BOXED
INFO:
Eudora
version 5.2
www.eudora.com
Free in Light or Sponsored modes
$39.95 Paid version (available on the Web site or in retail stores)
System
Requirements
PC:
• Windows 95/98/2000/ME/XP or Windows NT 4.0 or
higher
• A POP3 or IMAP4 mail account via an Internet Service Provider
or a network connection
• Access to your mail account via PPP dial-up networking
using a modem or a TCP/IP Internet-style network connection
• To use QUALCOMM PureVoice plug-in for Eudora: Windows-compatible
16-bit sound system, speaker, and microphone required.
Macintosh:
• PowerPC or better;
• Mac OS System 8.6 or later (or OS X or later);
• An Internet mail account that uses POP3 or IMAP4 protocol
with an Internet Service Provider or a network connection;
• Access to the mail account via PPP dial-up networking
using a modem or a TCP/IP Internet-style network connection;
• To use QUALCOMM PureVoice plug-in for Eudora, microphone
required.
Palm
OS:
• 3.0 or greater with 650KB of available RAM
• A Palm Computing platform modem device, or equivalent
way to obtain a network connection
• Windows or Macintosh desktop computer (only for installation)
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Qualcomm
produces one of the best e-mail programs out there—Eudora, which
I have used ever since it became available some years ago. The latest
version, 5.2, is better than ever, available in light or sponsored mode
(both free) and the paid full version.
Eudora
is a wonderful replacement for Microsoft’s Outlook and Outlook
Express, which are infamous for being the targets of virus writers and
hackers. When I give lectures or workshops, I always recommend getting
a separate e-mail program like Eudora. To convince the audience, I tell
them to download one of the free versions first to try it out. Sometimes
I get an e-mail thanking me for the switch, and most of the time these
folks end up getting the paid version of Eudora, which offers more features.
What’s even better is that Eudora is available in PC, Mac, and
PalmOS formats. So there’s no excuse for not giving it a try.
Eudora Light
It’s free and has no advertising but the caveat to using Eudora
Light is that it does not offer some of the features of the sponsored
and paid versions. One of those features is advanced mail filtering,
which is extremely handy to weed out spam and put certain e-mail messages
into specific mailboxes you’ve created.
Eudora
Light does offer the basics you need for e-mail: create and reply to
messages, create mailboxes, create an address book, and more. This program
is great for people who like free software. I’d also recommend
it for people who aren’t familiar with a separate e-mail program.
It is very easy to set up and use. All in all, it is a good introduction
to the Eudora family.
Eudora Sponsored & Paid Modes
The sponsored mode is the least attractive of the two free versions,
as it has rotating ads in the left-hand column that cannot be resized
to be smaller. This is really annoying. However, since the Light version
has limited features, and if you’re really cheap and want all
the features of Eudora’s full version, you will have to put up
with the ads—or pay the $39.95 for the paid version (with free
upgrades).
What does
the latest version of Eudora offer in sponsored/paid modes?
- It
offers enhanced filtering that matches addresses against those in
your address book, so that those messages don’t get sent to
the trash can or are put in the correct mailbox you specify.
- Eudora
Shell Extension lets you know if there could be a virus if you try
to launch an attachment from the “Attach” directory (which
means you don’t try to launch it from the e-mail message itself,
where you already get a warning that launching an attachment could
unleash a virus). This is double protection and a wonderful addition.
A word of precaution: Never, ever open an attachment unless you are
expecting it. There are viruses out there that send messages with
attachments that appear to be from someone you know. Instead of launching
the attachment, e-mail this person first to see if they really did
send it to you. If they didn’t, then you can tell them to run
their antivirus software to scan for a virus.
- I’m
not a fan of the “MoodWatch” feature, but it has been
enhanced. It rates each message you receive with graphics of chili
peppers—one means the message may be mildly offensive, two means
it’s probably offensive, and three means the message is on fire
or very offensive. The new version offers a strikeout button that
crosses out the selected text with a horizontal line in addition to
warning you of its offensiveness. This feature is more for parents
who want to keep an eye on their kids’ e-mail or for a work
environment.
- One
of the best new features is the capability of dragging attachments
out of the message, then dropping them onto your desktop for later
use.
The Mac
version offers some new features the PC version doesn’t. These
are mostly in the address book:
- The
ability to sync the Eudora address book with your Palm OS-based device.
- Save
photos of your friends in the address book.
- Drag
and drop nicknames to the toolbar from the address book to quickly
create a new message.
The Palm
OS Eudora Internet Suite 2.1 (EIS) version (which works with Eudora
version 4.3.2 or higher) offers some nifty features for road warriors,
including:
- Incoming/outgoing
mail management, even multiple accounts.
- Eudora
and EudoraWeb browser support.
- SSL
(Secure Sockets Layer) and TLS (Transport Layer Security) for server
authentication and data privacy.
- Synchronizing
your Web browser bookmarks (favorites) between your desktop browser
and the EudoraWeb browser on your Palm device.
- Filter
your messages.
- Unlimited
synch is FREE—synch EIS with other e-mail clients, such as Outlook
Express, Netscape, etc.
The one
feature I’m not too excited about, although I could see some use
for parents or employers, is the statistics capability. Go to the Tools
menu, select Statistics, and you can see the pattern of your e-mail
usage, such as how much time you spend using Eudora—not the amount
of time you keep the program open, but when you actually use it. The
Statistics feature stops recording when there is no activity on the
keyboard for 60 seconds.
I found
some very interesting information about my usage. Since September of
2000 I’ve been getting an average of 90 messages a day, of which
I read only an average of 40 percent (meaning 60 percent of my messages
are spam).
I send
an average of 20 messages per day (I thought it was more) and spend
15 percent of my time reading mail, 17 percent composing mail, and 68
percent doing “other” (they don’t specify what “other”
means).
Graphically,
Eudora 5.2 looks the same as 5.1, with the same options. But with all
the features available, you can make your e-mail intake/outtake much
easier to deal with. Filter out that annoying spam; make mailboxes for
specific projects or subjects, then filter messages into them; customize
your address book; and get a handle on making your life easier.
Eudora
also offers easy-to-understand tutorials on its Web site at http://www.eudora.com/techsupport/tutorials/index.html
for every function/feature of all three versions.
All in
all, switching or upgrading to Eudora is the way to go. If you don’t
believe me, download one of the free versions and give it a try.
J.A.
Hitchcock is a nationally recognized Internet crime and security expert
and president of Working to Halt Online Abuse (WHOA, at www.haltabuse.org).
For more information, visit www.jahitchcock.com.
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