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Technology Stocks : The New Qualcomm - a S&P500 company -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Bux who wrote (5572)	1/23/2000 6:54:00 AM
From: D.B. Cooper	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 13582

new Sunday January 23 04:12 AM EST Eudora's free program worth checking out By Charles Bermant Special to the Seattle Times In the Dec. 5 Inbox, I took a look at e-mail clients and outlined the basic choices: free (Outlook Express or Netscape Mail), or paid (Outlook or Eudora Pro). Since then, Qualcomm has crossed over to the other side, providing a free version of its powerful Eudora program with just a tiny little catch. The latest version, Eudora 4.3 (currently in beta), is now available as a free download from eudora.com . This is the complete package, not the cheesy Eudora Lite that is disdained by all but the most functionally minded. It's all here: the ability to manage and filter an infinite amount of folders and messages, a multitude of customization choices, and a swift multidocument interface. This "sponsored" version has one added feature, an advertising space in the lower left-hand corner of the screen. If you're interested in the subject, just click to visit the sponsor page. If not, the ad is easy to ignore. As a matter of fact, it is so easy to tune out there seems to be little advantage in forking over $49 for the "real" version. And Qualcomm has a "secret plan" to keep us from ignoring the ads. The company plans to display value-added messages such as tips and tricks or special offers, after the product's commercial launch this spring. Will this cut into sales? If enough people download the software, then the company may actually be able to make as much money through advertising as it would on the retail level. So it's better for everyone. The customer gets something free while the company cuts its distribution costs and makes a little cash on the side. Anyone who still wants to go to the software store and actually buy the product still has this option. And if it turns out that you really can't stand those little ad boxes, registering the program and paying a fee makes it go away. New versions of Eudora have incorporated a significant improvement with the ability to import messages from Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express. Previously, you might have preferred Eudora but had three years worth of Outlook mail files, making it impractical to switch. Now, it's no big deal. And this changes the landscape of the mail-client category. Outlook Express is a decent program, but Eudora is better. With essentially no price difference, there is no excuse not to upgrade. Eudora's move doesn't completely upset the apple cart. Microsoft Outlook is still the best choice for people who live inside an e-mail universe. But Eudora has provided a choice, as it demonstrates a viable option for the marketing and distribution of new software. don siliconinvestor.com