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EML versus PST in e-mail programs
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Posted by Ken
Aug 5, 2011 at 04:13 PM
Thanks for the GMail search links. I will check out the Chrome extension when my schedule permits.
—Ken
Posted by Alexander Deliyannis
Aug 5, 2011 at 07:56 PM
In addition to Gmail as a sort of backup, I would suggest using IMAP instead of POP for mail connectivity. I have taken the step with my premium Google Apps account and I must say it is a revelation. No more carrying my mail files around. I access my account via separate machines, including my Android phone and web access, and when I open my local client the read/write/flag statuses will be perfectly synced. Praise the Lord!
Posted by Wojciech
Aug 6, 2011 at 09:47 AM
Chris Murtland wrote:
>You might want to take a look at Aid4Mail at http://www.aid4mail.com/
Another solution is Mailbag Assistant, developed by the same person:
http://www.fookes.com/mailbag/
Best,
W.
Posted by Graham Rhind
Aug 6, 2011 at 12:05 PM
Thanks Chris and Wojciech. I’d already looked at Aid4Mail. I’ll have a play with Mailbag Assistant too.
Graham
Wojciech wrote:
>
>
>Chris Murtland wrote:
>
>>You might want to take a look at Aid4Mail at
>http://www.aid4mail.com/
>
>Another solution is Mailbag Assistant, developed by
>the same person:
>http://www.fookes.com/mailbag/
>
>Best,
>
>W.
>
Posted by Graham Rhind
Aug 11, 2011 at 11:12 AM
For the sake of completeness and closure I just wanted to round this topic off with an overview of my findings re intellect versus Outlook. Obviously these are relevant to my own way of working, but they may prove of use to others when they come to look at e-mail products:
Intellect: This is a stable product but development is glacial. I was a Time & Chaos user 15 years ago and little has changed, even when there is pressure from the user base to add functionality. So you have to like this product as is and not expect any alteration in the way it works. Outlook develops mainly as a platform for business interaction rather than in core functionality, but it is already a more mature product.
Intellect revolves around contact names. Outlook can be made to do the same but in a less natural way. As Outlook will delete anything linked to other data being deleted, this tends to discourage me from linking anything just in case.
Outlook is far more flexible re tasks: Intellect demands an end date for all recurring tasks because it creates all the occurrences at the same time. It also does not allow undated tasks. Outlook does not suffer these restrictions.
Each e-mail in Intellect is stored in a separate eml file (in Outlook everything is stored in a single pst file). The eml files can be indexed for searching (whereas a pst file cannot) which gives improved ease of use against lower security.
Intellect can run from a USB stick, which is a definite advantage over Outlook. It also allows task series, which would be more useful if you could add text to them. (Currently you can add the name of a customer to them: “Send e-mail to %LINKEDNAME%”) but you can’t do this with another defined string, which radically reduces its usefulness for me.
Outlook has numerous plugins available and interacts with a wide variety of programs. Intellect can only interact via exported data or raw eml files.
Both programs can run various reports, but reports from Outlook can be made to look better.
Both Intellect and Outlook allow text snippets to be stored and used again in e-mails.
Intellect does not allow photographs to be added to contact records except as a file attachment. File attachments, even those for graphics, cannot be previewed in Intellect - they have to be opened by an external program.
Intellect costs about half of what Outlook costs.
All in all, for me, it’s a close run thing but I’m having to stick with Outlook for the time being. If the writers of Intellect ever decide to add functionality, it would be well worth a second look.
Graham