Opera 11.60 - Free Email Program

Opera is not only an efficient browser, the email program packed into it is also a great way to do mail. A number of powerful and nice ideas can make you more effective with email.

The best idea might be Opera's "access points". Each message shows up in all the places where it makes sense: under the sender, in searches (which you can easily safe for repetition and reference), under labels to which they belong, or where Opera collects all unread mail. The labels (which you can pick freely, of course) go simple tagging one better and learn by example, automatically applying themselves to future mail similar to what you've already tagged. In addition, "pinning" messages flags them on IMAP accounts. All this allows for efficient, versatile mail handling, and the reasonably precise, adaptive Bayesian spam filter keeps the junk out.

Another smart feature is Opera's integration of RSS feeds in the email interface, which makes it convenient to browse news sites and blogs without opening yet another application or site.

When it comes to composing email messages, Opera is, alas, less rich in features. A "Quick Reply" pane lets you send answers fast and without concern for all a normal email's minuscule-but-still obstacles, and Opera does plain and rich-text equally well. There are no message templates, however, nor text snippets to speed up the writing process. Email security (encryption and signing) would make a great addition, too.

This shortcoming aside, Opera is a highly secure and privacy-conscious email program with good ideas implemented in a straight-forward and elegant manner.

(Updated December 2011)