Blog

Posted by Christin on December 30, 2012

No. Email is not dead, and its definitely not going anywhere in 2013. What will change is the culture of email and how it is used today, and Mailbird is 100% part of this movement. No…social networking, texting, or chatting will not replace email. With social networking sites acting as email silos, the big question is… how many years will open email survive as email silos form i.e. Facebook, LinkedIn? Majority says 25 years or more! Yes, email still remains ahead of the game when it comes to communicating online. Email user Beth A. says, “The problem with ‘silos’ is that I now have email in LinkedIn, Facebook, etc., none of which is in my filing system.” Think about it, even with alternative means of short-hand communication (which Mailbird also incorporates with the Quick Reply feature) when it comes to formal online communication, email perseveres. This next year will be an exciting one as we see new email products emerge. Much like our earlier post “The Creative Evolution of Email”, as we observe the new hybrid users that choose to use both Mac and Windows OS, the same goes for email. It would be fantastic to manage all online correspondence from one tool. As we continue to learn about people and their email, it is clear that we are dynamic users when it comes to software, and people will continue the use of multiple sources depending on the nature of our means to communicate. Again, when it comes to structured and action oriented, productivity…

Posted by Christin on December 12, 2012

Design & Positioning We made great strides in design and development with many more updates and changes on the way. It’s a lot of work, but we love this project and seeing Mailbird improve everyday. Our private beta and early release groups are growing and a big thank you for all the tremendous feedback. The ideas have been inspirational, and what is cool is that it allows users to be a part of the process in designing how they would like to manage email productivity. We love that people feel compelled to support the clean and simple email experience with Mailbird. We have also been experimenting with different slogans that define Mailbird and your input has been really interesting. Great ideas out there from people who are seeking a better email solution, which has also helped us understand how our app will be set to develop over time, and plan for some desirable feature releases. Design is important to us. It is what brings the experience of email with Mailbird full circle. One of the challenges is choosing the right approach to integrating our app to the modern style in which Windows 8  apps are packaged, which is why we look forward to a collaborative Windows 8 development workshop in Bandung, Indonesia early next year.  People care about style, design, and the feeling they have when they interact with software. Look at the major email companies out there, that are web email focused. Hotmail has re-branded as outlook.com with a fresh metro style. In July this…

Posted by Christin on November 25, 2012

Hello Mailbird Fans!   Crowdsource funding is exciting. Even though we set a pretty steep funding goal, we were quite surprised to see our project hit $1,000 in backer support within the first day of launching our campaign. It is great to see people support Mailbird in our effort to redesign the experience with beautiful, simple, smart email for Windows. We love that we’ve had an increase in opportunities to engage with supporters, tech journalists, and future community developers that are just as excited about Mailbird as we are. We are tuned in and listening closely to what Mailbird private beta testers and supporters are saying. We love hearing what you have to say about email, and want to throw out a big Thank You for all the support and love you’ve been sending our way.   “I was one of those who wished Sparrow Mail was available on PC. Fortunately, Mailbird is here to come. Personally, I can’t wait for the release of this email client as I use Windows everyday in the office.” — Deuts A. (Author @ Deuts.net, Philippines)     We’ve had a lot of inquiries about releasing Mailbird on Mac or Linux. Are we going to go mobile? Will Mailbird be available in the Window 8 app store? When can I test Mailbird on Windows 8? Can I develop my own Mailbird app? Also, tons of wonderful suggestions and feature requests. We have a mega busy rest of the year prepping for our big public beta launch in 2013. Currently we…

