[Love Calm Quiet]

Don't get me wrong. I'm not pining for Outlook.

But Mail (at 2.1 on X.4.8) has aggressive patterns that I'd expect from Windows.

The general problem: It insists on acting like it know what's best for me.

Specifically:
• Even if I have it set to check mail *manually* starting up mail will nevertheless cause Mail to check my several inboxes, sorting the new spam, etc.. NOT what I want when I'm just dipping into Mail to retrieve some archived email or pull up a saved draft.
• If I set Mail as a startup app and indicate it should be *hidden* upon opening, it refuses to be hidden: the only app (Apple or otherwise) that will not follow the rules I set.
• If I have quit Mail with the main Inbox Viewer window foremost (with several other items open (usually annoying tasks I can't afford to forget forever but don't want to see in the middle of other work) in background), Mail insists on opening the Viewer first and then *all* other windows *on top*.

In all other respects Mail performs admirably for managing a half-dozen email accounts for different organizations I manage... but these annoyances remain after years of versions, 1.x... 2.x Am I the only one amazed by such Windowsization in an OS X app? The only one who feels majorly inconvenienced?

[Macola]

No, you're not the only one. Mail does some things very well, but it still feels "unpolished" in some ways...using signatures, for example.

[Wiskedjak]

Originally Posted by Love Calm Quiet 

The general problem: It insists on acting like it know what's best for me.

I don't know ... that sounds rather Apple-like to me.

[zaghahzag]

i've never been able to figure out how to quickly see my reply to an email in my inbox. often i want to see what i wrote back to someone and i haven't ever figured it out.

It seems like right-click "SEE RESPONSE" would be a nice feature.

[PurpleGiant]

zaghahzag: click the 'reply' icon next to the mail you replied to, to open your response.

[gopikrishna]

@PurpleGiant: Great tip!

@LCQ: I agree. But is this lack of polish? REALLY disappointing that it still works these ways as of v 2.1

[Chuckit]

I agree, I like Mail's UI in a lot of ways, but there are several other things — most introduced in 10.4 — that annoy the **** out of me.

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by Love Calm Quiet 

• If I set Mail as a startup app and indicate it should be *hidden* upon opening, it refuses to be hidden: the only app (Apple or otherwise) that will not follow the rules I set.

Terminal also does this in 10.4.x. I agree; it's annoying. File a report on the bug tracker - I've had one on there for ages, but maybe if a few more people reported it, they'd take notice.

[besson3c]

If Apple included support for multiple identities, finer control of folder caching, folder subscriptions, and marking folders to be included in checks for new messages, I'd gladly switch back from Thunderbird.

[Chuckit]

What do you mean by "multiple identities"? Mail already lets you use different addresses to send mail.

[FallN]

Originally Posted by PurpleGiant 

zaghahzag: click the 'reply' icon next to the mail you replied to, to open your response.

Thanks for the tip! Worked like a charm.