Yahoo Zimbra Desktop: Access Web Email Offline - Geek Review
Accessing Webmail Offline with Yahoo Zimbra Desktop
Do you desire the convenience of accessing your webmail directly on your desktop? Yahoo's Zimba Desktop provides this functionality, extending beyond simple access to include web-based connectivity for Gmail, Yahoo, and even Exchange mail accounts. It functions as a desktop application, offering the benefit of offline operation. Intrigued? Continue reading for a detailed examination.
Review of the Zimbra Desktop Email Client
Today’s focus is on evaluating the Zimbra desktop email client and assessing its performance. The testing was conducted using Beta Version .91 (build 1344) on a Vista Ultimate (64-bit) system. Notably, versions are also available for both Linux and Mac operating systems.
Upon installation of Zimbra, users are guided through a straightforward wizard designed to facilitate the setup process.
Zimbra not only supports Yahoo mail but also a diverse array of other services, including those offered by your Internet Service Provider. It's important to remember that Gmail requires IMAP access to be enabled for proper configuration.
Adding a Yahoo Email Account
This assessment will focus on the addition of a Yahoo email account. The setup procedure is remarkably simple, requiring only the input of an account name, email address, and password. A further advantageous feature is the synchronization of your Yahoo address book.
Following the saving of my settings, the application launched and promptly populated with the majority of my contacts and existing folders. Synchronization of larger mailboxes naturally takes a longer duration. I also observed that individual folder synchronization was necessary. The user interface bears a strong resemblance to the web-based Yahoo Mail interface.
Integrated Features
Yahoo Zimbra incorporates several useful features, as one would expect from a modern email client. A convenient calendar is included, offering synchronization capabilities.
Included utilities, known as "Zimlets," enable integration with Yahoo Local, Flickr, and Maps. The following image demonstrates the Maps functionality.
A wide range of customization options are available, allowing users to tailor Zimbra’s appearance and behavior to their preferences.
Like other email clients, Zimbra provides pop-up reminders for scheduled events.
Conclusion:
Based on my initial experience, this is a remarkably capable email client. While not entirely web-based, a significant portion of its functionality relies on web connectivity, which may introduce some latency during connection establishment. However, I did not encounter any performance issues that were excessively slow during this beta testing phase.
The application is both enjoyable and easy to use, and I found its user interface to be preferable to that of Windows Live Mail. It is important to remember that this is a beta version, but if you are seeking an alternative to Outlook, Zimbra is worth considering. The ability to conveniently access my Yahoo mail alongside other accounts is particularly appealing.
Download Yahoo Zimbra Beta Mail Client For Windows, Mac, Linux