Need advice on using Mail please

[Luis Ortega]

I have a new MBP and I have been able to set up my POP mail account successfully in Mail and sent a message OK.
But now I am worried and I have a few questions.

My experience is with Windows and Outlook Express and I am new to Macs.
I hear that Macs are not very succeptible to viruses on the internet, but what about emails with viruses, etc.?
It seems to me that without an antivirus software, Macs should be just as vulnerable to infected emails as Windows is.
Do I need to install an antivirus on my MBP if I use Mail?

Also, in Outlook Express, I am able to set up mail rules such as deleting mail from the server if it contains a particular subject or author word, etc..
This is very helpful in avoiding receiving repetitive junk mail that I know I don't want.
Can I set up similar filters with Mail?

Another useful option in Outlook Express is that I can set my view panes so that incoming messages don't automatically preview in the preview pane. All I see is the list of new mail and I have to double click on one to have it open up in the preview pane. Some emails can infect the computer just by opening them up rather than opening an attachment, so this option prevents an email that arrives from automatically opening and showing in the preview pane.
Is this an option in Mail?

Finally, can I set up my news accounts for usenet groups in Mail like I can in Outlook Express?

I would greatly appreciate any advice as I am afraid to use Mail until I know what might happen.

Thanks a lot for any advice.

 

[ivi7]

Firstly there is no need to worry about any sort of viruses on your Mac no through Safari and definately not through Mail.
And no you do not need to install any anti viruses.
You cannot set up newsgroups in Mail.
You can click Mail, Preferences, Rules and add or edit any rules you want to set on your inbox.

 

[Jaffa Cake]

To answer a couple of your queries...

Do I need to install an antivirus on my MBP if I use Mail?

Any viruses that you are sent will be designed to attack the Windows OS or its applications – they won't affect Macs so you should be totally safe. Now, although there aren't any OS X destroying viruses out there at the moment that's not to say that someone won't come up with one in the future so really it's a judgement call on your part. Personally, I don't run anti-virus software on my Mac and have never encountered any problems at all, but it's up to you.

Also, in Outlook Express, I am able to set up mail rules... Can I set up similar filters with Mail?

You can indeed. take a look in Mail's Preferences (under the Mail heading in the Menu bar, and in the window that pops up you'll see a pane for setting up rules for your emails.

I'm not a member of any usenet groups so I can't advise you on this, but I hope I've been of some help on the other two points. Enjoy your new Mac!

 

[Veritas&Equitas]

It seems to me that without an antivirus software, Macs should be just as vulnerable to infected emails as Windows is.
Do I need to install an antivirus on my MBP if I use Mail?

No. Macs aren't vulnerable to infected emails, period. It lies in the architecture of the operating system. Most viruses are caused by .exe files, which are executable files in Windows. However, you can TRY to open an .exe file in OS X, however, it won't know what to do with it, because it's not a system executable; there is nothing to run.

Hence, you can intentionally try to open whatever viruses you can find in OS X; with zero repercussions.

There has never been a documented virus on a OS X, ever. Literally, you have nothing to worry about. At all.

 

[wordmunger]

Another useful option in Outlook Express is that I can set my view panes so that incoming messages don't automatically preview in the preview pane. All I see is the list of new mail and I have to double click on one to have it open up in the preview pane. Some emails can infect the computer just by opening them up rather than opening an attachment, so this option prevents an email that arrives from automatically opening and showing in the preview pane.
Is this an option in Mail?

Yes, just drag the little divider between the email message and the preview all the way down to the bottom.

 

[Luis Ortega]

Thanks guys for the helpful and quick replies.
So, if Mail doesn't allow setting up news accounts, how do you guys use usenet newsgroups?
I tried going through the internet once to some of the newsgroups that I like to read but the way they come through the internet is a holy mess and discussion threads are impossible to follow. The news accounts in Outlook Express come through very nicely organized and easy to follow.
Thanks again.

 

[ivi7]

You may find this useful

I personally use Unison

 

[Luis Ortega]

Thanks, Ivi,
I bookmarked your site to study it more closely.
I noticed that it offers Opera, Mozilla and Netscape as free programs that also do news readers.
For the time being, I still have my PC so I use that for all internet stuff but as I get more familiar with the Mac I would like to be able to do everything on the same computer.