rob@GOLDILOCKS.MIT.EDU (Robert Kassel) (08/22/88)
We're in the process of switching from using a DEC-20 for mail and text processing to using a network of Mac's. I've been having difficulty locating applications to handle mail. Here's the situation I envision. We will have a Sun 4 acting as a file server and store-and-forward mailer. Alternatively, we could use a Mac as a mail server. We will be using a Cayman Systems GatorBox as a network bridge. Users start up an application on a workstation which allows them to read and send mail using a Mac-style interface. SMTP is a must. It would be nice if a user is alerted to the availability of new mail, but that is not a necessity. It would also be nice if Mac-to-Mac mail within the office could include pictures and files. Does anyone know of anything with these capabilities? I'd appreciate anything you have to say. If you want a summary of the responses I get, please let me know. Thanks for your help! ROB
budd@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Philip Budne) (08/23/88)
A fine question! At MacWorld I prowled the entire MicroSoft display, and found many Macs wearing "Running MicroSoft Mail!!" stickers, but never any glossy (never mind solid) information. While ideally I feel that a Mac client implementation of IMAP2 (or even MH/POP) piggybacked onto NCSA Telnet would be ideal, I am not yet ready to try to create a seamless Mac application. I'd rather try to build a CAP server for a prexisting, supported Mac client. Much the way AUFS requires no special Mac software. What Mac Mail packages exist (multimedia or plain text) that depend of a central server? Mail systems with central servers best fit the model of Mac usage (you can turn it off and still get mail), as well as being good targets for building servers using CAP on Un*x hosts. -Phil Budne, Boston University
denbeste@bgsuvax.UUCP (William C. DenBesten) (08/24/88)
From article <19880822142451.5.ROB@PADDINGTON.MIT.EDU>, by rob@GOLDILOCKS.MIT.EDU (Robert Kassel): > > We're in the process of switching from using a DEC-20 for mail and text > processing to using a network of Mac's. I've been having difficulty > locating applications to handle mail. > > Here's the situation I envision. We will have a Sun 4 acting as a file > server and store-and-forward mailer. Alternatively, we could use a Mac > as a mail server. We will be using a Cayman Systems GatorBox as a > network bridge. I have not yet purchased a mail system for our macintosh network, but have been looking at all the options and trying to find one that is able to talk to our existing unix mail system. I know of 5 systems: D------ DaynaMail |I----- Inbox ||M---- Microsoft Mail |||Q--- Quickmail ||||S-- Stanford SMTP ||||| S Talks to unix DIMQ Talks to other Macs DI Talks to PCs Q Will talk to PCs (announced) IMQ Will talk to unix in the future (announced) Q Talk to ASCII/Serial hosts (this may be a way to get unix connectivity) D MQ Requires Macintosh running Mail Server full time MQ Mail Server can coexist with AppleShare and LaserShare DI Q Can substitute AppleShare Server for Mail server DIMQ Always Accessable (DA) DIMQ Incoming message notification (INIT) DIMQ Attach other documents (Write/Paint/Draw etc) DIMQ Return Receipts IMQ Password and Automatic logon -------- Stanford's program, from tidbits that I have found on the net is an application (as opposed to a da), can not notify you of incoming mail, and is not suitable for mac to mac mail. I have not seen the package, literature on it, or anything else concrete, so I can't be sure of my info on it. -------- I have looked closest at quickmail. The company impresses me. I have QuickKeys by them, and am impressed by it. They sent me gobs of information about Quickmail and the rest of their product line (I have one page of info that the others sent). --------- I have only listed items that interest me, and that I have found in the information that I have. Although I have tried to be thorough , may be missing some features of some packages, or marked some features that are not there. -------- Current market trends have everyone scurrying to interface to SMTP or other large scale networks, so I expect that the everyone will eventually have the connectivity that I want (just not now :-( ). -------- A company, Star nine, is putting a gateway between AUX and QuickMail into beta testing. They estimate that with in a year they will have a version working on a vax with 4.3BSD, and maybe sooner if the interest is there. I said that I was very interested. If you have any questions about this or want to encourage them along, you can contact Elizabeth McGee at starnine%mcgee@uunet.uu.net -------- Let me know if you come up with anything else interesting. -- William C. DenBesten denbeste@bgsu.edu
Richard_Vernon_Ford@cup.portal.com (08/24/88)
In your search for a Mac Mail system, be sure to contact CE Software. They have a new product QuickMail which supports many of the features you mentioned including bundling of files and graphics with mail messages. Other features include zone support, real-time conferencing between zones, two way mail forwarding to/from MCI Mail and Compu$erv. In a joint venture with StarNine Technologies Inc. they have developed a QuickMail<->Unix Mail Gateway, *e-Mail. StarNine also developed TOPS for A/UX. I saw the product demonstrated at MacWorld with a Mac II running A/UX and an SE but haven't used it personally. As far as I'm aware it is shipping. Quickmail and *e-Mail are separate compatible products, purchasing one doesn't include the other (as far as I'm aware). Microsoft, Think Technologies, and Dayna (sp?) also make Macintosh Mail products. Others more familiar with them can provide more information than I. Anyone? -Richard richard.ford@andrew.cmu.edu (I don't work for either company, I'm just spreading the word...) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- addresses: CE Software Inc. 1854 Fuller Rd. PO Box 65580 West Des Moines Iowa 50265 USA (515) 224-1995 StarNine Technologies, Inc. 2126 Sixth Street Berkley, CA 94710 USA (415) 451-9789 FAX: (415) 845-1115 UUCP: uunet!starnine!mcgee
rob@GOLDILOCKS.MIT.EDU (Robert Kassel) (08/25/88)
Date: 23 Aug 88 05:10:34 GMT
From: budd@bu-cs.bu.edu (Philip Budne)
A fine question! At MacWorld I prowled the entire MicroSoft display,
and found many Macs wearing "Running MicroSoft Mail!!" stickers, but
never any glossy (never mind solid) information.
While ideally I feel that a Mac client implementation of IMAP2 (or
even MH/POP) piggybacked onto NCSA Telnet would be ideal, I am not yet
ready to try to create a seamless Mac application. I'd rather try to
build a CAP server for a prexisting, supported Mac client. Much the
way AUFS requires no special Mac software.
What Mac Mail packages exist (multimedia or plain text) that depend of
a central server? Mail systems with central servers best fit the
model of Mac usage (you can turn it off and still get mail), as well
as being good targets for building servers using CAP on Un*x hosts.
Right now I know of two: Microsoft Mail and Quick Mail (from CE
Software). Both allow you to write translators to other mail systems,
but so far the only announced translators are for AppleLink and MCI
mail.
ROB