Advantages of Apple's MAIL over webmail alternatives (e.g., Yahoo! Mail)

Question

Advantages of Apple's MAIL over webmail alternatives (e.g., Yahoo! Mail)

What advantages there are, if any, to using Apple's MAIL program over, e.g., Yahoo! Mail?

I began using email on the Internet long before I got a Mac and so have been a longtime user of webmail (i.e., Yahoo! Mail).

Webmail has one obvious advantage -- it can be accessed anywhere (including on PC's).

Webmail, as it currently exists, also has one great disadvantage -- its customer service tends to be poor, largely (so it seems to me) because it is staffed by people who are poorly-trained and often none-too-bright (my impression based on some of the replies I get). There are also no user forums for Yahoo! Mail comparable to those available at apple.com.

To date, that has not been enough of a problem for me to switch.

However, if there are particularly useful advantages to MAIL I'd like to know -- maybe I'll change my mind.

Are there any?

Thanks. Replies appreciated.

MacBook 1.83 GHz, Mac OS X (10.4.9), 60 GB HD

Posted on May 24, 2007 10:01 AM

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Answer 1

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

May 24, 2007 10:25 AM in response to Michael Kraft1

Webmail's major advantage is that you can always access it even if you don't have a computer with you. The disadvantage is the degree of management control you have over your mail.

A dedicated mail application provides management features that webmail usually does not. An advantage of Mail is the integration with iCal and Address Book.

You would need to use a dedicated email application for a while to determine if the additional features are something you need enough to warrant moving away from a webmail account, although ideally having an email ISP that provided both webmail and remote mail access would be ideal. You can have that with Yahoo but only with their upgraded fee account. Free Yahoo mail is only accessible via the web.

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Answer 2

May 24, 2007 10:57 AM in response to Kappy

A dedicated mail application provides management
features that webmail usually does not. An advantage
of Mail is the integration with iCal and Address
Book.

Yahoo! Mail integrates with its own Calendar and Address Book, so unless I'm misunderstanding you, that's not a comparative advantage of Apple's Mail program over Yahoo! Mail (i.e., unless iCal and Address Book are superior to Yahoo!'s Calendar and Address Book).

What are some of the 'management features' of Mail (as a "dedicated mail application") that you were referring to?

Thanks.

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Answer 3

Kappy

Level 10

362,007 points

May 24, 2007 12:40 PM in response to Michael Kraft1

Why not simply visit Apple's Mail Features site. Easier than my typing it all out.

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Answer 4

May 24, 2007 12:50 PM in response to Michael Kraft1

one thing that i can't really tell if it was mentioned or not....you cannot access Yahoo Mail with Mail.app unless you have at least the Plus account...it does not work with a free Yahoo account..

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Answer 5

May 24, 2007 12:58 PM in response to Michael Kraft1

One reason since you have a MacBook which is portable and especially if you travel, you can access received messages after being downloaded from the server without being connected to the internet and the same with Address Book entries and calendar events.

When not connected, you can compose a reply to a received message or compose a new message and save it as a Draft and when later connected to the internet, simply send.

Webmail access is primarily designed for the ability to access your email account when using another computer besides your own with internet access but to me if is rather clumsy/cumbersome when compared to using an email client such as the Mail.app which is 100% local on your computer.

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Answer 6

May 24, 2007 2:58 PM in response to Michael Kraft1

The real advantage of a standard POP & IMAP mail client such as Mail becomes clear when you have more than one mail account. A standard mail client allows you to manage all your mail with a single tool, see it all in one place and process it all the same way, no matter how many mail accounts you have or who is the provider (as long as they provide POP or IMAP access).

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Answer 7

Aug 2, 2007 4:18 AM in response to Michael Kraft1

Two advantages of Apple Mail:
1. You don't have to log in your e-mail acount
therefore
2. You don't have to watch all those AWFUL ads!

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Answer 8

ctomer

Level 1

35 points

Aug 2, 2007 5:26 AM in response to Michael Kraft1

I use both. When I'm at home I use Mail. When I'm at work I use GMail. At home, Mail retrieves email from my Gmail POP3 account.

This solution effectively synchronizes my email between Mail and GMail (even emails sent from Mail). So if Mail's mailbox ever becomes corrupt or I suffer from an HD crash, then I'll still have all of my email available to me via Gmail. I don't like having my eggs in one basket.

Why don't I just use Gmail exclusively? Mainly because:
- Mail is fast
- my emails are indexed via spotlight
- Quicksilver integration
- I don't have to run an email notification program
- it's actually really nice program

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