Tech Guides :: Zimbra :: Client Comparison
How Do I Know Which Email Client to Choose?
We heartily recommend that everyone use the “Zimbra Web Interface” (Windows, Mac and Linux users alike) to enjoy the best email experience. You’ll be able to use the same interface whether you are on or off campus, your email and contacts will look the same no matter where you are, and your calendar will appear in the same application as your email.
UNLESS
you frequently rely on "off-line" mode for reading and replying to your email (e.g., you read and reply to emails on airplanes or other locations where you don’t have any internet connectivity). Then, you might want to consider the using Outlook with the Zimbra Connector or Mac Mail and iCal with the Zimbra iSync connector. These clients provide nearly the same functionality as as the Zimbra Web Client, plus the ability to synchronize your email and calendar before and after you perform off-line work. These clients requires a small amount of configuration to work properly.
OR
you just love Outlook or Mail or some other client and don't have the spare energy right now to learn how to use the Zimbra Web Interface. (But we really think you'll love the Zimbra Web Interface! Come on - TRY it!)
Be aware that there may be some limitations with using these other clients - mostly the ability to look up email addresses while composing a new email message, or view other users’ free/busy times on their calendars.
If you have a smartphone/PDA or are considering buying a new one, check out the list of devices compatible with the Zimbra Mobile client.
We hope you’ll try the Zimbra Web Client - we think you'll love it!
Comparison Chart
Zimbra Web Client |
Outlook |
Apple Mail w/iCal |
Entourage |
IMAP Client |
POP Client |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Email & Calendar combined2 | X |
X |
||||
| Global Address Book3 | X |
X |
||||
| Email looks same anywhere4 | X |
L5 |
L4 |
L4 |
L4 |
|
| Address Book contacts are the same anywhere6 | X |
X |
X |
X |
||
| Vacation messages7 | X |
|||||
| Shared Mailboxes | X |
X |
||||
| Shared Calendars8 | X |
X |
||||
| View free/busy times of others to schedule meetings | X |
X |
||||
| Ability to store more email than your quota9 | X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
| Mobile device connection10 | X |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
| View Email offline11 | X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
| Requires configuration12 | X |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
| Online briefcase (document storage)13 | X |
|||||
| Zimlets14 | X |
|||||
| Document editing & sharing (Wiki)15 | X |
|||||
| Tasks16 | X |
X |
X |
|||
| View your quota17 | X |
1 Windows XP SP2 and above, Mac OS X (Intel) Tiger 10.4.11 or Leopard 10.5.4 and above, and Linux (x86) 2.6.x and above
2 With Zimbra, you won’t have to sign into a second application to view your calendar. Your mail and calendar are together for your convenience.
3 All HSU addresses are stored in the Global Address Book so you don’t have to open a web page to lookup an HSU email address.
4 When your mail is stored on the server (online), you can see all of your messages no matter where you are. If you use Zimbra, the interface (buttons, menus, etc.) is the same whether you are in your office or on the go.
5 These applications will allow you to keep your mail on the server; however you would also have the option to store some of your mail on your computer (if you run out of space in your mail box). Any mail you move to your computer would not be available through the zimbra webmail interface. Additionally, the interface (buttons, menus, etc.) would be different between your email client and the webmail interface.
6 Your contacts are stored on the server so they will be the same whether you are in your office or on the go.
7 Easily set an auto-reply message to go out when you are out of the office. This runs on the server, so you don’t have to leave your email client open while you are out of the office.
8 You can now share your mailboxes and calendars with other HSU users. You decide whether someone can read only, read and write, or have no access.
9 With Zimbra, you must stay within your mailbox quota (100 mb for students, 500 mb for faculty and staff). If you have difficulty staying within this limit, you may need to use a client that allows you to save messages on your computer. Any mail you move to your computer would not be available through the zimbra webmail interface.
10 Zimbra has tools to connect with nearly every mobile device.
11 If you ever take your laptop somewhere that has no Internet connection and you need to read your email that is already downloaded (cached), you should choose a client that allows you to view your cached messages while offline.
12 The Zimbra Web Client gives you instant access to your mail and calendar without any technical configuration. All of the other client options require varying degrees of configuration.
13 Zimbra allows you to save documents to your Briefcase. You can access these files from any computer connected to the Internet. You’ll never have to e-mail yourself a file again. Please note that anything stored in your Briefcase counts against your quota.
14 Zimlets are tools built into Zimbra that help you increase productivity. For example, you can easily view your appointments by hovering over a date in an email
15 Zimbra allows you to create simple documents and edit them online. You can also collaborate on these documents with other Zimbra users. Please note that anything stored in your Documents counts against your quota.
16 Keep track of your tasks and to do lists right from your email client.
17 Knowing how much of your quota you are using is important to keeping your inbox from filling up. Zimbra displays your quota so you will always know where you are.
