I'm going full on board Mac. What should I use for email? Why?

[mondo joe]

A while ago I bought an iBook which is used as an extra computer.

This weekend I'm buying my powerbook to replace my PC desktop and I will finally be totally Mac.

So far I've used my outgoing desktop for email but that will have to change.

Are there suggestions on the best email client for Mac?

I'd like it to be one I can import all my old Outlook email into.

[justiceischeap]

1. I use Mail, the program that comes with OS X (eom)

[reprobate]

2. You really have a couple of choices. And there is software to help.

I like Thunderbird because of its extensions and themes. Used in on my windows machines and for a couple of weeks on my new iMac G5. I decided to switch back to Mail on the imac because of its connections with Address Book and iCalender.

If you plan to move your Outlook files over to Mail, I highly recommend a little program called Outlook2mac. It made the transfer painless, and was one of the reasons I switched to Mail... moving some of the files to Thunderbird may be possible, but I couldn't find a way. BTW, Outlook2mac is $10 to unlock, and the best ten bucks I've spent in a long while.

[mondo joe]

3. Cool - any opinions about Entourage?

Mail sounds like the best option for ease of transfer and connection to address book.

Any opinions about entourage??

[Poiuyt]

4. I like Entourage

It's about the only Microsoft software that I fully endorse. I like the way that the email, address book, calender, tasks, etc are all integrated.

It also works well with sending email attachments to Windows users. I had trouble with sending them through Apple's Mail program (and getting the recipient to be able to read them). With Entourage, attachments that I send or receive are compatible.

[reprobate]

5. I don't use it because I don't use Office.

I'm not a business of professional user, so anything I do can be done with what comes with the mac. Tho I prefer Firefox as a browser, everything else, like Appleworks, etc I find sufficient for my needs.

Of course, your milage may vary.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

6. I had a problem with Entourage

One day, it just lost my entire Inbox and began acting as if I'd opened it for the first time.

Each time I reopened it, it just gave me the "welcome" e-mail.

Finally, I called Microsoft, and wouldn't ya know, they seemed familiar with the problem and told me how to find where my lost mailboxes had gone. I don't remember exactly where, but it was obscure, and I needed several tries to get them all back.

After that, I decided that I was going with the OS X Mail program, and I've had no problems with it, except when the Junk Mail filter started to get overzealous and put everything straight into the Junk folder. (I reset the Junk filter so that it's back in its "training" mode.)