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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