Not Only Has E-Mail Evolved... It's Now An 'Add-On'! (IncrediMail)

Name: angeelu

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Product:	IncrediMail
Date:	20.03.03 (4343 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Free, Excellent features, The new 'add-on' programme means that you don't have to replace Outlook with a new e-mail programme

Disadvantages: If using the original IncrediMail programme you have to use either IncrediMail or Outlook (as I understand) - however this has been overcome with the new beta version of the 'Add-On'

E-mails... they can be boring looking things... standard fonts, written in black, on a white background... that's it. Sometimes that's all you need - a boring, but formal looking e-mail has its time and place, but occasionally you want your e-mails to be that little bit more special - that's where IncrediMail steps in!

What is IncrediMail?
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Put simply, IncrediMail is a great programme that helps you to quickly and easily spruce up your e-mails by adding colour, backgrounds, animations, sounds, voice recordings, emoticons, 3D effects and more to your normally dull and boring e-mails. Additionally it offers features such as an e-mail notifier - this replaces your normal e-mail notification such as the little picture of an envelope appearing in the bottom corner of your screen or the pop up window announcing new mail has arrived, with an animated character (there's a wide variety to chose from) that will personally tell you that a new message awaits.

IncrediMail is available from www.incredimail.com where you can download it for free.

Originally IncrediMail only worked as a stand-alone programme which would replace (or perhaps be used alongside) your existing e-mail programme (e.g. Outlook). Whilst I knew of people who used IncrediMail and sang its praises I wasn't overkeen on the prospect of losing Outlook Express, my current default programme, which I am familiar with and like using. However, recently IncrediMail have developed a new service which offers all the bells and whistles of the alternative IncrediMail programme, but it's an Outlook Add-On. This means you keep your Outlook Express or Outlook but also get to use IncrediMail - best of both worlds so far as I'm concerned. This Add-On is still under some development and as such is currently offered for users to 'beta-test' - this is basically the option to download the product and test it out for IncrediMail, giving I
ncrediMail the chance to iron out any bugs and allow users to report back on any problems they come across as and when they happen before it's launched as a full product.

What does the New IncrediMail for Office - Outlook Add-on actually do?
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As per the standard IncrediMail programme, the Outlook Add-on can be downloaded from www.incredimail.com - go to the site, click on the download tab at the top of the page then look for the option to 'Test Our New Product'.

Once downloaded IncrediMail the first change you notice is that a new toolbar has appeared within Outlook, with buttons for 'Notifier', 'Gallery', 'Letter Creator', 'Premium', 'Beta Feedback' and 'More'.

Notifier:
Clicking on the Notifier button allows you to select your new notifier - a basic selection of characters are instantly available, however you have the option to download further characters and animations to act as your notifier (these don't take long at all to download). Notifiers range from a butler appearing and announcing 'New mail, sir', to a holographic futuristic type image that says 'Message waiting for you' in a metallic sounding voice, to a little puppy dog running towards you yapping with a little envelope in his mouth... there's plenty more besides - some are just sounds if that's what you prefer. You also have the option to use the same notifier all the time or a random notifier from those you have downloaded - alternatively you can set a Smart Notifier so that should an e-mail arrive from a certain person you have a particular notifier announce that their message has arrived.

Gallery:
This is a link to the website page showing all the additional downloads that are available. You can choose from a wide variety of Letters, Animations, E-Cards, Sounds and Notifiers.

Letter Creator:
Thi
s is a sort of bonus feature that seems to only be available for a short period of time. It's basically a sample of an additional programme offered by the same company that helps you to create letters that are as imaginative as your new e-mails.

Premium:
...is a link to the site that offers you the option to purchase the premium version of IncrediMail.

Beta Feedback:
...allows you to quickly send any feedback you have on the new product to IncrediMail.

More:
This brings up a menu of additional options such as a help feature or links to various parts of the IncrediMail Website.

Creating E-mails:
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To write an e-mail you take exactly the same steps as you normally would using Outlook / Outlook Express (i.e. click on New) - your window will appear as per normal to create your e-mail, however there's an extra box attached to the side of the window that includes tabs for 'letters', 'animations', 'sounds' and 'e-cards'. In brief, clicking on each of these tabs brings up a list of categories (e.g. under animations there are categories for animals, nature and romance) - clicking on one of the categories then brings up a list of the animations or letter styles etc. that are available - clicking on one of these inserts it into your e-mail. It really is as simple as pointing and clicking.

If you aren't in the mood for making decisions, a new 'Random' button within your e-mail window, once clicked, will select a random background / style for your e-mail. Additional buttons within the e-mail window are 'Signature' (allows you to create a hand-written style signature using the mouse and save / insert it into your e-mails), 'Emoticons' (an extensive bunch of smileys, symbols and dancing letters to insert into your e-mail), 'Recorder' (which so long as you have the right equipment allows you to record a short voice message to in
sert into your e-mail), '3D' (gives the option to display 3D items or not), 'Premium' and 'More' (which are as per the buttons on the new Outlook toolbar).


Conclusion
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I am really impressed with 'New IncrediMail for Office - Outlook Add-on' - the fact that it leaves my Outlook Express as it should be, and just (as the programme title suggests) 'adds-on' the IncrediMail features means that it's easy to send either a standard e-mail, or with a few clicks, a lively animated colourful e-mail. The notifiers are great and because of the huge range of lively talkative characters and subtle sound notifiers it means that there's always something to chose that will suit your personality or mood.

Although the Add-On version of IncrediMail isn't considered a finsished product as such just yet you certainly wouldn't notice that from using it. I have experienced no problems or glitches with it as yet. I still wouldn't consider downloading the original full version of IncrediMail, but that's just because I'm so used to all the features in Outlook Express that there's some I would miss if they weren't available in the full version of the programme, but I believe in this Add-On programme you really do get to combine IncrediMail and Outlook perfectly. IncrediMail is definitely worthy of 5 stars!!!

(Further information and demo's are availble from the website)

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