Why use email client?

[donniezazen]

Are you one of those who use email client like Thunderbird? Any specific reason for using it? Or just personal preference? Since gmail offers imap so i can manage my non-gmail emails right from gmail, Does that make email client futile?

SK.

[-grubby]

Offline viewing and local storage. Apparently Gmail does that now, too, though: http://gears.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=79850

[dragos240]

It's just quicker for me. No need to logon to gmail.com and then login, and then wait. I can just open evolution and it will check for email.

[_h_]

I don't, I just leave a tab in firefox open for gmail.

[kleskjr]

yep its nice to have it, but with my 60GB hard and 2 operating systems I cant afford it

[beercz]

Three reasons for me to use an email client:

1. Speed - a lot faster than using a web interface;
2. Collect mail from multiple accounts at the same time in one place - I have 8 email accounts;
3. Local storage - which I back up and as some is sensitive I do not trust anyone else to store it

[doas777]

i use a client, primarily for security. leaving webmail on the server can be dangerous over time. i would prefer that if somone managed to BF or guess the password to one of my webmail accounts, that they find no messages there, as they have already been downloaded to my boxen, and deleted from server mailbox.

[-jay-]

perfer web email

email client = waste of space :)

[khelben1979]

For security reasons I don't want my e-mails on the google server. Thunderbird (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbird_%28software%29) works good for my needs. It's stable and never crashes on my system, just like how a good e-mail program should behave, in my opinion.

[era86]

i use a client, primarily for security. leaving webmail on the server can be dangerous over time. i would prefer that if somone managed to BF or guess the password to one of my webmail accounts, that they find no messages there, as they have already been downloaded to my boxen, and deleted from server mailbox.

Pardon my ignorance, but does this mean when you use a client, the email is deleted from, say, Gmail's server when it's downloaded to your computer through, say, Evolution?

[TheNessus]

a mail client faster? what the hell!

I merely click on the gmail applet on my panel and whoop, it opens a tab (or a window if no window is on) on my browser straight into my inbox, auto log-on since cookies exist. 3 seconds.

Either way you need to load something - a tab/window or a client program. So the whole argument about speed is really lacking, I must say.

Security, now that's a different argument.

Also, someone here mentioned he has 8 email accounts all forwarded to his client...
well, I have about 6 email accounts all forwarded to my gmail account. So they'r on equal grounds here...

[gradinaruvasile]

I use Evolution (with alltray). Before i was using Seamonkey's mail client (essentially Thunderbird).
I have 2 accounts and i like that i dont have to log in to web interfaces and fiddle around with specific interfaces for each (and i dont have to wait). Also, i have the mail locally in case i need anything.

[doas777]

Pardon my ignorance, but does this mean when you use a client, the email is deleted from, say, Gmail's server when it's downloaded to your computer through, say, Evolution?
exactamundo!

[donniezazen]

a mail client faster? what the hell!

I merely click on the gmail applet on my panel and whoop, it opens a tab (or a window if no window is on) on my browser straight into my inbox, auto log-on since cookies exist. 3 seconds.

Either way you need to load something - a tab/window or a client program. So the whole argument about speed is really lacking, I must say.

Security, now that's a different argument.

Also, someone here mentioned he has 8 email accounts all forwarded to his client...
well, I have about 6 email accounts all forwarded to my gmail account. So they'r on equal grounds here...

At the end i think its all about preference.

Gmail provides IMAP service you receive and send from all your email IDs.

Time does not really a big factor. But you can configure your email client to check email in regular interval and not keep looking for email every minute and disturb you.

And it will be much easier for organization like contacts, calender, RSS, etc.

[donniezazen]

exactamundo!

Only when you use POP server IMAP does not delete email from server.

[doas777]

Only when you use POP server IMAP does not delete email from server.
that sucks. is it a bug in the client, or a whole in the standard?

[donniezazen]

that sucks. is it a bug in the client, or a whole in the standard?

Its a standard IMAP does not delete email automatically from server.

[doas777]

Its a standard IMAP does not delete email automatically from server.
sounds like pop3 is the winner then.

[Docaltmed]

Three reasons for me to use an email client:

1. Speed - a lot faster than using a web interface;
2. Collect mail from multiple accounts at the same time in one place - I have 8 email accounts;
3. Local storage - which I back up and as some is sensitive I do not trust anyone else to store it

what he said.

