[mkmcfr]

Ok, I think I got it to work. Don't ask me exactly what I did, but by a process of elimination, I determined that the problem was coming from one of the accounts. I reconstructed it very carefully to make sure that the entire configuration was correct. I had another account from the same provider that worked, so I scrupulously followed it in every detail. Either something had changed in the configuration, or there was a slight difference of configuration that was accepted by the application up until the last security fix. I don't know exactly. But now, I have my 4 different accounts working together flawlessly the way I want without the slightest glitch. Beautiful. I have turned it off and back on and fiddled with the mailbox behavior and it still works, so I think I have corrected whatever the problem was. Now, when I get very courageous, I will start adding Notes, To-Dos and RSS feeds to see what happens. Will let you know, but I now think that the problem came from the exact configuration of each account, which is not all that easy. Thanks for your help.

[MylesTaylor]

I have two huge comments to make about mail. One is a pro and one is a con.
The pro is Quick Look integration. I am almost considering switching from Entourage 2008 to Mail again for that feature alone. Being able to Quick look my attachments is a compelling feature.
The con is the way the accounts are set up. I work in tech support and when people's email doesn't work, an easy fix is to just delete the account and recreate it. However, with the way Mail's accounts are set up, if you delete the account, you delete all the mail associated with that account unless you have moved it out of your inbox. I understand the reasoning, but this is one area where Entourage (and all other email programs) win out.

[Thermo]

I agree - Quick Look in Mail is very fast.

[rjpotts]

Notes still don't work. I've configured my notes settings every way possilbe and I still cannot edit a note that I created in a previous mail session. When I do try to open a note it won't open up until I close mail and reopen it. Even then the note is blank and when I close it it deletes the note that is sitting in the notes folder.

Apple has really dropped the ball on this one. Its really the first time I have a grip about something they have developed that didn't work correctly. Hope they fix it soon.

[mkmcfr]

I don't know why one would want notes and to-dos mixed in with your emails anyway. iCal is the place for those. Of course, I am speaking only for myself and I have nothing against added flexibility. However, now that I have taken the day off from work to get Mail.app to work and to fiddle around with the various mailbox behaviors, I have to admit that I don't really understand anything about it. Where is the famous Apple intuitiveness? This app is quirkier than Outlook! I've got folders all over the place, some in my mailboxes, some on my machine, some on the web server. I am actually going to attempt to sit down and read the instructions (and you all know how worthless that is...). I am working with 4 mailboxes and 2 providers, in English and French and it is excruciatingly complicated. What do I do, hire an IT specialist? I thought Apple was for do-it yourselfers and Microsoft was for Big Business... Also, as long as I am getting excited about this: why in heck do you have to synch your iPhone calendar and address book through iTunes and there is no synch for Notes and there isn't even a To-Do list on iPhone? On the one hand, Apple pushes the amateurism to the max and on the other they are creating a Mail.app that is as complicated as anything the dreaded Microsoft ever imagined. I know that I know nothing about computers, I am self-taught and don't know the slightest bit of binary code, or computing language, or whatever, but I have been doing this for 15 years now on a fairly passionate level. I love most Mac products for their ease of use, they usually make you feel more intelligent, but this Mail app needs to get back to essentials.

[stefpix]

Yes I agree same old problem.
Macworld is not objective when reviewing Apple software. desperate to find all the pros and lack of feature comparisons with softwares from other companies.
I use Thunderbird because it has color labels and I can search / sort / create smart folders by labels.
One label for unreplied emails i want to reply later, another for urgent/important messages, another for events etc etc...
Just a click of a key [number] and the label is assigned - and I can assign multiple labels to the same message.
so I see all the messages that I need to reply to or else.
Apple Mail has attractive features - but labels is the only way i can sort my messages.
I find MacUser UK way more objective.
Macworld sounds like they are afraid to get a rap phone call from Apple marketing.
They review Aperture and they do not really compare it to Lightroom. pros and cons of a software compared to the other.
Thunderbird is free too and has better functionality.

