

Outlook2Mac is remarkably easy to use . only purchase an appropriate version of the political platform ( disjoined versions are uncommitted for Outlook 2002/2003 / XP , Outlook 2000 , and Outlook 97/98 ) and launch it . The software program then walks you through the unconscious process of exporting the demand data . you’re able to select specific mailbox , a mountain chain of calendar day of the month , and the most appropriate file cabinet format for the datum export . If you ’re moving to Address Book or Palm Desktop , you ’ll need to export your Outlook contacts as a single vCard Indian file . too , iCal command a single .ics data file for calendar data . If you ’re move to Entourage , you ’ll need to export your data asindividualvCard and .ics file . You should also instruct the program to permeate out any attachment that wo n’t run with your Mac — files ending with an.exeextension , for example .