[RichardRicardo]

I use a client. I have a couple of emails and I'll forget about them on my own. It is nice to have everything together ie calendar etc...

Plus, Gmail is my most often used, and seeing the ads makes me angry (not that they're awful or anything).

[Ghost|BTFH]

evolution
evolution-plugins

1) Fire up mail-notification and set all my accounts in it.

2) Get email notification within 1 minute of it being sent even on Gmail.

3) ???

4) Win.

Cheers,
Ghost|BTFH

[blueshiftoverwatch]

I use a combination of Gmail+IMAP with Thunderbird.

That way I'll be notified of a new email within 1 minute of it being sent to me without having to constantly have my web browser window open. With IMAP the email messages on my computer are arranged in exactly the same way as they are when I check my email from a location that isn't in my house. So I get all the benefits of having Google store my messages and all the benefits of an email client.

Also, web mail clients seem kind of newbish. Anyone can go to Gmail.com to check their email. But you have to be slightly more technically minded to setup an email client.

To those of you who are concerned about big brother reading your stored emails. The only way to defend against that is to use encryption, like GPG or PGP. Email was never designed to be secure.

For security reasons I don't want my e-mails on the google server.
I don't think it really matters whether you leave your email on Google's servers or have it sent to your computer. Because the email still has to go through Google's servers before it gets to your account. Or if you aren't logged into your email client the message gets stored there anyway. But Google most likely keeps copies of all of your emails regardless of whether or not you read them through the web client or on a stand alone webmail client. Just like they probably still have your messages even when you log into the webmail client and "delete" them. Just because you can't access them doesn't mean they got rid of it.

Only when you use POP server IMAP does not delete email from server.
All you know that POP does is delete the email from where you are able to access them after the email is sent to your email client. It doesn't mean that the emails are actually deleted from where Google is able to access them. It's the same thing as when you move your mail to the trash and hit the "delete" button.

[aysiu]

Well, for years I'd used Thunderbird. I recently switched to GMail, but I think I may go back to Thunderbird.

After using GMail for a while, I realized it had severe limitations: No easy way to sort messages. No easy way to see individual messages... everything's a "conversation." Folder management is easier for me to get my head around than "labels." Luckily, Thunderbird allows me both labels and folders. I can check many email accounts using IMAP. GMail allows me to check many email accounts with POP3 but not IMAP. With GMail, I can't close the web browser without also closing my email. I think of email and web as separate activities. With a separate email program, I can quickly Alt-Tab between email and web. With email as a tab, it's just another tab among many other tabs to keep track of. Can't drag and drop in GMail. I like keyboard shortcuts and menus just as much as the next person, but in Thunderbird I can do keyboard shortcuts, menus, and drag and drop. That's all I can think of right now, but I'm sure there's more. I'll probably be switching back to Thunderbird very soon.

[donniezazen]

But you have to be slightly more technically minded to setup an email client.

Not at all in Thunderbird with gmail. All you have to enter your gmail email id and password and it sets up automatically.

[TheNessus]

I use a combination of Gmail+IMAP with Thunderbird.

That way I'll be notified of a new email within 1 minute of it being sent to me without having to constantly have my web browser window open.


but you can know if a new mail arrived by using a gmail applet right on your panel. in whatever DE... why do people not know this? Even Conky can do this.

[blueshiftoverwatch]

but you can know if a new mail arrived by using a gmail applet right on your panel. in whatever DE... why do people not know this?
I don't know anything about the Gmail applet. But:

1. I might get a notification but I'd still have to go to Gmail's web client in my web browser to read the email and send a reply. It also seems more in line with the Unix philosophy to have separate applications for separate things rather than trying to use one application (web browser) for both.

2. Gmail =/= email. It's kind of annoying how the two terms have almost become synonymous over the last couple of years. I can use Thunderbird with any email address. The Gmail applet only works with Gmail.

[Chronon]

This (http://enigmail.mozdev.org/home/index.php) seems like a good reason to use an email client.

[donniezazen]

but you can know if a new mail arrived by using a gmail applet right on your panel. in whatever DE... why do people not know this?

