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Need a new Desktop E-Mail Client for PC
 
#1
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Hi Guys,

i know there are plenty of these posts - I saw them but they are a bit older and I hope since then I missed some new software you maybe can recommend.

I want to replace Thunderbird because I don´t like how conversations are handled. It is just not contemporary anymore. I tried some plugins but they had major issues with attachments so I couldn´t find anything to enhance Thunderbird.

I researched of course and found the promising email client inky - but after two minutes of reading their terms of service I was sure my Harddrive will never see this software. Their "partners" get all the data they can find on your smartphone data for advertising. So I don´t trust their desktop software either.

Then I found Postbox - it seems its like a thunderbird 2.0 but it´s about 18€ - which is fine since I use it everyday but first I want to know if there aren´t other options.

The Bat seems like one - but is also not free.

All I want is a client which doesn´t take my data in exchange for letting me send emails and show a email conversation like it should be. Initial Mail > my Answer > Answer to my answer ... and so on. Just like in GMail for example.

In Thunderbird I only see replies but never to what answer of mine.

I hope I´ve missed some gems out there - have I?
 
 
 
#2
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Both Postbox and TheBat do well at conversations. My suggestion is to try both. Postbox is easier to learn and TheBat has a strong focus on security. Each offers its own special strengths. The advantage of Postbox would be no need to convert any data files or workflow, although if IMAP then that would not be an issue. I strongly encourage spending at least a week with each, as it takes time to grasp the strengths or weaknesses.  Good luck.
david
 
 
 
#3
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Quote
Sanjay Soni wrote:
Then I found Postbox - it seems its like a thunderbird 2.0
I used Postbox for a few years, starting around 2011. Looked good when I started -- it is indeed an extended Thunderbird. But then development suddenly stopped, support ended, they even shut down the user-to-user forum, leaving absolutely nowhere to go for help. For these reasons, I highly recommend avoiding it.

There's eMclient (emclient.com). There's Mailbird (getmailbird.com). Both looked good for simpler uses. Past tense. I recommended them, especially eMclient, to a few such users. They had constant problems with their databases getting corrupted and spending hours rebuilding, every day. One of those users went back to webmail. Another I helped move to The Bat -- at least I can help her with The Bat, and its datbases are rock solid. The Bat is far more complex than she needs, but it works.


Edward
 
 
 
#4
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It's quite possible I've been with the Bat for 20 years? I did leave it for a while several years back but have returned. The Bat is very flexible, there is a lot of control of almost every aspect. The filtering system is very good. The fellows behind the scenes are good at responding to questions you may have. There are also very experienced and kind people here in the forums as well. I don't think you can find a better product and I am glad that 20 years ago, I bet on a winner.
 
 
 
#5
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Quote
Sanjay Soni wrote:
/.../The Bat seems like one - but is also not free.  All I want is a client which doesn´t take my data in exchange for letting me send emails and show a email conversation like it should be. Initial Mail > my Answer > Answer to my answer ... and so on. Just like in GMail for example.  In Thunderbird I only see replies but never to what answer of mine.  I hope I´ve missed some gems out there - have I?
TheBat will be a good, or even best solution for You, but...

You have to consider a few little points in You decision.
I am saying it, as a long time user, in private from archaic 3.xx version, chap who recommended this client to many fellows (despite free alternatives), who successfully won the battle against the rules/policy of the company and introduced TheBat! in my branch/division as a main mail solution.

The first one: read RitLabs Upgrade Policy, not only on: https://www.ritlabs.com/en/products/thebat/upgrade-policy.php  but read also real life cases and comments about it.
The second: consider that if there is new version of TB! at large, old bugs in old versions, to say the least, are not a priority, not even very much.
The third: if you are a gmail user, be prepared You will be advised, to buy new "upgraded" version if "Former-Don't-be-evil" change something in their services, making your mailer useless with gmail.
And the last one: read carefully this topic: https://www.ritlabs.com/en/forums/forum4/topic14738/ to form Your own opinion and trim Your expectations.

