Incredimail or is it.. (IncrediMail)

Member Name: junfan

Product:	IncrediMail
Date:	15/08/01 (988 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great graphics

Disadvantages: A bit buggy

It's easy to install, it looks flashy, it is flashy.
It's similar in general layout to Outlook Express but much more stylish and with a digital clock display in the right hand corner.

The top tool bar and side folder tree have all the same options we are used to seeing in Outlook Express. With the addition of a notifier button.

When you first start up you are given the option to import all you email accounts and mailboxes from most mainstream email clients.

It handles multiple account's easily (except hotmail) downloading from them one at a time (you choose one as a sending default although there is a 'from' button).

There's a little personal information form to fill in at the start and you can set up two users if need's be.

When you hit new message you are given the opportunity to use the style box, with it's great wallpaper style option's, including such titles as Botticelli, Van Gogh, Dream Times, Mocca weave, Rice Fields, silver Lining, Bloodshot, Happy harry, etc, e.g. many nice wallpapers..
Most of which are very cute.

But after a while I left it on plain text, cos I do a lot of serious emailing. You can also choose an amazingly annoying typing sound too, if you are that way inclined.

You type all your message out and then run yer spell checker which all works great, you then get a brilliant signature file programme so that you can actually draw or hand write (sort off) an interesting embedded graphic signature piccy to go along with your normal typed one.

The attachment function is quite straight forward and easy to use.

But when I try to use the sound recorder function to record a personal sound file, I get the incredibly helpful message "unexpected error"...

Anyway you hit send and it all folds up and whizzes off with a whooshing sound..

You can send a variety of e-cards (get well soon, have a nice day e
tc), all emblazoned with cartoon animal's and fun messages.
You can insert little animation's of hug's and kisses, beating hearts, butterflies, bunnies and bull animations or/and cute animal sounds.

When you hit the reply button to reply to a highlighted message, it starts you at the top and leaves the original message at the bottom, with no indent or anything to identify the original message clearly. Although it does say original message above it all. This sometimes makes it a bit difficult to reply to certain points separately in a long email.

When you hit delete you are treated to a cool shredder type animation and sound effect.

The envelope icon in the system tray show's some emails popping out when email is waiting to be read and shows a moving arrow when it is checking for new mail. (You can set up the amount of time it waits between checks).

I quite like the groovy flash-type 'new-mail' notifier animation's, we love the puppy who appears yapping away with the messages in his mouth, when you click on him to bring the messages up he digs a hole and buries himself just above the taskbar!!

Other's include a camp English butler who walks on with some emails on a tray, saying "you have mail sir" and an animated US style mailbox.

The earlier version I had didn't delete messages from my talk21 web folder but left it to fill up and jam, the new version gives you the option to delete read messages from the server which is a big improvement.

There is an option to disable scripts in the preview pane, which is a comforting security option and there are decent block sender and filter options too. It does take over as default email programme whether you want it too or not though!

I downloaded Incredimail from download.com
The Incredimail website has loads more notifier's, wallpapers, style sheet's, cards and animation's etc.

Anyw
ay, it's groovy fun freeware, but not quite perfect.

Summary: