GUI (Graphical User Interface) Mail Clients
Since GUI e-mail clients have certain advantages and disadvantages over WebMail and Pine, and yet they also have advantages and disadvantages amongst themselves, this section was designed to provide a comparison of GUI mail clients as a whole as well as a comparison between GUI mail clients. The first section is devoted to comparing GUI mail clients to WebMail and Pine. The second section is devoted to comparing the GUI mail clients that ITS supports to each other, by specifically addressing each GUI mail client.
GUI e-mail clients are typically installed on, and run from, your personal computer. Unlike WebMail or Pine, GUI clients require you to configure them before they are used. Once configured, GUI mail clients offer instant access to your e-mail when a network connection is established. In general, GUI mail clients provide more functionality than WebMail, but less to equivalent functionality as compared to Pine.
Main Advantages:
- GUI e-mail clients allow you to select the protocol you wish to use when accessing a mail server. All GUI mail clients, supported by ITS, allow you to choose between IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) and POP (Post Office Protocol) e-mail protocols.
- GUI e-mail clients allow you to use formatting when composing messages, if you choose to compose your messages with formatting enabled. Bolding, italics and font colors are some formatting attributes that may be used when composing messages.
- GUI e-mail clients allow you to view your messages in the format the sender intended for you to see the message in. If the person sent a message to you in HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) format, you can select to view the message either in HTML or plain-text format.
- GUI e-mail clients allow you to open attachments quickly and easily, using the program that the attachment was developed in. Since many programs installed on GUI operating systems (e.g. Windows) are not installed on Unix, it is often necessary to FTP (File Transfer Protocol) files to a PC (personal computer) that has the program installed.
- GUI e-mail clients require a low to high level of technical expertise. If you are a novice user, you may select to use limited functionality. If you are technically savvy, you may select to use all functionality provided to you by the mail client.
- GUI e-mail clients allow you to import and export address books or messages from other GUI e-mail clients relatively easily.
Main Disadvantages:
- GUI e-mail clients must be installed and configured on every PC that you wish to access your e-mail from.
- GUI e-mail clients leave your PC vulnerable to virus and worm attacks. Protective measures must be taken to guard against such attacks. Pine does not leave your pc vulnerable to such invasions, because Pine runs on Unix. Most viruses and worms are written to attack files on Windows operating systems.
Specific GUI Mail Clients
ITS supports the GUI e-mail clients listed in this section. Although other GUI e-mail clients are available to you, ITS has tested and determined that the mail clients listed here are reasonably reliable. In addition, they are the most popular GUI mail clients used at the University.
Eudora 5.1 Netscape 4.x Outlook 2000 Outlook Express 5.x
Eudora 5.1
Eudora Email is available for download at Eudora’s web site: http://www.eudora.com/products/eudora/download/. ITS has tested Eudora in “Sponsored” mode, which is selectable after the software is installed. To familiarize yourself with Eudora Email, you can choose to configure Eudora by following the instructions on the ITS web pages, or take a glimpse at the downloadable Acrobat documentation, which includes screenshots: http://www.eudora.com/products/eudora/download/.
Main Advantages:
- Eudora requires a low level to moderate level of technical expertise for basic use.
- Eudora’s menus provide easy access to configuration options.
- Eudora’s “Help” is thorough, well indexed and can be easily understood by novices.
- Eudora offers easy-to-configure IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol) support for all mail stored on the University’s mail server.
- Eudora supports the use of mail filters with both IMAP and POP (Post Office Protocol).
- Eudora supports the use of profiles. Profiles prevent others, who use the same installation of Eudora, from accessing your messages or addresses stored in your address book. (Eudora refers to profiles as “Personalities”).
- Eudora allows you to customize its toolbar. Toolbar customization allows you to display the buttons you use most frequently, while hiding those that you use seldom or never.
- Eudora allows you to add or remove column headings in your message list according to your personal preference.
- Eudora offers unique, fun-to-use features (e.g. Mood Watch).
- Eudora allows you to bounce messages. (Eudora refers to bounce, or bouncing a message, as “Redirect” or “Redirecting a message”). Bouncing messages enables you to resend a message received by you, while maintaining the original sender’s name and address in the “From:” message header line. Eudora also appends “(by way of Redirector’s Name <redirector’s_userid@albany.edu>)” to the “From:” message header, so that the receiving party knows the message was intercepted and redirected to him or her.
Main Disadvantages:
- Eudora does not support synchronization with IMAP (which would allow you to view messages off-line).
- Eudora does not uninstall well. If you uninstall Eudora and then reinstall it on the same PC, settings you used in the previous installation often reappear.
- Eudora’s multiple window design may be difficult to become accustomed to.
- Eudora does not allow you to specify the folder that outgoing messages should be saved to. You must set up a mail filter in order to put sent messages in a folder other than the local “Out” mailbox.
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Netscape Messenger 4.x
Netscape Messenger is available for download at Netscape’s web site: http://home.netscape.com/download/index.html. If you currently have a Netscape browser installed on your PC, you may also want to check to see if Messenger is installed. Most Netscape browser installations install Messenger automatically, or give you the option of installing Messenger.