Posted by Christin on October 15, 2012

Guest Post by Charnita Fance: An early adopter writer and blogger. Charnita shares her reviews on new web services and computer software. She has written for and has published work on over 10 tech and social media blogs. She also manages an IMVU blog.  Every since I first started using email, I’ve had an issue with an atrocious inbox. From being unorganized to just out of control, it seems like I’ve never been happy with it. Let’s not even talk about what a chore it is to check my email everyday. It’s gotten to the point to where I often go 2-3 days without checking it because of how bad it is. Obviously, this is not a good habit and often causes me to miss important emails. Because of this, I’ve been trying out various Gmail organization tools like Taskforce, SaneBox and Other Inbox’s Organizer. Actually, I’m still using all three, yet my inbox remains unorganized. You know you have problems when you’re using powerful tools like these and you’re still ready to give up on your email! I started out years ago with Yahoo and then moved on to Gmail; I’ve been with Gmail every since. I’ve tried desktop-based email clients like Outlook, Apple Mail, Sparrow, Thunderbird and PostBox – to name a few. Let’s just say, I always end up going back to the web-based version of Gmail because I’m never satisfied. I’ll admit, Outlook and Thunderbird are great, but pretty intimidating email clients; there’s a lot going on with…

Posted by Christin on October 8, 2012

Hi Mailbird fans! Sorry for the silence, as we were mega busy with the 2012 Sparxup startup competition. We are happy to announce that we are a 2012 productivity Sparxup winner! Our team could not be more proud to receive an awesome productivity trophy, as well as recognition for all the hard work in our continued, relentless pursuit of improving online communication through productivity. Go Mailbird! Indonesia is the new mecca for startups in the tech industry, as well as a optimal location for opportunity and entrepreneurs to get started. With the Mailbird hub located in Bali and our co-founders being rooted in Bandung and Jakarta, Indonesia is a remarkable place in emerging success for innovative tech development. There is a ton of talent here, and Mailbird is proud to be part of the rapid growth of creative tech projects in this great country.  We are ready to take the world by storm, so Mailbird can be a major contributor to economic growth in Indonesia. There were many inspiring startups at the annual Sparxup event, amazing sponsors like blibli.com, Microsoft, infinyscloud.com, Freelancer, Acer, and many more. Willix Halim, vice president of Freelancer delivered a fantastic presentation focused on products and services that were once done manually, to the drastic shift by way of software automation. All in the name of increasing efficiency and growth across businesses worldwide. We even received a nice “shout out” from Mr. Halim naming Mailbird as one of the many world class startups he saw on Sparxup Demo day.…

Posted by Christin on September 5, 2012

There is a reason why there aren’t a ton of people trying to develop new email applications. It’s because it is quite difficult! With all the technical components, coding, testing, and ensuring you have a stable and reliable email engine that is compatible with multiple versions of a single operating system…well we could go on. Despite the heavy workload, late nights, and continuous coffee recharges, we just cannot stop! Our team is so excited to give email a fresh face that works for you. You don’t have to settle for what is out there, so we hope to offer a new flavor to the world of email. It’s amazing how much more input and complexity goes into stripping something down, so that an intricate system feels much more simple and easy for users. The documentary “Objectified” by Gary Hustwit taps into the many forms of design. When building a super cool software application, like Mailbird (*wink), there is a lot to learn about human to computer interaction, or interaction design associated with software development. Chief of Design, Jonathan Ive of Apple is a meticulous man who understands that “creating simplicity isn’t simple.” Packing this inspiration in our Mailbird backpack as we continue on our adventure. There are several obstacles that challenge us each day. However, we fully support the notion that the creation of better email will never stop. This is why we decided to include others in the coding community who share the passion for improving everyday tools. Even though we have…

Posted by Christin on August 26, 2012

Ever get into the loop of constantly checking distracting emails when your time should be focused on productivity? Do you feel like you have a tendency to develop ADHD when you are online or checking email? Well you are not alone, because a case study conducted by Loughborough University in the U.K. unveiled that 70% of arriving emails are reacted to within 6 seconds. It took an average employee 64 seconds to resume work focus after the email interruption. When you think of how many emails you receive in a given day, how much of a work deterrent is email for you? Of course some of us prefer to have email notifications galore lighting up our computer screen, like the Las Vegas strip. Well, Mailbird can give you that too. However, this post is for those of you who prefer a quieter email application. Yes, Mailbird can also turn down the volume, so you can stay focused on work. Remember long long ago when AOL reigned the email world with the simple sound clip “You’ve Got Mail!”. It even inspired a sappy romantic film with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. When you heard that sound, it was exciting, like receiving a package in the mail that you could not wait to open. Now a days, the heavier our email usage becomes and the more we use email in our day to day activities, building relationships and taking things to action, that “You’ve Got Mail!” novelty died a little. In developing Mailbird, we realized that there is no right or…

