Choosing an Email Client

by: Elad Domb

Email client software lets you connect to your email account and download emails. It also lets you compose (or create) emails which you can send later. An email client stores all your emails on your system, allowing you to sort and manage the email messages in the way you want. Many email clients also allow you to personalize your messages using pictures and templates. An email client should do more than simply allow you to send and receive emails. Many email clients have added features that allow you to sort through and manage your emails. You can create folders and subfolders so you can categorize your incoming and outgoing mail. Some email clients allow you to tag certain email addresses so when you receive an email from a particular person, it immediately gets filed into a folder within your inbox. If you receive a large volume of emails in a week, as many people do, you can also set-up your email client to sort messages by date, sender or subject.

Email is notoriously unsecured. Email messages are prone to viruses and are used to spread malware and spyware. Some email clients are more susceptible to viruses than other programs. In general, the more commonly used email interfaces are the ones that are the least secure. This is simply because there are millions of messages being transmitted using these programs each day. The sheer volume of numbers makes using these email clients a greater risk. When looking at which email client to use, make sure the one you choose has a level of security built into the system. This should include things such as firewalls and anti-virus programs.

Another consideration is how an email client deals with spam. Spam is generally referred to as unwanted or unsolicited mail. Much like junk mail used to clog up physical mailboxes, spam clogs up email inboxes. Email is an easy and affordable way to send out bulk mail and unfortunately, too many companies take advantage of this. They collect email addresses and just randomly send out junk mail to everyone on the list. As with viruses, certain email clients are more prone to spam mail than others. When looking around at your different options, make inquiries as to what protection the system has against spam mail. Receiving spam mail is mostly annoying but it can also be harmful to your computer as it could contain spyware or viruses.

Properly selecting the email client you will use on a daily basis will make your work flow more quickly. There are many tasks accomplished by the mail client that are intended to simplify your work. One part of your decision on which client to use will depend on the tasks that you perform most often.

Simply assess the tasks that you perform and rate them in order of frequency. For your email client to aid you in your everyday tasks, you first need to define what those tasks are. If you send pictures or sound files, then look for mail clients that specialize in making it easy to include these in your mail. List the features that each email client offers. These features will be the major source of information to match your needs to the particular mail client. If you need an address book and one or two of the clients don't offer them, then eliminate them from the list of possibilities.

Try out each potential client you're considering for its feel, intuitiveness, and ease of use. Check the particular features you need to see how they function. Decide if the tasks that you perform on a daily basis are easy and quick to accomplish.

Choose the email client that you have determined will meet your needs. Remember that you are never stuck with an email client. You always have the ability to change to another if you find that the one you picked, for some reason, fails to deliver.