A few people have asked me recently what POP mail is.
There is a form of electronic mail that is most useful to microcomputer
(Macintosh and MSDos) users, if their computer is connected to
a network that is part of the Internet. This is Post Office Protocol
mail, or POP mail. This form of e-mail is a boon to both the
microcomputer user and to the multi-user UNIX or VMS computer that
would normally provide mail services to the user thru telnet.
It saves the micro user from having to learn archane UNIX or VMS
mail and editing commands. Instead you have a mail handler that acts like
a normal Mac or MSDos program. The multi-user computer benefits
because, though users still have mail accounts thru that computer,
the POP service cuts down on processor time used, and on number
of interactive telnet sessions that must be supported.
The name Post Office Protocol comes from the fact that your multi-user
computer now acts like a post office, where mail is sent and stored,
until your microcomputer client connects to retreive or send mail.
The post office, or pop server, computer needs to run pop server software
which is available for either UNIX or VMS computers (see below). The
microcomputer needs to have a client program, available for either
Mac or MSDOS.
Steve Dorner, Eudora author speaking:
"Eudora is a mail program for the Macintosh. It uses the POP3 and SMTP
protocols to receive and send mail from a network-connected Macintosh.
It can also be used over serial lines."
"Eudora is free, and works with either MacTCP or the Communications Toolbox
(though there are some gotchas in the latter). It is a very full-featured
mail program, including nicknames, signature, multiple mailboxes, automatic
mail checking, and automatic binhex/debinhex of mac documents."
Several faculty in our department, who would otherwise not use e-mail
thru a UNIX or VMS computer here, have found that Eudora is quite
useable.
The MSDos program for this is called popmail (which I haven't tried).
According to its documents, it is similarly easy to use as Eudora.
Here is a list of some of the anonymous ftp sites where you can
obtain client and server software for POP mail.
-----------
For Eudora, the best mac pop mail client,
Host ux1.cso.uiuc.edu, in the mac/eudora subdirectory (home of Eudora)
See also
Host imag.imag.fr, Location: /archive/macintosh/eudora
Host pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu, Location: /mac/comm/Mail/eudora
Host nic.switch.ch, Location: /software/mac/mail/eudora
Host luga.latrobe.edu.au, Location: /pub/network/eudora
--------------
For msdos pop mail client (about the only one in general use),
ftp boombox.micro.umn.edu (home of msdos popmail)
location: /pub/POPmail/msdos/version_2.7
See also
Host lth.se, Location: /pub/mail/popmail/mail
Host puffin.doc.ic.ac.uk, Location: /mail/pop/POPmail/msdos/version_2.6B9
Host csuvax1.csu.murdoch.edu.au, Location: /pub/dos/popmail
------------------
For popper, the unix pop mail server
Host ftp.cc.berkeley.edu (home of popper)
Location: /pub/popper
See also:
Host nic.funet.fi, Location: /pub/unix/mail/pop
Host imag.imag.fr, Location: /archive/macintosh/eudora/POP3D
Host metro.ucc.su.oz.au, Location: /pub
--------
For VMS-Vax pop mail server
Host logos.ucs.indiana.edu (home of iupop3)
Location: /pub/iupop3/v1.7/files
See also
Host nic.switch.ch, Location: /software/vms/iupop3-1.6a
--
Don Gilbert gilbert at bio.indiana.edu
biocomputing office, biology dept., indiana univ., bloomington, in 47405
