# Windows mail reader **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 15, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-mail-reader/499884 "2009-06-15T22:44:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2009, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-mail-reader/499884/1 "2009-06-15T22:44:06Z")
What’s a good mail reader for windows that isn’t made by Microsoft? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2009, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-mail-reader/499884/2 "2009-06-15T23:30:18Z")
How about using Firefox to head over to your ISP’s webmail access page? If you’re looking to get at SMTP or POP3 email without a web browser, have a look [here](http://email.about.com/od/windowsemailclients/tp/free_email_prog.htm). ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-mail-reader/499884/3 "2009-06-15T23:38:23Z")
I used to use Eudora, but that was _years_ ago. If I needed to do without Outlook now, I’d likely go with [Thunderbird](http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/). ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-mail-reader/499884/4 "2009-06-16T01:09:19Z")
I understand the disavowal of modern (Intel) Mac users for Eudora, (they have to run it in ‘Rosetta’ emulation), but why not continue to use it on Windows? Me, I’ll probably continue to use it until there is no emulator, no virtual machine, available that can run it and attain internet connectivity; or else when POP3 and SMTP morph or are replaced by later protocols and Eudora is too far out of date to “do” email any more. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-mail-reader/499884/5 "2009-06-16T05:55:19Z")
I use Pocomail. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-mail-reader/499884/6 "2009-06-16T15:32:47Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > I understand the disavowal of modern (Intel) Mac users for Eudora, (they have to run it in ‘Rosetta’ emulation), but why not continue to use it on Windows? > > Me, I’ll probably continue to use it until there is no emulator, no virtual machine, available that can run it and attain internet connectivity; or else when POP3 and SMTP morph or are replaced by later protocols and Eudora is too far out of date to “do” email any more. Why would I want to use Eudora? ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-mail-reader/499884/7 "2009-06-16T20:45:19Z")
> [@mswas](#): > > Why would I want to use Eudora? Very fast searching with very flexible search parameters? Keep all your email since the dawn of time and never see it get slow and sluggish as a consequence? Manage multiple outbound as well as inbound accounts with very flexibile management via filters? Email stored in plain text files that are virtually impervious to corruption and can be opened in a plain text editor if necessary? What’s not to like? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-mail-reader/499884/8 "2009-06-16T20:46:54Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Very fast searching with very flexible search parameters? Keep all your email since the dawn of time and never see it get slow and sluggish as a consequence? Manage multiple outbound as well as inbound accounts with very flexibile management via filters? Email stored in plain text files that are virtually impervious to corruption and can be opened in a plain text editor if necessary? > > What’s not to like? Goddamn, I miss some of those features. Can Eudora import Outlook email folders? ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-mail-reader/499884/9 "2009-06-16T23:07:12Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Very fast searching with very flexible search parameters? Keep all your email since the dawn of time and never see it get slow and sluggish as a consequence? Manage multiple outbound as well as inbound accounts with very flexibile management via filters? Email stored in plain text files that are virtually impervious to corruption and can be opened in a plain text editor if necessary? > > What’s not to like? Interesting. I’ll think about it. I was kind of hoping for a free client, and I think Eudora costs money. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2009, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-mail-reader/499884/10 "2009-06-17T00:37:13Z")
Nope, Eudora has been free for a while - because it’s abandoned. Version 8/Penelope is in Beta but I think the developers are running into problems trying to figure out what exactly everyone feels is the best features of Eudora to put into Penelope. I’ve been using it since 1997. I’ve had 7.1 in “sponsored mode” forever and I can’t remember the last time I saw an actual ad. Anyway, I’ve tried to use Outlook and Thunderbird but neither of them works the way I need it to work. Thunderbird with multiple POP/SMTP seemed atrocious, and Outlook is just a big giant mess. My biggest problem with both of those apps is that unless you use a preview pane (which sucks because previews + spam = nogood), emails open in a new window. What. The. Fuck? Eudora keeps everything inside itself, nice and tidy. I can’t deal with email without that feature. My business partner loathes the fact that I use Eudora, btw. Everyone we work with uses Outlook and Eudora is not good about MS formatting and fanciness. I find this acceptable - almost preferable. He finds it atrocious.