Suggestions and Impressions

[Bruce]

I'm looking for collaboration software for a group of 15 Mac users. I was given a demo account of Zimbra which I've had for about a week now. Zimbra looks like the future to me. There are a few things that would be very attractive to the group that I don't see in Zimbra at present:

1) An email helper app for the Mac. This would show how many unread emails there are and also make it possible for Zimbra to be the default email client for all email links. Google has a notifier for Mac that does these things. There is an open source OS X notifier for Gmail that could perhaps be a starting point for a Zimbra notifier.

** Edit ** I found out that there is a helper app for Mac. See the post at OnDeckTech's blog: **
http://www.macwork.com/2007/03/27/zi...w-best-friend/

2) Tags that are part of shared items. The clients are currently using Entourage based sharing which has individual categories much like Zimbra's individual tags. Everyone wants this feature to be system wide. A tag would be just like any element of a shared item such as first name or phone number or time of event or whatever. It would follow the same rules for edibility as other elements.

3) Documents that can easily be transferred to MS Office. I know the Documents area is new. I just want to make it clear that easy sharing of docs that will eventually be put in Word or Excel and sent to a client is important.

That's about it as far as the group requirements go. For myself I have one more feature request which is:

4) Mail filters for outgoing mail. I have used this feature continually since Claris Emailer 10 years ago. Who wouldn't want their outgoing mail to be automatically tagged and filed?

Don't get me wrong: I think Zimbra is a good to very good product. And I don't need all of these changes myself in order to use Zimbra. My computing experience started with card decks of FORTRAN. I can get used to just about anything.

But what I've been doing for the last 10 years or so is working as a Mac Consultant. Most of my clients are individuals and small businesses. These people know about the disadvantages of the Mac: less choice in software and higher prices for hardware (historically at least). They have made their choice for Mac and they accept these things. However what they demand is an excellent computing experience. I don't think that Zimbra on the Mac has quite made it to excellent yet, and I'd like to see it get there.

** Edit: I want to say thanks to the people at OnDeckTech for giving me a trial account so I can experience Zimbra firsthand. **

[machelp]

Bruce, we hope you'll give it another shot with us in October with the release of Zimbra 5!
Zimbra Blog | 01.com » Zimbra 5 Briefcase & Shared Folders improve document sharing

[Bruce]

I haven't given up yet. I like the features in 5.0 that I have read about. I've been to the 01 hosting site, and other hosting sites, and have done some pricing. Right now I have a question in the zimbra mobile forum that is a big one for my client.

A Treo, a Mother, and shared contacts

[mmorse]

Originally Posted by Bruce

1) An email helper app for the Mac. This would show how many unread emails there are and also make it possible for Zimbra to be the default email client for all email links. Google has a notifier for Mac that does these things. There is an open source OS X notifier for Gmail that could perhaps be a starting point for a Zimbra notifier.

** Edit ** I found out that there is a helper app for Mac. See the post at OnDeckTech's blog: **
http://www.macwork.com/2007/03/27/zi...w-best-friend/

-Actually now there's the Zimbra Toaster, check it out as part of the Zimbra Desktop Alpha)

Originally Posted by Bruce

2) Tags that are part of shared items. The clients are currently using Entourage based sharing which has individual categories much like Zimbra's individual tags. Everyone wants this feature to be system wide. A tag would be just like any element of a shared item such as first name or phone number or time of event or whatever. It would follow the same rules for edibility as other elements.

-add your enhancement request to bugzilla

Originally Posted by Bruce

3) Documents that can easily be transferred to MS Office. I know the Documents area is new. I just want to make it clear that easy sharing of docs that will eventually be put in Word or Excel and sent to a client is important.

-all sorts of import/export formats are definitely in the works, + zimbra now has 5 aces up it's sleeve

Originally Posted by Bruce

That's about it as far as the group requirements go. For myself I have one more feature request which is:
4) Mail filters for outgoing mail. I have used this feature continually since Claris Emailer 10 years ago. Who wouldn't want their outgoing mail to be automatically tagged and filed?

-of course: bugzilla again!