Some big news came out of the Zimbra camp last week. Their downloadable client software was bumped up to an all new beta version on Thursday, and this one has some functionality that will be of particular interest to some YMail users. Before I get to the nitty gritty, I should remind you that this is still a beta, and a lot of the synching options and functionality are still in the early stages. Things could change considerably between now and the general release.
The first bit of cool news is the new default appearance. When you open it the first thing you will probably notice is that it VERY closely resembles the All-New Yahoo! Mail. Zimbra has several themes (or “skins”) that can be applied, and it now defaults to a Yahoo! option. So if you like the interface of New Mail you will probably find this new default appearance quite cozy. Of course there are still differences to the interface and functionality, but the look will be familiar.
Another benefit for YMail users is that Zimbra enables offline access to your Yahoo! Mail. You’ll be able to compose, move, and also delete messages, and all of these activities will be pushed back to Yahoo! Mail the next time you connect. That may sound mystical to some, but IMAP helps make it possible. Yes, you read that last part right … Yahoo! Mail has dipped its toe into the IMAP pool and is testing the waters with Zimbra (after all, they are family).
The sync options are currently limited to Mail, so keep that in mind if you were hoping to play around with your Calendar and Address Book. Regardless, this still represents an exciting new option for the YMail user who is frequently on the go (and hasn’t drank the iPhone kool-aid).
You can get more details about all of the changes over on the Zimbra blog.
Ryan Knight
Community Manager
Yahoo! Mail