[Leaplist] exchange replacement?

[Jason Boxman]

Tom Parker wrote:
> On Wed, May 13, 2009 at 5:45 PM, <jms1 at jms1.net> wrote:
>> howdy all-
>>
>> i have a potential client who needs an exchange server, but can't afford
>> 100 client access licenses and doesn't want to "hack" anything to run
>> illegal or unlicensed software. they aren't married to windows, and as
>> long as the clients on their (desktop? browser?) do what they need, they
>> don't care if the server is windows, linux, mac, solaris, or an old
>> refrigerator.
> 
> I have limited experience with the variety of groupware that is out
> there, but I have become very fond of Zimbra (http://www.zimbra.com).
> They have an open source free version as well as a pay-per-user
> version.  You can even use a hosting provider like 01.com if they
> don't want to buy a server.

Amusingly, it looks like the 'native' client is actually a local jetty 
Web app.  So, the local client is just a local Web server that serves up 
  the Ajax interface.  Huh?

I thought it was masterful that in addition to Windows, MacOS and Linux 
clients exist... Now I know why.

Oh, lovely, it installs jetty as a Windows service.

I think I'll stick this one on a dedicated server, then.  A local 
install of a Web client truly and completely defeats the purpose of it 
being a Web based app.

Looks like it'll plug into a standard IMAP server or a Zimbra install. 
(Note says it is beta feature.) I'll have it hit up my IMAP server just 
to get it going.  Neat, it gives an untrusted SSL cert warning.

Wow, the client eats CPU like nobody's business and uses even more RAM 
than Thunderbird, if that's possible!  Definitely not recommended for 
low-end client systems.  (In thrashing territory on a 900M box already.)

Interestingly, it runs in a window, so you wouldn't know it's a Web app 
on your box.

Feels like another mail client with calendar, contacts, tasks, et al. 
The mail client part is underwhelming.  I'd really like to be able to 
tag emails in some client somehow.  Oh wow, you can tag.  But is it 
local or server?

I wonder if the filters save server side.

HOLY %@*%(#$%

I just died.

"The Data Store contains:

"Each user’s set of tag definitions, folders, and contacts, calendar 
appointments, filter rules."[1]

I'm sold.

I'm buying new hardware and having this installed on every desktop.

One of my biggest issues is users can't setup filters, as they aren't 
centralized nor tag messages.  Thunderbird does the former client side, 
but the latter isn't even supported.  At least, not with custom tag 
names.  You're stuck with 5 possible tags, stored on the client.

The MySQL dependency is somewhat disappointing, though.

[1] http://wiki.zimbra.com/index.php?title=Zimbra_Server

/stream of consciousness email



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