If you consider all these small details and make a decision being aware of them, I can assure you that the TB! will not disappoint You in your expectations.
Edited: Robert Poreba - 14 October 2020 00:27:41 (misspelling)
 
 
 
#6
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I see that post as disingenuous. RIT is like other companies. A bug found in a prior version is not fixed. Microsoft doesn't provide fixes for XP, Adobe doesn't provide fixes for Photoshop 2014 (since current version is 2020), and RIT doesn't fix version 8 and prior versions when the supported version is number 9. What you get by subscribing to current version is protection for unanticipated actions by others that causes email to not work. It appears you are one of those who were/are angry that a gmail change causing a problem with older versions wasn't fixed for free. That is why there are upgrades - to stay supported. The 'good news' in all this is that a user of TB! who stays current can rest assured that the client will work. TB! has a focus on security and that was the issue with the gmail change. If a user does not care about that, then the user is better served by using other email clients, such as Thunderbird.

david
 
 
 
#7
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Quote
david kirk wrote:
I see that post as disingenuous. RIT is like other companies. A bug found in a prior version is not fixed. Microsoft doesn't provide fixes for XP, Adobe doesn't provide fixes for Photoshop 2014 (since current version is 2020), and RIT doesn't fix version 8 and prior versions when the supported version is number 9. What you get by subscribing to current version is protection for unanticipated actions by others that causes email to not work. It appears you are one of those who were/are angry that a gmail change causing a problem with older versions wasn't fixed for free. That is why there are upgrades - to stay supported. The 'good news' in all this is that a user of TB! who stays current can rest assured that the client will work. TB! has a focus on security and that was the issue with the gmail change. If a user does not care about that, then the user is better served by using other email clients, such as Thunderbird.

david
I am not hypocritical in the above statement. Really. Perhaps a little bit malicious ;-)
I'm just trying to explain to OP that he should make an informed decision. If he is aware of the licensing/price/upgrade policy, he will not become one of the angry/ outraged "will-be-former-user".
AFAIR (but can't give actual example, I was stopped watching bugs-list a years ago) there were bugs in minor versions, left unfixed, until new version become ready to sale.
You mention other software company's (is this "whataboutism"?), OK., let's go.
Look at MS, which cannot be suspected of money-aversion, they released Win10 in 2015.
They admittedly ended support for Win7 without SP 1 in April 2013, but SP's were free of charge, support (i.e. security patches) for common users ended in January 2020.
Even after releasing Win10, MS offered cumulative patches for Win8, basic support for Windows 8.1 ended in January 2018. They say security patches will be released until January 2023.
But forget fixing bugs, releasing updates. That's useless, needless debate. We are talking about proprietary software, These are not community projects. RT sets the rules, bears the consequences, we vote with money. Simple.
And I don't want to land in bucket of complains.
Acolytes (or realists) says: "gmail problem" is not RT fault, it's Google cause. And that's true!
G is playing games with alternative mail clients for obvious reasons, to purge them, to make users to use only google toys. That's obvious.
TB! problems with Gmail are not only noways case, AFAIR there were similar problems with previous versions, problems caused by google, not RL. The solution was, as a rule, an upgrade.
So privately I stayed with version 6.8.8 and just don't use TB! to gmail.
My point is: TB! is OK, but not for all mail services, especially not for gmail, be careful, be aware, you will be glad user knowing what to expect.
 
 
 
#8
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Robert:

Earlier this year, when Google caused an (apparent) incompatibility between Gmail and The Bat by using a new type of certificate, some people were quick to upgrade to v9 which fixed that problem. Some were unhappy because they felt they had been forced to upgrade, others thought the price was too high, some were unhappy because the earliest v9 releases had some teething problems.

