Evolution 2.28.2-1

Overview

Evolution 3.3.2 is a handy mail client, calendar, address book, and task list manager that is included with the GNOME desktop. Being an open source software, developers are free to enhance and expand upon the Evolution source code, making it a relatively comprehensive program.

Installation

The installation process is self-explanatory, and the file size is extremely compact. While it is possible to install Evolution on a virtual machine within any operating system, it must be installed within a partition of the Gnome desktop.

Interface

The Evolution user interface is split into four main left panes - Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and Tasks. Clicking the mail pane shows you the folders (i.e. - inbox, junk, sent items, trash etc.) of the e-mail address you're logged into. Lining the top of the main window are simple buttons that facilitate the basic e-mail actions - Send/Receive, Reply, Reply to All, Forward, Move, Copy, Print, and Delete. Overall, the user interface is simple, yet provides easy access to a vast array of advanced options and settings.

Pros

• Extensive help documentation can be access on the project GNOME website through the user interface

• Allows compatibility with multiple e-mail accounts simultaneously

• Supports customized e-mail reminders

• Conduct advanced e-mail searches using detailed queries

• Users can define filters to refine the e-mails shown

• Supports iCalendar and various calendar views

• V-card sharing support

• Supports handheld Palm devices

• Automatic junk mail filtering

• Conveniently integrates with the GNOME desktop

• Simple interface will quickly become familiar to anyone that is used in e-mail client before.

• Search contacts lists using a variety of criteria

• Open source EPlugin system utilizes proprietary development hooks to expand upon the program's key components and add new features and functionality. A plethora of EPlugins are already available for use, including: Attachment Reminder, External Editor, Calendar Publishing, Mailing List Actions, Backup and Restore, Face (lets you attach a profile picture to sent messages), Mail to Task (convert mail messages to a new task), Prefer Plain Text (eliminates HTML to display e-mails in plain text), Automatic Contacts (simplifies addressbook management) and Templates (lets you compose messages based on predesigned templates).

Cons

• Not compatible with more popular operating systems like Windows or Mac OS X.

• Not the most robust of its kind, although it is the best for the GNOME desktop.

• Given the extensive number of features, a slight learning curve may be required before you can take full advantage of the software's functionality.

Alternatives

While Evolution 3.3.2 is the ideal mail/addressbook/calendar/task management application for the GNOME desktop, there are plenty of alternatives available for other operating systems, including Microsoft Outlook (Windows), and Apple Mail (Mac OS X) among others.

Conclusion

If you're looking for an easy way to manage workgroups, contacts, e-mails, and to-do tasks, Evolution 3.3.2 is an ideal software solution for GNOME desktop users. Being a free, open-source software that has been in development for nearly a decade, Evolution is an advanced utility that continues to evolve as more developers gain interest and share their ideas and innovative plug-ins.