To familiarize yourself with Netscape Messenger, you can choose to configure Messenger by following the instructions on the ITS web pages, or take a tour of Messenger 4.x on Netscape’s web site: http://home.netscape.com/browsers/using/newusers/messenger/index.html.
Main Advantages:
- Messenger requires a low level of technical expertise for basic use.
- Messenger’s menus provide easy access to configuration options.
- Messenger’s “Help” is thorough, well indexed and can be easily understood by novices.
- Messenger offers easy-to-configure IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol) support for all mail stored on the University’s mail server.
- Messenger supports the use of mail filters with both IMAP and POP (Post Office Protocol).
- Messenger supports the use of profiles, when profiles are created within Netscape Communicator’s “User Profile Manager” utility. When profiles are supported within an e-mail client, multiple users can access the same e-mail client and maintain their own identity. Profiles prevent other users from accessing your mail or addresses stored in your address book.
- Messenger supports synchronization, which allows IMAP users to view messages off-line.
- Messenger allows you to rearrange the default column headings in your message list, according to your personal preference.
Main Disadvantages:
- Messenger does not allow you to customize its toolbar. Toolbar customization allows you to display the buttons you use most frequently, while hiding those that you use seldom or never.
Outlook 2000
Outlook 2000 is part of the Microsoft Office 2000 Suite and can be installed off your Microsoft Office 2000 CD. Microsoft does not allow you to download Outlook 2000 off their web site, because it is a licensed product. To familiarize yourself with Outlook 2000, you can choose to configure Outlook by following the instructions on the ITS web pages: POP (Post Office Protocol)
IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol)
or take a tour of Outlook 2000 on Microsoft’s web site:
http://www.microsoft.com/office/previous/outlook/2000Tour/default.htm.
Main Advantages:
- Outlook offers much more functionality than just e-mail support (e.g. calendaring).
- Outlook offers easy-to-configure IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol) support for all mail stored on the University’s mail server.
- Outlook supports the use of mail filters with both IMAP and POP (Post Office Protocol). (Outlook 2000 refers to mail filters as “Rules”, or as “Organize”, as in “Organize” your INBOX).
- Outlook supports the use of profiles. Profiles prevent others, who use the same installation of Outlook, from accessing your messages or addresses stored in your address book.
- Outlook allows you to customize its toolbar. Toolbar customization allows you to display the buttons you use most frequently, while hiding those that you use seldom or never.
- Outlook allows you to add or remove column headings in your message list, according to your personal preference.
Main Disadvantages:
- Outlook requires a moderate to high level of technical expertise for basic use.
- Outlook does not support profiles when Outlook is configured to use the “Internet Only” service e-mail option. Since IMAP is only available when using “Internet Only” service, profiles are not supported when using IMAP in Outlook.
- Outlook terminology can sound obscure, when compared to other GUI e-mail clients.
- Outlook’s “Help” may be considered incomplete in content and indexing. Advanced users may even have difficulty locating information.
- Outlook provides so much functionality that it is often difficult to locate what you are seeking within its multiple menus or configuration options.
- Outlook does not support synchronization with IMAP. (Outlook only supports synchronization when connecting to an Exchange server).
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Outlook Express 5.x
Outlook Express is available for download at Microsoft’s Internet Explorer web site: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp. In addition, Outlook Express may be installed off Microsoft Windows operating system CDs. Most Internet Explorer browser installations install Outlook Express automatically, or give you the option of installing Outlook Express.
To familiarize yourself with Outlook Express, you can configure Outlook Express by following the instructions on the ITS web pages. Unfortunately, Microsoft does not provide a tour to allow you to preview this mail client before installing it.
Main Advantages:
- Outlook Express requires a low level of expertise for basic use.
- Outlook Express’ menus provide easy access to configuration options.
- Outlook Express’ “Help” is thorough, well indexed and can be easily understood by novices.
- Outlook Express supports the use of mail filters with POP (Post Office Protocol). Outlook Express refers to mail filters as “Rules”.
- Outlook Express supports synchronization, which allows IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol) users to view messages off-line.
- Outlook Express supports the use of profiles. Profiles prevent others, who use the same installation of Outlook, from accessing your messages or addresses stored in your address book. (Outlook Express refers to profiles as “Identities”).
- Outlook Express allows you to customize its toolbar. Toolbar customization allows you to display the buttons you use most frequently, while hiding those that you use seldom or never.
- Outlook Express allows you to add or remove column headings in your message list according to your personal preference.
Main Disadvantages:
- Outlook Express does not support the use of mail filters with IMAP (Internet Mail Access Protocol).
- Outlook Express is difficult to configure for IMAP when your University e-mail is stored in multiple personal folders on the mail server. (See ITS' Troubleshooting guide for Outlook Express).
- Outlook Express experiences “quirks” with new message indicators after polling for messages on the server when using IMAP.
- Outlook Express experiences “quirks” with attachment indicators in the message list, when using IMAP. An attachment symbol (e.g. paper clip) does not always display in the message list. Once you open the attachment, the symbol then appears.
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