Apple: Let there be Exchange (just not right this minute)

June 24, 2008 at 9:11 pm · Filed under Mac for PC Users, Predictions, Software

Last Fall I in a post about the frustrations of using a Mac in a corporate setting where Microsoft’s Exchange provides calendaring, contacts, and email, I considered the possibility of support for Exchange in Apple’s native applications.

If that is true, I’d have to say that while that while that is a great move on behalf of the iPhone, there is likely another story here. That story: Full Microsoft Exchange support with an Apple authored application. Far fetched? iWork’s interoperability with Microsoft Office’s Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents is proudly displayed on the iWord ‘08 landing page already. And, if Apple was going to make the iPhone play nice with Exchange, I’d find it hard to believe that a desktop solution wasn’t also in the works.

Well, it’ll be a bit more of a wait, but eventually it is to be. A colleague recently pointed me to a page on Apple’s site for the next version of OS X, “Snow Leopard.” The page confirms Exchange support for Mail.app, iCal and Address Book.

Microsoft Exchange Support

Snow Leopard includes out-of-the-box support for Microsoft Exchange 2007 built into Mail, Address Book, and iCal. Mac OS X uses the Exchange Web Services protocol to provide access to Exchange Server 2007. Because Exchange is supported on your Mac and iPhone, you’ll be able to use them anywhere with full access to your email, contacts, and calendar.

Why this feature isn’t coming sooner is my only question!

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Get rid of Mail.app SPAM

March 29, 2008 at 1:11 pm · Filed under Mac for PC Users, Tips, Support, Software

A few tips you can try to get a handle on SPAM for your .Mac email account for users of Mail.app (Apple’s default email application).

Be Sure SPAM Filtering is Enabled in Mail

Mail provides some basic SPAM protection.  If it’s off it’s of no use to you, so be sure that it’s enabled.

1. In Mail navigate to Mail > Preferences…
2. Click the Junk Mail option
3. Ensure “Enable junk mail filtering” is checked

With junk mail filtering enabled, there is one more thing you need to do: train Mail. Mail constantly learns from what you flag as SPAM to try to do a better job in the future. Be sure that you flag junk mail as such as opposed to just deleting it.

Get a More Advanced SPAM Protection

The junk mail filtering for Mail on OS X is a nice feature, but it does seem that it takes it awhile to learn a new strain of SPAM when it encounters it. I’ve considered getting more SPAM protection for Mail.app, but just haven’t bitten the bullet yet.

The program which holds the most appeal to me is called SpamSieve by C-Command Software. If there is an opportunity to evaluate SpamSieve prior to purchase I’ll give it a test drive and report back on how effective it is.

Report SPAM you Receive

I’m not sure if it will assist in your short-term battle with SPAM, but being a part of the solution is always a good thing (right?). When you do get SPAM, submit it to a SPAM reporting service such as SpamCop–be sure you go to spamcop.NET not .COM.

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iPhone Exchange ActiveSync: granted

March 6, 2008 at 12:03 pm · Filed under Mac for PC Users, Software

At this morning’s iPhone SDK announcement, Apple put the end to the question of the iPhone’s viability in the enterprise by announcing Exchange support by way of Microsoft’s ActiveSync technology.

ActiveSync will synchronize contacts and meetings with the iPhone’s native address book and calendar, leading to the inevitable question: when is OS X’s Mail and iCal going to get Exchange support?

The improved iPhone Exchange support will be made available at the time of the next iPhone Software Update.

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iPhone SDK announcement with ActiveSync/Exchange news?

February 28, 2008 at 4:12 am · Filed under Predictions, Software, Hardware

Although slated for a February release, the iPhone SDK will be released next Wednesday (March 6th).  Of interest:  specific mention of “exciting new enterprise features” in the invitation sent to reporters.

This has to be an iPhone/ActiveSync/Exchange announcement.  If it’s not, there’s going to be some disappointed current and potential iPhone enterprise customers out there.

If Wednesday’s iPhone SDK enterprise features do include Exchange synchronization, I’d look for enterprise Exchange support in an OS X mail client to follow as I previously predicted.

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Email on a Mac in a Microsoft world

September 4, 2007 at 11:37 pm · Filed under Rumors, Software

Last month amidst much iMac fanfare a new version of iWork, iWork 2008, was announced. While iWork now touts three programs (Keynote, Pages, and Numbers) it is missing the one key component to truly be positioned as a relevant, competitive office productivity suite—a mail, calendaring, and contact management application which is compatible with Microsoft Exchange.

Now I know, I should take what Apple gives me overthrow the IT department in my company, but I’m not going to, so let’s just ignore that concept for now. There is a problem. Macs are making it into business environments on the greater set of their merits, only to be frowned upon for their abysmal support of Microsoft Exchange. Here are the options that I’m currently faced with:

1. Use Microsoft Office 2004’s Entourage mail client
   I tried this for awhile but became frustrated with Entourage’s sluggish performance, not to mention time spent chasing down KB articles on the Microsoft site to debug mysterious behavior.
2. Use Microsoft’s Outlook Web Access (with Safari or Firefox)
   Unfortunately, our organization isn’t running the latest and greatest version of Exchange and OWA. That said, even if we were running the latest and greatest version of Exchange, a web-based version of the Outlook isn’t a productive full-time solution.
3. Use the Windows flavor of Microsoft Office through virtualization
   This is what I am currently doing with Parallels Desktop for Mac, Windows XP, and Microsoft Office 2007. Performance is relatively good, and I have no complaints about Outlook-it works as advertised. I would, however, prefer to not give up a share of my video and ram resources to virtualize an entire operating system in order to run one program.
4. Use a bunch of hacks to get Mail.app, iCal and Address Book to work with Exchange
   Just kidding. That’s really not an option. Not for me, nor for anyone else who bought a Mac because of things like say “ease of use.”

What is on the horizon? Microsoft Office 2008. Microsoft was slated to release Office 2008 in the second half of 2007, and, it looks promising from the screen captures that have been released. A new, more competent Entourage and a beefed up suite all around could put the whole issue to bed. Unfortunately, that date has been moved to early 2008.

Is it possible that Apple will make a move at the problem first? In an interesting subtext brought on by the iPhone, the rumor mill is throwing around the idea that the iPhone will have Exchange support through the licensing of Microsoft’s ActiveSync.

If that is true, I’d have to say that while that while that is a great move on behalf of the iPhone, there is likely another story here. That story: Full Microsoft Exchange support with an Apple authored application. Far fetched? iWork’s interoperability with Microsoft Office’s Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents is proudly displayed on the iWord ‘08 landing page already. And, if Apple was going to make the iPhone play nice with Exchange, I’d find it hard to believe that a desktop solution wasn’t also in the works.

How would it come about? Possibly by retooling the Mail/iCal/Address Book “suite,” or, more likely by way a new productivity application geared toward the Mac user in a business setting which has full Exchange support and is available as a part of an iWork upgrade.

Any takers?

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