Ubuntu mail would be cool

[akand074]

Hey guys,

I was just thinking, if they made an Ubuntu mail just like gmail and Windows Live mail I would definitely change my email account to an Ubuntu mail account. I'm still using Windows Live currently and I still can't manage to get my mail syncing perfectly when running it using software like Thunderbird. If they had Ubuntu mail and perfectly integrated it with Ubuntu that would be kind of cool. I've been considering moving over to gmail because I already use google so much and sync all my contacts/calenders with google though an Ubuntu one would show more personality. Though I guess then Canonical would have to spend money on more server space and what not. It was just a thought, does anyone else like the idea and would consider using it?

[kaldor]

I was thinking about this the other day. It'd be great, especially if Evolution would help you set it up by default.

[NCLI]

I think Canonical should focus on their OS for now. Doing webmail eats a lot of resources.

[samalex]

Actually I've thought this would be a good idea for a long time. Honestly I think Ubuntu's 6-month release cycle really hurts them because they release updates that some think they need, but often times the updates end up breaking LOTS of things which I think pushes people to other distros.

If Canonical was to tie people to their brand whether through email or even through an Ubuntu themed social networking site (Elgg?) I think it would keep people using Ubuntu even in those times of turbulence when Canonical releases bum updates or major distro updates (like 9.10). If someone installs Ubuntu from scratch and the new version doesn't work as expected, that's a prime time to try something else, which means Ubuntu loses a user. But if the user is submerged in Ubuntu's 'network' then they may try alittle harder to get it working before jumping ship. Not to say it can't be heterogeneous and not work with other distros, but being networked to so many users outta the box would be a huge pro to stick around.

So yeah I could see Ubuntu offering email access that might tie to their Ubuntu One system and I'd suggest even going one step further with a Jabber compliant server as well. Some great possibilities. They're getting momentum and I think could become the open source community equivalent of Google if they wanted to. And there'd be a familiar type of community for those coming to Ubuntu from other operating systems or distros. The message forums are great, but it can be abit undaunted for newbies.

Sam

[akand074]

I agree that it takes up a lot of resources, but it would probably be worth it. Like the poster above was saying it puts more attachment to Ubuntu over other distributions. I mean I love Ubuntu for its community, but that community would be quite a bit stronger if they had webmail and Ubuntu one and all that integrated so more people would actually use them. It would probably attract a lot more people it would be a sign of growth. I don't know I just think it's a good idea if nothing else.