14 DAY TRIAL // The Bat! is a professional email client for managing multiple accounts into a single workspace. It has support for POP3, IMAP4 and MAPI protocols, and bundles numerous features and customization preferences.
The home edition's trial lasts for 30 days and has all features unlocked. At the end of this period, users may purchase The Bat! for $26.95 / €19.95.
A default configuration should be established toward the end of the setup. This concerns the location for storing email data, Start Menu shortcut, context menu integration, and notifications about file/protocol handling modifications. The last stage implies creating a new account or restoring data from a backup file.
New accounts are added via simple wizards, and they start with the account name, home directory, user name, email address, and organization. In the following steps, it is possible to specify the protocol used (POP3, IMAP4 or MAPI), incoming and outgoing mail server address (secure or insecure connection), along with an optional authentication request for sending mail. These settings can be later edited.
The interface is not particularly attractive, but it is neatly organized. The left panel holds a tree view with all folders from all accounts and permits new ones to be created with any location (e.g. all unread messages, addresses). Meanwhile, the right side of the main window lists all messages from a selected folder, along with the content right underneath. However, the window split mode can be turned into something else (e.g. vertical split, full-width message list), while the workspace can be filled or emptied of bars, tabs, and attached files.
Mail filters reduce clutter by moving messages to specific folders, flagging, unflagging, parking or unparking them, depending on the sender, subject or recipient. Advanced users may build custom conditions by applying logical structures. These filters may be applied to incoming, outgoing or replied messages.
Folders can be deleted, emptied of duplicates, purged and compacted, and marked by colors (like messages). Their viewing mode can be switched to threaded, current or previous day, current week, or custom. Analyzing the inbox of selected email accounts shows tags for all email addresses, such as mailing lists and newsletters (old or new).
The Bat! enables users to dispatch new messages or all of them on the server, protect accounts with passwords, and view log details pertaining to sent and received emails, among others. There are numerous modes for displaying and sorting messages (e.g. only messages with attachments, sort in descending order), viewing threads (e.g. references, group by date), message headers, and message list columns. Multiple character sets are included.
Program preferences are quite extensive, from general settings like running The Bat! at system startup and minimizing it to the system tray area, to editing the backup time and mail directory. File associations with specific file types and protocols are made automatically after installation, and they can be opted out.
The Good
Among supported protocols are POP3, IMAP4 and SMTP (secure and insecure), NTTP, LDAP (v2), IPv6 and MAPI, together with RSS and ATOM feeds. In addition to junk filtering (local and on the server), image blocking, quick replying and thread viewing, it is possible to label emails with flags and colors, insert signatures, use a spellchecker, and send emails at a scheduled time.
New emails are notified via sound and the system tray. The interface is completely configurable, and keyboard shortcuts can be remapped.
The Bad
It takes a long time to load content from accounts with numerous messages, as well as image previews within emails.
