Summary

SimpleMail 4.3

SimpleMail is a Newton e-mail transport that lets you send and receive messages over the internet using POP/SMTP.

• It uses the Newton Internet Enabler (NIE 1.1 or NIE 2.0), so it will only work with Newton 2.0 or better.
• It works with MP120 (just about), MP130, MP2000, MP2100 and eMate.
• It takes up only 163K store space.
• It’s free!

SimpleMail gives you the standard functions you’d expect from a text e-mailer, plus:

• MIME compliance, enabling you to send and receive attachments
  • Send packages to and from other Newtons and your desktop
  • Send Notepad sketches to other Newtons, or as GIF images to anybody
  • Receive and play back audio in four different formats
  • Receive and view JPEG and GIF images
• Filters
  • Limit the number of messages to receive
  • Ignore, abbreviate, delete or file incoming mail depending on criteria you set
• Language support
  • Available with support for Newton Text Encoding (NTE) plug-in modules, enabling reception of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Cyrillic, etc
  • Localized for German and Swedish
• Text utilities
  • Rewrap received text to fit the Newton display
  • Display HTML as styled text
• Multiple accounts per owner
  • Check all your e-mail accounts in one connection
• Worksite setups for roaming
  • Define an SMTP server for a worksite, so you can tie an ISP (an NIE link) to its SMTP server

SimpleMail includes very limited support for IMAP. If you want a full IMAP solution, try Mail V.

Download

These packages are provided as StuffIt archive and Newton package for your downloading convenience.

SimpleMail 4.3 [163K]

This archive contains everything you need for the standard version of SimpleMail. Alternatively, you can find the individual components contained in the archive on this page. There are several packages in the archive; you can simply install them all, or read the installation guide to be more selective. Please refer to the User Guide for operating instructions or visit the wiki to get started quickly.  

Debug Version [172K]

This is the SimpleMail package only, with a Preferences option to capture debug information in a session log. You can use this to diagnose problems yourself, or send it to me for analysis.  

Newton Text Encoding (NTE) Version [158K]

This is the SimpleMail package only, in a version that supports Newton Text Encoding (NTE) modules. An NTE module encodes unicode text for transport across the internet; you can extend SimpleMail to e-mail Chinese, Japanese, Cyrillic, etc by downloading and selecting the right NTE module. There’s more information and some modules here.
Special thanks go to Eureka for his encouragement and assistance in getting this to work.  

Useful Net Resources

• Your Frequently Asked Questions answered.
• UNNA has a comprehensive range of packages.
• Newton news and reviews at ThisOlNewt.
• Everything you could possibly want to know about Newton internet connectivity courtesy of Andrew Starr, the eMailman.

Newton 1.3 E-Mail Solutions

So, you’ve got an MP110 and you’d like to use it to pick up your e-mail. You can’t use NIE, so what are your options?

EnFour offers a couple of solutions, both requiring a UNIX shell account:

1. UniMail
2. GoFetch Mail shell version; available in NIE version too

Planet Newton’s e-mail download section includes a number of Newton 1.3 packages:

1. eNotes 1.6 by Eclipse
2. CIS Retriever by Black Labs - for CompuServe accounts only

Be warned, however, that there are many obsolete packages based on the long-defunct NewtonMail (eWorld) here. Also, the entry for NIE 1.1 incorrectly suggests that it will run with Newton 1.3. Don’t get excited - it won’t.

If you really want to get back to basics, you could use a terminal emulator to log in to a UNIX shell account and then use the UNIX programs pine or elm to do e-mail.

I have used none of these and I make no recommendations. If you think this list should be amended, please let me know.

The maximum current supplied to the PC slot is limited, and on the MP100/MP110 may not be enough to drive your PC card modem. The limits for each model are:

Any Problems?

Then mail me (Simon Bell) - but I am only qualified to answer your SimpleMail problems. I’d like to know:

• The Newton model you’re using, eg MP130
• Its ROM version, eg 2.0 (526205)-1
• NIE version, eg NIE 1.1
• SimpleMail version, eg 3.0.1
• A detailed description of the problem.
  “SimpleMail didn’t send my message” is not enough, I’m afraid.
  What was the last message SimpleMail reported in its progress slip?
• The actions that led up to the error so I can reproduce it.

If it’s appropriate and you can send me a SimpleMail debug log or BugTrap log of the event, you’ve got a much better chance of getting a useful reply.

The debug version of SimpleMail generates a transcript of your e-mail session so you can see whether the server is sending/receiving what you expect. (A little POP/SMTP protocol knowledge helps here.) It adds an extra page to SimpleMail Prefs called Debug. In there you can choose what you want to capture in your log:

• The usual suspects
  Useful information at various checkpoints during the session.
• Account information
  Details used to log in to your mail server.
• All I/O
  A transcript of communication with the server.

• ViewFrame
  If ViewFrame is installed.
• NTK Inspector
  The preferred option if you need to send the log via a desktop machine.
• Notepad
  A new note containing a transcript of your e-mail session is created in Unfiled Notes.

If you can't see what's wrong (password, etc) you can send the log to me for analysis.  

Developers

Use this Software Development Kit to write your own SimpleMail MIME plug-ins.

SimpleMail is no longer being developed; the current state of the art in Newton e-mail is Mail V. However, if there is a feature you would like, you can add it yourself! The source is available on an as-is basis under the terms of the Open Software License version 2.1.