Their are two barriers when we use web email. One it takes time to open web browser and then Gmail takes some to load but on the other hand you just click Thunderbird and its always their. You don't even have to load Thunderbird you can just add it to your stat-up program.

[TheNessus]

I don't know anything about the Gmail applet. But:
1. I might get a notification but I'd still have to go to Gmail's web client in my web browser to read the email and send a reply.

2. Gmail =/= email. It's kind of annoying how the two terms have almost become synonymous over the last couple of years. I can use Thunderbird with any email address. The Gmail applet only works with Gmail.

When I say gmail it's because I am used to gmail as my main e-mail client. A mail applet on the bar or systray can be good with all kinds of POP3 or other kinds of emails. I recommend "mail-notification"... and if you hover a mouse over it, it will show all your mails with title and inside text as well. You can click on a message and it will send you to that message directly, too. ...Just to show you the power of an applet.

Besides, like I said earlier, I forward all my email accounts to my gmail, just like you forward all your mails to your client. So really there's no advantage with either web-based email or program client regarding this.

a unix philosophy is different apps for different functions? then explain Evolution/Korganizer/thunderbird... they're all unifying a calendar, client, organizer, in one program. Your argument fails here.

[TheNessus]

Their are two barriers when we use web email. One it takes time to open web browser and then Gmail takes some to load but on the other hand you just click Thunderbird and its always their. You don't even have to load Thunderbird you can just add it to your stat-up program.

ok, 2 seconds is what makes the difference? I think it's rather petty. It's not a real advantage.

[harlan]

I use an email client because of security reasons. I don't like my contact lists, etc., being in an external server. It's something private and should be local stored. I use claws-mail (http://www.claws-mail.org/) because I find it neat and light.

[blueshiftoverwatch]

This (http://enigmail.mozdev.org/home/index.php) seems like a good reason to use an email client.
Even though I'm from the "email clients rule" camp, you can use encryption from within Firefox with FireGPG (http://getfiregpg.org/s/home)

When I say gmail it's because I am used to gmail as my main e-mail client. A mail applet on the bar or systray can be good with all kinds of POP3 or other kinds of emails. I recommend "mail-notification"... and if you hover a mouse over it, it will show all your mails with title and inside text as well. You can click on a message and it will send you to that message directly, too. ...Just to show you the power of an applet.
If the applet can do all that without a browser. Then why not just install an email client and be able to do everything (sending and reading) instead of just some things (reading) without having to use the browser.

I use an email client because of security reasons. I don't like my contact lists, etc., being in an external server. It's something private and should be local stored. I use claws-mail (http://www.claws-mail.org/) because I find it neat and light.
Even if your contacts list isn't being stored by Google or whoever your hosting service is. Who's to say that they can't keep track of all of the people you normally send and receive emails to and from by just looking at and keeping track of who your sending the email to.

[aysiu]

When GMail was down last September, it wasn't actually down, just the web interface was down. People checking it through email clients could still check GMail.

[lisati]

I have several email accounts, and using an email client such as Thunderbird, Seamonkey or Evolution saves me the hassle of having to log in and out. There's also the benefit of local storage, where I can browse stuff at my leisure.

yep its nice to have it, but with my 60GB hard and 2 operating systems I cant afford it
Some providers offer free accounts. Gmail/googlemail is one of them. Yahoo's free accounts seem to vary depenging on how your register - I gave up on yahoo.com when they started to charge for pop access, but then I discovered that yahoo.co.nz accounts still had the free pop access option.
As for having two OSes, maybe something like IMAP is an option, where you can leave the messages on the server.

[aysiu]

As for having two OSes, maybe something like IMAP is an option, where you can leave the messages on the server. Once I went IMAP, I never went back. Now I can check it on as many computers as I want using an email client and not have to worry about what messages have been downloaded or not.

[TheNessus]

[/URL]

If the applet can do all that without a browser. Then why not just install an email client and be able to do everything (sending and reading) instead of just some things (reading) without having to use the browser.


Because I have way too much emails with too much files attached, so I don't want it on my own computer. Besides, I want to access my email from anywhere when my computer is not with me, like my phone or a computer terminal at campus. (got a laptop, still, my points stand). Also, I like the thread-like structure of gmail.

[takisan]

I usually don't. I can't seem to get my hotmail (which I'm eventually going to ditch once I set up my own POP / SMTP server) address to work in Evolution.

