[LizPf]

I recently spent a long time researching Mail alternatives ... and I'm back to using Mail. (Tiger version) Here's why:

- Rules! No other mail program can do something as simple (?) as beep me when I get mail from my spouse creature. With Mail, I've set up things so I get beeped (with a distinctive sound), bounce the Dock icon, and the message shows in red.

I use rules for many other things too, but this example shows one of the simple things Mail does that no other mail reader can do.

- Smart folders. I have 5 mail accounts, and like reading them all in one window. I also have a (very) few messages I want to see even after they have been read. I've set up a smart folder to show me everything in my In Boxes, AND everything I have flagged. This feature is even more powerful with ...

- plug-ins. I have MailTags and Mail Act-on. With these and my Smart in box, I have a great zero in-box routine:
1. assign a due date to a message
2. use act-on to send the message to my Deferred folder
3. add a condition to my Smart in box to pull in all messages with a due date of today or earlier.

Now I can store a message I can't do anything with, knowing it will show up again when I need it.

- it's easy to work in plain text. I'm surprised at how many e-mail readers don't even have this option any more.

Though these things are great, Mail has some big flaws, IMO:

- poor interface with Address Book. Why, oh why, can't I highlight a phone number in a message and tell Mail to "put this on the sender's address book page"? Mail/AddressBook also needs to check if a card exists before making a new one for each e-mail.

- Smart Boxes have a lot of rough edges. The message count is *never* right. They are slow to load. They don't maintain my column settings.

- I can't speak to IMAP issues, or iCal integration, because I don't use those features. And I'm stuck on Tiger (I still use Classic programs occasionally), so I don't know the details of Leopard Mail — but from what I've seen, it hasn't been improved *my* way.

A friend talks about "least worst" education options ... Apple Mail is the least worst mail reader out there.

--Liz