I switched to Gmail in 2004 when it first launched, and I finally switched to Mac in 2005 when I got my first Mac (a Powerbook G4). I switched to Mailblocks around 2002 (it was eventually acquired by AOL). I stuck with AOL until I got an account when my parents first got high-speed Internet. I got my first email account in the mid–90s (When it was still $2.95 per hour for AOL). So what’s the best email app for the Mac? Even with the popularity of web-based services like Gmail, many still prefer a desktop app to pull in multiple email addresses, use desktop plugins, and have a more native Mac experience. Signing up for almost any service on the Internet requires an email address, so it’s a universal digital identifier.
Signing into iCloud (and email) is one of my first tasks when setting up a new Mac. Despite all the new messaging services, project management tools, and chat-based ecosystems, email remains essential.
