next / previous buttons in Mail

[terryb]

Is there any way to get buttons for next / previous message in Mail? I like to read messages in their own window and having to close each one down in order to get to the next one gets tiring very quickly... I've just switched from a PC where outlook express was the order of the day and it's the only thing I miss...

thanks!

[terryb]

Sorry, I should have added: using an iBook with Tiger and whatever the latest version of Mail is.

[wrldwzrd89]

The closest thing Mail has to what you want is using the up and down arrow keys to navigate between messages in the same thread (when messages are organized by thread).

[terryb]

It's a pity because I want to use Spotlight to index and search through mails and I can't do that unless I use Mail. Or at least, I can't do it using Thunderbird which is my preferred alternative. Is there another app which can index and search the computer including Thunderbird (or other) mails?

[wrldwzrd89]

It's a pity because I want to use Spotlight to index and search through mails and I can't do that unless I use Mail. Or at least, I can't do it using Thunderbird which is my preferred alternative. Is there another app which can index and search the computer including Thunderbird (or other) mails?
The problem with Spotlight is that it is file-based - this means that it can't properly parse databases and database-like formats (such as the UNIX-style .mbox format Mail 1 and Thunderbird use). I doubt anyone's going to bother making another search application for Mac OS X with Spotlight around.

[Westside guy]

The problem with Spotlight is that it is file-based - this means that it can't properly parse databases and database-like formats (such as the UNIX-style .mbox format Mail 1 and Thunderbird use). I doubt anyone's going to bother making another search application for Mac OS X with Spotlight around.

I won't be surprised, however, if someone comes up with a Spotlight plugin for Thunderbird.

I'm currently using Mail because I really like using Apple's Addressbook - but as soon as they get that working on Thunderbird (and there is a patch for it in development) I'm switching back. Mail isn't all that great an app - it's just got too many quirks.

[DXoverDY]

ok this seems weird. spotlight might be file based, but doesn't spotlight go based on filetype? so what is stopping someone from making a plugin that reads that database from thunderbird, parsing the data within, and then throwing it into spotlight? it seems like that database should be treated as a file regardless and then spotlight uses the correct plugin to parse and add the data. now i haven't written one or done any research on writing spotlight plugins but that seems like it would work to me. Shame on apple for not providing a better way to do this otherwise. In fact... i am SURE you can do this... why? Because Delicious-Library has a spotlight plugin... guess how that info is stored? In one XML file. i wouldn't doubt my theory being applicable here.

[terryb]

In fact, Google Desktop Search (only on PC at present) and X10 and (I think) Copernic desktop search all index Thunderbird (all PC, of course). Not sure if the Yahoo version does yet but I use the Google one. Google's didn't index Tbird at first but now does - mail messages are indexed individually and can be retrieved and read individually. So it is possible and I'm guessing that Spotlight works in broadly the same way as Google's desktop client.