[harlan]

Even if your contacts list isn't being stored by Google or whoever your hosting service is. Who's to say that they can't keep track of all of the people you normally send and receive emails to and from by just looking at and keeping track of who your sending the email to.

Obviously, Google can keep track of such information and more. But it's different knowing all my mails destinations from knowing the list of my clients (because their under the 'Clients' epigraph in my agenda) or my likes or dislikes, memberships to organizations, unions, etc., due to the names of groups in my contac list.

[blueshiftoverwatch]

Obviously, Google can keep track of such information and more. But it's different knowing all my mails destinations from knowing the list of my clients (because their under the 'Clients' epigraph in my agenda) or my likes or dislikes, memberships to organizations, unions, etc., due to the names of groups in my contac list.
Not if with some creative labeling on your contacts list. Instead of "labor union members" label it "a", "co-workers" -> "B", "friends" -> "c", family = "d", etc.

[Phrea]

I only use Gmail and Hotmail, because they have the best antispam software.
Used a client for Gmail, but I don't bother with that anymore either.

I voted for web interface.

[Irihapeti]

If you are on a dialup or slow broadband connection, the speed difference between web interface and email client isn't trivial.

You can set Thunderbird to leave POP3 messages on the server. I've done that with my laptop and cellphone. Only my main desktop computer, which I mostly use for email, is set to delete them. That way, I can check email while I'm out and not have to worry about transferring messages between computers later on.

Incidentally, my ISP doesn't offer IMAP.

[scouser73]

Are you one of those who use email client like Thunderbird? Any specific reason for using it? Or just personal preference? Since gmail offers imap so i can manage my non-gmail emails right from gmail, Does that make email client futile?

SK.

I use Thunderbird as my email client, I find it better to work that way.

[ve4cib]

I'm generally indifferent to the whole issue. At work I use Thunderbird just because it's convenient. At home I use three different e-mail accounts, so putting them all together in Evolution (and more recently Thunderbird -- may switch back to Evolution in 10.04 though) just made sense.

I look at my personal accounts (both gmail accounts) from enough different devices that it's pointless to delete the messages from Google's servers; I use POP on my main laptop at home so I can see the messages offline, my phone uses IMAP to access the same accounts, and I'll log in to Gmail through the web at work.

I'm not terribly worried about privacy when it comes to leaving my messages on Google's servers; I change my passwords frequently and don't really do anything terribly personal via e-mail. And whenever I do that's what PGP is for. (PGP/GPG is another good reason for using clients like Thunderbird; as far as I know there isn't a web-based client that will let you use public-key encryption when composing/sending e-mails.)

Really it's all preference. When I only used one Gmail account I did everything through the web and didn't really mind it. I just had one FF tab act as a dedicated e-mail client. Now that tab has moved to a separate application, but the end result is about the same.

[l.billon]

Three reasons for me to use an email client:

1. Speed - a lot faster than using a web interface;
2. Collect mail from multiple accounts at the same time in one place - I have 8 email accounts;
3. Local storage - which I back up and as some is sensitive I do not trust anyone else to store it
I couldn't have said better. Plus, I get insta-notifications.

[jrusso2]

Not only is a client more configurable, if you get large amounts of email everyday its much faster to read with a client.

[LordIshamael]

No option for both?

I use a web interface for my Gmail, but the web interface for my university email is rather basic and ugly, so I prefer to use Thunderbird.

One advantage that Thunderbird has is that everything comes together - my university email and all my class and university newsgroups, along with any RSS feeds are all in one place. A similar option can be done with a web interface (at least with Opera) but takes a little more work to set up, and does nothing about the annoying interfaces that one may have to deal with.

I tried using Thunderbird for my Gmail for some time, though, and moved back rather quickly. I just prefer the standard Gmail web interface, I guess...

[hoppipolla]

I love Thunderbird, I really like having all my accounts in one easy to access place, and having a nice little tray icon on my desktop! hehe

Besides I think Thunderbird has gotten way better recently O.O

[Dragonbite]

Because GMail offers IMAP connection, I've been using Thunderbird or Evolution for a while now.

If I am able to, I usually set up my Thunderbird with my google calendars, sync contacts and for email similar to my Outlook setup (left pane for folders or hidden, center for email and right for calendar list of coming events).