What you seem to have missed however is that if only those people had waited a few more days, they could have found a free solution in the technical discussions that took place here, which would have allowed them to continue to use The Bat v8 with Gmail (it was a simple matter of using the appropriate command line options).

In hindsight, there never was a problem with Gmail! I find it strange that you suggest that Sanjay carefully read the topic about upgrade policy and pricing, when that topic includes a message in which I specifically point people to that free solution. I agree with David that your recommendation to Sanjay seems disingenuous.
I volunteer as a moderator to help keep the forum tidy. I do not work for Ritlabs SRL.
 
 
 
#9
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Quote
Daniel van Rooijen wrote:
/.../ In hindsight, there never was a problem with Gmail! I find it strange that you suggest that Sanjay carefully read the topic about upgrade policy and pricing, when that topic  includes a message  in which I specifically point people to that free solution. I agree with David that your recommendation to Sanjay seems disingenuous.
So, You suggesting that knowing upgrade policy of software vendor and the assessment of it by long-term users is not a significant decision factor that should be taken into account? For example this one (quoted, but adjacent to given):
Quote
I know at least one person who is still using TB 4 or 5 for all of her  considerable email correspondence... business correspondence on which  her livelihood depends. Why does it work for her? Because her email  server is not Gmail. It is not at all accurate to claim that connecting  to Gmail is a basic functionality of TB.
Let's consider that Your feelings, Your thoughts, Your opinions about my opinions are "keeping these thread productive, informative and non distracted from the subject under discussion". ;-)
Forget it, I'm back in line.
And I am still using v.6.x & 8.x  because I think that TB! is the best, excellent solution for my needs, but of course not for gmail.
 
 
 
#10
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Quote
Robert Poreba wrote:
So, You suggesting that knowing upgrade policy of software vendor and the assessment of it by long-term users is not a significant decision factor that should be taken into account?

No, I was telling you that the Gmail problem that you complained about did not really exist, and so, that it should not be relevant to any v8 -> v9 upgrade considerations. Both v8 (with commandline options) and v9 work fine with Gmail.
I volunteer as a moderator to help keep the forum tidy. I do not work for Ritlabs SRL.
 
 
 
#11
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Quote
david kirk wrote:
I see that post as disingenuous. RIT is like other companies. A bug found in a prior version is not fixed. Microsoft doesn't provide fixes for XP, Adobe doesn't provide fixes for Photoshop 2014 (since current version is 2020), and RIT doesn't fix version 8 and prior versions when the supported version is number 9. What you get by subscribing to current version is protection for unanticipated actions by others that causes email to not work. It appears you are one of those who were/are angry that a gmail change causing a problem with older versions wasn't fixed for free. That is why there are upgrades - to stay supported. The 'good news' in all this is that a user of TB! who stays current can rest assured that the client will work. TB! has a focus on security and that was the issue with the gmail change. If a user does not care about that, then the user is better served by using other email clients, such as Thunderbird.

david

Microsoft provides fixes for versions that it no longer sells, so your comparison with RIT is just plane wrong as they stop support immediately.
Plus, they did not fix any of the bugs that I reported to them whilst I was using v8.

(edited by Daniel to fix quotes)
 
 
 
#12
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>> Microsoft provides fixes for versions that it no longer sells,
Tell us what MS do for old Outlook or MS Mail. We are ready to listen fairy-tales.


>> Plus, they did not fix any of the bugs that I reported to them whilst I was using v8.
Give us here your bugs.
Модератор. Не являюсь сотрудником RitLabs (I'm not an employee of Ritlabs). https://belrus.biz/vendors/ritlabs.html
 
 
 
#13
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The bat has been consistently stable and easy to use across multiple email accounts and systems. Their support staff is good. My only concern is the latest 9.3 brought major changes that causes us to revert to an earlier -version. I see others with concerns so maybe they will take a step back and think again about the next version.  


Happy Holidays
John
 
 
 
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