Yorba, friend of the free desktop and maker of fine apps, recently launched an IndieGoGo campaign trying to raise money for its desktop e-mail app, Geary (pronounced Gear-y, and named after the street in San Francisco). As soon as my paycheck hit my account, I ran to throw money at the screen.
I tinkered with Geary long before my move to elementary OS, and have been an huge fan since the first time I used it. Even many versions ago, I could say it was the most elegant, simple-yet-powerful e-mail client I had ever used. At that point, however, I couldn't switch to it full time because I have three e-mail accounts, and multiple account support was a feature that was critical for me. At the time, Geary could only handle a single account.
<p>That has since changed. Multiple account support landed about a month or so ago, and since then I have been a religious user of the program. It handles threaded conversations wonderfully, and allows managing all three of my e-mail accounts simultaneously a complete breeze. It’s a joy to use, and adds a certain special something to my workflow. I have used e-mail clients on Windows, Max, and Linux, and of all of them, I have never had a better user experience.</p><p>There are certainly issues, however. Search is definitely lacking. It doesn’t stay open in the background after it is closed, so new mail notifications don’t always pop up. Not all mail services are supported, with Exchange being perhaps the most egregious omission. Without question, there are areas in which Geary can be improved, but that’s exactly why they are asking for contributors to help fund the development.</p><p>There’s a lot of debate about whether or not Yorba is asking for too much with its $100,000 goal. Whether they are or not, that’s not something I’m interested in debating with this post. What I know is this: they are saying that $100,000 is what it will take to polish up and perfect Geary, and if that’s what they need, I’m going to try and help them get there. Software, be it proprietary or free, open or closed, takes time and money to develop. I am always happy to pay for quality software, and if it supports an organization that I respect and appreciate, that makes it even better.</p>[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PewB_M64-jk&w=640&h=360]<p>I love Yorba, I love Geary, and I love helping to bring great software to the free desktop. Give Geary a try, and if you can, consider chipping in to help with the adventure!</p><h3>Click here to go to Geary’s IndieGoGo page to consider chipping in</h3><p></p><p></p>