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Review of Claris Em@iler

Version 2.0
by Eric Hough

Product Specifications
System Requirements
Review
Final thoughts
Ratings
Contact information
Pricing

Product Specifications

Platform: Macintosh
Media Format: Floppy

System Requirements:

Account with America Online, CompuServe, RadioMail, or other Internet Service Provider (any SMTP/POP3 mail server)

MacOS compatible computer with a 68020 processor or higher (Claris is planning to offer Windows 95 and NT versions; release date unknown)

System 7.1 or later

Hard disk drive with 9MB of available space

Memory requirement: 3MB available RAM (2MB for PowerPC running virtual memory)

1MB additional memory required for onscreen help

12" or larger monitor (or powerbook monitor) recommended

Review

Claris Emailer 2.0, the latest release from Claris Corporation, combines an interface as useful as it is refined with new e-mail controls and welcome enhancements.

Notable New Features

Among the numerous additions and enhancements to Claris Emailer, several key new features stand out. Most visible are the changes to the interface. The former main window (version 1.0) featured four tabs&emdash;In Box, Out Box, Filing Cabinet, and Address Book&emdash;each of which, when selected, filled the window with its contents. Now, the default window, named for its function, acts as a browser and is split into two sections. Selecting one of the mail folders (left side of screen) automatically displays the messages it contains (right side of screen), allowing you to quickly switch between mail folders, while retaining the view of all your folders and their organization. Also, a floating toolbar now provides constant access to common features, such as connecting to your mail service to send and retrieve mail, authoring a new message, opening the address book, and so on.

Spelling Checker

Claris Emailer 2.0 adds a spelling checker, affording the same degree of comfort to our e-mail as we've enjoyed in our business communications.

Easy-setup Wizard

After getting past the idea of using a Wizard&emdash;appearing, in some form, in most Microsoft applications&emdash;Emailer 2.0's Easy-Setup Wizard makes setup simple, and is especially useful to new users. The Wizard guides users through a series of windows that solicit the information required to setup an account. The information necessary to setup an account varies depending on the service you plan to use, whether it's an Online service (e.g., America Online, CompuServe) or an Internet Service Provider (e.g., Netcom, MCI). In any case, the Claris Em@iler Getting Started Guide lists and defines each requisite piece of information. Be sure to have your service-specific information ready at hand before setting up an account.

Enhanced Help

Claris Emailer 2.0 offers online help, and has two distinct parts, the Help Navigator Window and Help Topic Window. The Help Navigator Window provides a table of contents (TOC) and index&emdash;the items in which can be double clicked&emdash;as well as a Find feature that allows you to search online help text according to a word or phrase. The Help Topic Window displays specific information and instructions according to your selections from the TOC and index. Context-sensitive help provides assistance with the currently selected window, and adds significantly to the usefulness of the help feature.

Other Features

Claris Emailer sports a host of other new features, some more important than others. Among them include support for hierarchical folders. This means you can create and organize as many mail folders as you desire, and view their relationship to one another graphicall viewing your drive's contents in list form.

Support for an unlimited number of accounts and enhanced Mail Actions&emdash;multiple actions can be applied to a single message&emdash;debut in this new release. Additionally, messages are now stored in a single database (version 1.0 used separate folders), boosting search speeds and decreasing the space required to store messages. Even multiple signatures are supported.

Final Thoughts

With several strong new features and appealing enhancements, Claris Emailer 2.0 proves a worthwhile upgrade. Version 2.0 offers a new, more refined interface and introduces a spelling checker. It also adds more functional improvements like online help, capacity for an unlimited number of accounts, and support for hierarchical folders. In line with the original&emdash;sometimes lost&emdash;meaning of the word upgrade, Claris Emailer 2.0 amounts to more than just a bundle of popular new features by significantly improving the e-mail experience overall.

Upgrade Note: A maintenance upgrade from Claris Emailer 2.0v1 to 2.0v2 has been released and can be downloaded from Claris Corp.'s website, www.claris.com.

Rating

(Rated on a scale from 1 Dome to 5 Domes. 5 Domes being excellent and 1 Dome being not worthy)

Value for the Money: (4)
Usability: (4)
Installation Ease: (4)
Manual: (4)

Contact information

Claris Corperation

(800) 331-6187
URL: http://www.claris.com/

Pricing

Suggested retail pricing is $49 ($39 upgrade)

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