The web interface, though, is getting better and better.

[Nevon]

I use an email client because I like leaving it in another workspace to watch all my email accounts for me while I'm doing other things, plus it saves me the trouble of having to manually log in to a bunch of different accounts.

[madnessjack]

For personal emails I find web clients fine, as I only get about 5 or 6 a day. But at work in the office, I wouldn't be able to cope without Outlook. I get easily 30 or 40 emails a day in the office, and I'd probably get mad having to manage them in Gmail or Horde.

[whiskeylover]

Pardon my ignorance, but does this mean when you use a client, the email is deleted from, say, Gmail's server when it's downloaded to your computer through, say, Evolution?

If you use POP3, then you have that option. But it is not enabled by default in most clients.

If you use IMAP, your emails and folder structures are synchronized between the email client and the server. So, they don't get deleted.

[blueturtl]

Webmail is a form of this so called cloud computing everyone seems to be so afraid of so I'm surprised it's as popular as it is.

I use an email client because...

1) Stores email locally on your computer (instead of server somewhere far far away).
2) You can read received mails and write drafts off-line.
3) Client applications have better and more customisable interfaces than their web counterparts and there is no lag.
3.5) You get multiple choices of interface (client) for one email service provider (whereas with webmail you're stuck with whatever they give you).
4) Powerful filtering and scripting abilities (bye bye spam, hello sorting incoming messages).
5) Safe against anything that tries to take advantage of vulnerabilities in your web browser (as long as you don't have IE built in to your client)...

Well... that's it for me.

[Dragonbite]

In addition to just a webmail interface, Gmail does offer the iGoogle page, which i have email on one side (which ends up in the middle since the left side has the tabs navigation) and I put the calendar on the right side.

So while not perfect, it does give me some of what I want over the web.

[purgatori]

I use Gmail through Mutt, because Mutt has a much nicer interface. In fact, I'm not crazy about web interfaces in general; step outside of basic HTML and things get cludgey very quickly.

[malspa]

Gmail, plus a couple of throw-away Yahoo! mail accounts.

Web-based email is more convenient for me -- multiple operating systems here, and I don't want to be bothered with email clients on each system. Email privacy is not a big issue here, and it's easy enough for me to back up stuff to my hard drive if I really feel like I can't afford to take a chance on losing it (although after four or five years, whatever, I've never lost any web-based emails -- guess it could happen, though!)


Gmail is my most often used, and seeing the ads makes me angry

Firefox's Ad-Block extension gets rid of them here.

[foldingstock]

Personally, I like to use a local client because it allows me to access email when I am offline. This also allows me to create replies while offline that are auto-sent once I am back online.

Aside from this, local clients provide a 'local backup' that I find handy.

I use Thunderbird, by the way.

[lovinglinux]

I use and recommend Simple Mail (http://lovinglinux.megabyet.net/?p=476) extension for Firefox. It has imap and is pretty simple to configure and use.

[donniezazen]

No option for both?

I use a web interface for my Gmail, but the web interface for my university email is rather basic and ugly, so I prefer to use Thunderbird.

One advantage that Thunderbird has is that everything comes together - my university email and all my class and university newsgroups, along with any RSS feeds are all in one place. A similar option can be done with a web interface (at least with Opera) but takes a little more work to set up, and does nothing about the annoying interfaces that one may have to deal with.

I tried using Thunderbird for my Gmail for some time, though, and moved back rather quickly. I just prefer the standard Gmail web interface, I guess...

I forwarded my university email to my Gmail and then use Gmail IMAP feature to reply which works darn right.

[lisati]

It seems to boil down to a matter of preference. A month or two back I started running my own email server, with several of my email accounts forwarded to assorted accounts on my own machine, which I can then check with Thunderbird and/or Evolution. This adds to the spam filtering options available, some of which aren't easily done with a regular email client.

I'm also having a play with Squirrelmail. On the "to do" list is checking out the options to change passwords, which would be useful if I set up family members to have an email account on my machine, and other plugins that Squirrelmail has. (Managed to break my server last night during an upgrade from 9.04 to 9.10, including the email department. Some of the updates didn't play nice with my email settings. It's about 90% back to how I like it, just a couple of minor annoyances to fix when I get round to it.)