Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (1683 mails)

[mperry@xxxxxxxxx (Michael Perry)]

Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2000 14:24:26 -0800
From: Michael Perry <mperry@xxxxxxxxx>
Message-ID: <20001125142426.A3110@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [SLE] Balsa, mahogany, kmail...Summing up



Quoting Corvin Russell on Sat, Nov 25, 2000 at 04:17:11PM -0500:
> So, summing up:
> 
> There seems to be a consensus that despite the proliferation of
> clients, there is no robust GUI MUA that can compete with Outlook,
> Outlook Express, or Eudora.  Users who like the functionality of those
> programs are not going to be impressed by the options on offer for
> Linux. 
> 
> I don't suggest that it should be our 'mission' to convert people to
> linux, but there are undeniable benefits (and annoyances) that will come
> with a larger user base. To the extent that it is desirable (for
> companies like SuSE e.g.) that more people switch, it is a hard sell
> to persuade people that hey, all they really need is Mutt (or MUA x),
> which looks like a 'throwback to DOS days,' as a Mac user commented on
> my screenshots.  The initial PITA configuring Mutt is certainly a
> deterrent to its adoption.  I use Mutt and like it very much, and I
> don't think I'll be switching soon... it does what I want it to, and
> no more than I want it to.  But there are people who use linux who
> miss their GUI mail readers.  A friend using Linux keeps around his Mac OS
> for the following reasons:  Eudora, anti-aliased font display,
> and BBEdit. I suspect that a lot of people like the polish available
> in the main commercial OS's.  KDE is getting to that level of polish,
> but there are still gaping lacunae.
> 
> Perhaps someone at SuSE could note the volume of response to
> this issue and the relative consensus on it.  It seems it would be in
> everyone's interest if the linux companies created a joint project to
> make a good email client -- or just funded one of the existing
> projects so that it could get the job done. Even OSS benefits from
> good project management and clear goals, as SuSE has shown us. 
> 
> Best,
> 
> Corvin
> 
> -- 
> Corvin Russell <corvinr@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> 
> -- 
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> 

I just recently saw evolution running on a debian woody system at work.  It
looked pretty much like outlook with the menu bars, etc.  All in all, mutt
configuration is worth about what you put into it.  I used outlook for some
years and never cared for it.  Of course, I was an Os/2 user before Linux so
I tended to use clients like PMmail or Mr2 ice.  My favorite NT/98 mailer is
BAT!.  It does what it needs to do and then some.

I don't think, speaking purely personally, that I want another mailer like
Outlook for myself.  If I wanted one, I would probably start looking at
where evolution is going.  Then again, I use elm and pine before mutt.

If you want one to do a combination of tasks, perhaps evolution from
helixcode combined with nautilus from eazel is the way to go.  I have seen a
pretty functional version of evolution these days.  Just beware, it does
take a bit o'work to get it down.  That is, unless you use debian.  If you
use debian, you just add a line to your /etc/apt/sources.list and have
apt-get do all the hard work.

There is a website which will do custom muttrc files for you for up to
version 1.2.5 I believe. I have never tried one since I keep a few different
ones around and then I compare them to see what each does.

If people are looking for a combined contact management, emailer, PIM,
thing; I believe that evolution will be the one.  I am not looking for those
things. I like my pie cut in separate pieces.  Like my son says, "don't mix
all that food together on one plate" :-).  I can definitely understand why
people would want this though.  I admit to use a pocketpc though and not a
palm or visor to keep my calender; which means I need a windows 98 system to
synch up to.  That's my own belief though; that you use what you have to or
want to to get something done.  I don't like the sense of the combination
offerings though.  So I probably will not use evolution because I prefer the
way I have of doing things.  


-- 
Michael Perry
mperry@xxxxxxxxx
------------------