Posted by Christin on August 12, 2012

There will always be die hard fans of a product who will support it no matter what. Then there are those who curse the name of products they find the smallest disappointment in, taking “having a strong opinion” to the next level. With email processes, users have different needs. Some want simple email without tons of “distracting” add-ons, while others like having tons of accessibility and features so they can do more with their email. Marissa Mayer, as the new CEO of Yahoo is even being called to act upon besting Gmail with improvements to Yahoo mail. A recent post siding with users who just want to read their email is a perfect example of how extreme email users can be with their preferences. That is why when considering Mailbird as a desktop email client, you can have it as sweet and simple for basic sending and receiving emails, or you can go for the mother load and get all the fancy feature rich goodness it has to offer. You get to decide, instead of having updated highlights shoved in your face. We can’t stress enough how much this digital age will enjoy the simplicity of online communication, and how we are excited to do something new to better serve the needs of basic email users, and those who need a little more from their desktop app. Email culture has changed. It is rare that we compose properly structured complete letters, as done in the ancient times of snail mail. Since then it…

Posted by Christin on August 2, 2012

The nature of online communication in the form of an email has transitioned over the years. There is the never ending battle of whether desktop or web based email clients are better, Windows vs. Mac, Cats vs. Dogs, Apples vs. Oranges- the reality of it all is that we have a new breed of email users who enjoy the benefits of both worlds. Many new and diverse forms of email applications have evolved since the crashing halt of Thunderbird, later followed by Google’s acquisition of Sparrow (for Mac). What is happening with all these desktop email clients? Well, not only are they being simply bought out by the biggest online company in the world, but they are also refocusing efforts in the other facets of online communication. One of those being mobile communication, which is a whole other animal in itself. With a focus on the benefits of desktop email applications that use both features of web based, and the adaptability and power of desktop, Mailbird brings it on! One of the most widely used desktop email clients is Outlook, because they were quick on their toes to penetrate a market called the professional workforce. As society evolves with technology, we have more niche groups, and people who like to celebrate their individuality, who have very particular preferences especially when we talk technology and gadgets. With the public introduction of Facebook in 2006, online social networking hit a big growth spurt, over a “Wow, time flies!” six year period. So…

Posted by Christin on July 3, 2012

In 2010 we had the chance to chat with Michael Bodekaer about his awesome decision to set up a work environment on the beautiful, tropical island of Bali. One of his many initiatives was Project Getaway, as mentioned in the 2010 Version2 blog post. Looks like we will have another batch of super talented entrepreneurs attending this year. A truly fantastic event for networking, meeting new people, learning, working, while living in luxury in a relaxing environment. One of the little gems that emerged from Project Getaway (among many other projects), is an email application called Mailbird. Michael Bodekaer has really been able to reach out to and inspire many other entrepreneurs, and has formed teams that focus on several different tech startups. Mailbird is a startup with a team of joined forces from the local talent in Indonesia, Denmark, including myself from the U.S. Additionally, Michael has been laying the foundation and building upon a business called Contenga International, with a work environment that directly correlates to that of Project Getaway. I was very lucky to have stumbled upon a job posting for Contenga International while still living in the U.S. It felt like I finally found the best job in the world, and people who shared the same ideals as myself. Even though I felt that it was too good to be true, I took the risk. One of the core values that unifies location independent tech entrepreneurs is making things simple so life is more enjoyable. Now I’m launching a slick Windows…