[Bookman]

Did not get all the way through the comments, but will relate my disappointment in Mail 3.x. Just upgraded to Leopard at home and now cannot use Mail to access my work email. Work uses Ipswitch Mail (IMAP), which Mail 2.x had no problem accessing--was able to access identically from Mail on my work and my home machines. Lovely. After upgrade, Mail can see the folders in IMail, but cannot display the messages. Have searched and this is a known issue between Ipswitch and Apple, neither of which will own the problem. The effect is, at home, I'm learning Thunderbird, and so far like what I see (no signatures, though??), but the symmetry is gone. Unless, of course, I switch to Thunderbird at work. Disappointing, since I like Mail's new interface and features.

Have tried rebuilding the Inbox, but not trashing prefs. If that works, I'll report back.

2cents --Books

[stefpix]

with Thunderbird you can have multiple signatures. Just create a small txt file with your signature and select it as such in the preferences. not obvious but works.

I think Apple Mail has a more glam interface but Thunderbird has more necessary features. and you can add the Lightning calendar extension that works quite well
the alpha version of TB 3 has an improved interface. although the Lightning extension is still a bit buggy.

TB uses a single large database for every single mailbox, so I file old messages outside the global Inbox/ Sent mailbox.
but the search features are better than Apple Mail and it can search across different mailboxes.
I cant live without color lables that are also customizable and searchable categories.

I wish TB would show QT movies inline and would automatically resize large images but there are extension that do that.

also IMAP and RSS work quite well [but I use Netnews Wire for that].

The lightning calendar is great becayse you can sync it 2 ways with Google calendar if you install the provider extension.

Works better than iCal as with TB and GCal/Lightning I get reminders as text messages/ emails.

I find superficial that Macworld so blatantly promotes Apple software. I like Apple computer but sometimes there are free options that are better for some people.
I would appreciate more journalism and less covert marketing

[raffy1]

Since migrating to the Apple platform I use Mail all the time. I installed Entourage, but I like the simple Mail application better. Some comments show that they are comparing Mail with Outlook and I must say that I liked Outlook better than Mail. F.i. archiving messages is easier as it shows the last so many archive folders used. I think however that Mail should be compared with Outlook Express (MS freeware email client) and there it scores (nearly) the same, except for the Newsgroup Reader function. Apple is lacking on that enormously. I use Thunderbird for that function, but I am not happy with it and I should not need to install other software, just for a Newsreader. Mail did not crash (under Tiger and Leopard) on me yet.

[bigcloits]

It?s not quite unanimous, but there is a strong pattern in these comments: over and over again, readers are criticizing MacWorld for not being tough enough in this review and others.

[stefpix]

well I just read the reviews of
Aperture
Safari
Mail
Macbook Air

and it is obvious.
the pros weigh double than the cons

Aperture does not get compared to Lightroom
Macbook Air got reviewed twice and the reviewer sounds so eager to find reasons to like it.

yes the Macbook Air is nice - but it is an expensive gadget.

As I say the reporting from Macuser UK is so much more objective. not so Apple centric.
the problem is that if a magazine like Macworld only pushes Apple software without informing about alternatives those alternatives will slowly disappear.

for instance Thunderbird is a very good mail client . not perfect. if more people would use it there would be more updates.

[aojca]

I find these various comments, Interesting.
As a Last Year Mac Convert after spending some 5 years researching various Linux Distributions with disappointing results.
My two complaints about iMail, is that it will not run Animated Graphics or Giffs etc. and does not have the facility to insert or display "Smileys / Emoticons" in mail. Assumedly part of the lack of full HTML facilities its like PowerMail. However all other functions seem satisfactory.Particularly the genuine "Re-Direct" Function which I believe is essential.
Following a Macworld review on GyazMail, I have found that it is full functional for Our Purposes, Except for the Loss or lack of Smiley/Emoticon ( or what ever is the right term) Function.
Entourage 2004 provides all but the above embellishment.
Eudora (Original, not Mozilla Rehash) 6.2.4 is still available from Qualcom, and as a registered user applying the relevent Version Reg Code I find it still can do the lot, for our needs, on Leopard, but it's two piece unattractive interface is disappointing and bland.
The ability to lift/save individual Graphics "Off the Page" so to speak, from an email, is also a valuable feature.
Perhaps Entourage2007 may have been improved to handle current widely used functions.

[Clarel1966]

I have a mysteriouly appearing RSS Feed ( Apple Hot News ) in my Inbox and the RSS Box. More mysterious yet , when I delete the one from the Inbox , they both disappear. I like getting these , but don't want them in my Inbox. Has anyone here similar ?