AirMail 2.0 - Air in every sense, a post for your Mac
Makradar Technologies / / December 19, 2019
Regular readers know that I advocate the use of standard application OS X. I prefer to solve the problems existing in the arsenal of tools before looking for new, but it so happened that output Mavericks, Apple has had problems with Mail, and many users began to look for alternative postal customers. Among them was me. Buying at a discount AIRMAIL, I have become attached to it so that with the release of the new "flat» AirMail 2.0, do not hesitate to buy it again. Why I about this do not regret, I will tell later.
Email. As mundane and dull it sounds. It would seem, well, what else is new, you can invent in this field when all a long time ago invented? What do we mean by a good e-mail client? For me, it is: stability - to the letter in time came and went, functionality - added features that increase productivity, will not be denied, convenience - I should intuitively find items, and good design - work should be not only convenient, but also nicely. All this and more is in the AirMail 2.0.
Beginning of work
As usual, the first run we will be asked to add an account, or import existing data boxes from other programs. Supports iCloud accounts, Gmail, MS Exchange, Outlook, Yahoo!, and any IMAP- and POP3-boxes. Can import data from any e-mail application, export function is probably in all of them.
All the added accounts are displayed on a special screen, where you can really fine-tune each of them, but let's talk about this later.
Interface
AirMail design was minimalist in the first, skevomorficheskoy version. With the release of Yosemite developers did not update the old application and immediately released a new. For this they can be criticized, it is possible - no, this practice is now quite common.
As befits a modern application, AirMail 2.0 completely flat, no textures, shadows and other tinsel - your attention no distractions. All interface elements are made in a simplified but easily recognizable style, intuitive icons. The classic three-panel layout is perfect, so, apparently, and was taken as a basis. The list of messages and preview pane - is unchanging elements (although they have a pleasant surprise), but over panel boxes and accounts did a good job, making it the most minimalistic, but at the same time, visible and intuitive.
account panel
In AirMail use shared folders for incoming, drafts, Favorites, Sent, and Trash messages, but the content they like, you can display on certain accounts separately, and all together. It's comfortable. Each account is assigned to an avatar, in which very easy to navigate (plus, saving space in the panel). If you want to see any specific folder in the depths of one of the accounts, it is easily accessible via the icons' list ", which displays the hierarchy of nested folders for each account recording.
list of messages
The list of messages is not as simple as it seems at first glance. First, its display can be customized as you wish: icons, avatars, labels, fonts, "spaciousness" and more (Settings ▸ ▸ Display Message List). Second, many elements of the developers control concealed so as not to clutter the visual perception and they appear only when you hover the cursor.
Updates button boxes, new messages, and reply to the selected message is always visible, but the filters menu the list of messages and actions for a particular letter can be accessed by positioning the cursor on the box's name and a message, respectively.
AirMail is amazing filtering settings. Using said menu, you can display messages on various parameters. For example, to view unread messages marked that contain attachments, dialogs, labels, letters selected sender, writing for a specific date, and select the type of the default sort order. In this case, you're not limited to one of these conditions, you can easily select multiple criteria by filtering relevant messages.
action menu for each message you can assign it the status (done, done), move / copy / clone from one Account / folder to another, assign one of the shortcuts of your accounts or cause the drop-down menu, which contains all the above actions.
preview panel
Preview panel has a traditional look. It contains the body of the letter, all the necessary information and attachments (if present). The main controls are letters archiving button, delete, and mark it as spam (they are seen constantly). The button "lists" next to the label messages, you can assign (or remove) it other labels and the button «⌵» carefully replicates the action menu of the list of messages, saving you from having to make unnecessary movement.
It also contains a fairly powerful search field that searches by date, people, boxes, folders and accounts. If you are interested in a particular setting, it can be set manually.
All this is self-evident and familiar to many functions, but realized they are so cool that you start use them if you did not do it earlier because of a confusing chain of necessary actions in other mail clients. Couple of clicks - and sometimes even do not need to click - and you're done.
settings
AirMail is very rich settings, so to list all the options I will not. I will tell only about the main thing, and that makes it stand out among others.
Account settings provide a lot of options, ranging from specific connection parameters, finishing editor settings. You can define an avatar to your user account, specify which folder boxes associated with the main folders AIRMAIL, set your signature and its mapping parameters Markdown-editor, as well as the frequency of updates, sounds and notice. In addition, the hot keys work, and there is support for shortcuts Gmail.
AirMail of additional new features are integration with third-party applications and services. In the settings (Settings ▸ Applications) can be linked accounts Dropbox, Droplr, Google Drive and other services, it will allow you to add attachments in the mail files and photos have been added to them.
Impressions
AirMail completely replaced the standard Mail me and I use it every day for over a year, and it means a lot, given my love for standard applications. For all time use I have not encountered any problems, minimalist interface and ease of always pleasing. I really like the overall Inbox, Markdown support in the editor, powerful and flexible filter settings Signature setting (there is even such a trifle as displaying captions only in the first message dialogue).
Mobile version of AirMail is not, so to cons include the lack Handoff, even me, it does not bother. Also, my colleague Dmitry Kutuzov noted AirMail poor interaction with MS Exchange, but I probably will not call This is a minus, because it does not zanyu any third party application wherever Exchange worked fine (except Mail and Outlook). Price $ 10, especially if you have already bought the first version, it may seem unfair, but I think it is justified.
The application is made with a soul, attention to detail and its lightness creates a truly airy impression coping easily with all of its obligations.
Price: 2050 rubles