Hi, Ray
Wow ! My own thread !!
Actually, my lawn work has been keeping me busy since April, so I really haven't had all that much time to spend in the world of email -- or much of anything else internet-wise.
I do manage to check in here (usually daily), but haven't done much else -- and haven't had the time (or in most cases the experience) to be able to offer help to the many people coming here with various issues.
In my own case, I've scaled down quite a bit email-wise. I closed my Gmail and Hotmail accounts (though I do still have a GApps account for my one remaining domain, which I will be allowing to expire in Oct.). Being from a small town, I guess I have more of a 'mom and pop store' attitude these days. So I've been sticking with 'the little guys.' And with so many people here and elsewhere complaining of Hotmail related issues, including blocked account and lost email, I really haven't looked back as far as abandoning that provider is concerned. (But maybe the "soon"-to-be-unveiled-to-the-world
Coldmail will provide some 'cool' features.)
But for now I'm using FastMail ($5/yr Ad-Free level), OpenMail.cc, and Hushmail. And even though the latter two are kind of short on features, I actually like the simplicity of that. OTOH, FM is email for geeks, so I can customize that to my heart's content.
Oh, I am trying out the Windows Live Desktop client. Just for fun. Never liked Thunderbird.
Re: iPhone: I suppose that same 'small town' mentality of mine is why I just never got into the whole iPhone phenomenon. I need to sit in front of a nice sized monitor with a regulation-sized keyboard on my lap to be happy doing email. But I guess guys in your business -- and busyness -- truly benefit from all the advancements in communication technology, even though they haven't figured out how to get Gmail stars on your iPhone yet.
Oh.... although I haven't discovered anything much new myself, I do remember reading
this article a few weeks ago that gave me pause. Scary.
Scott