About ATPmail

A Brief History of ATPmail

ATPmail was conceived of and written by me, Alex Hart, to provide the Web community with a useful tool.

I began developing ATPmail sometime in early 2000. I like to travel and I need access to my email when I'm away. But all of the free Webmail services that were available were too slow. On top of that, I don't like to delete email, so my 3 Mbyte limit ran out too fast. What I really wanted was one of those desktop email clients like Eudora or Outlook that I could use on the Web.

Luckily, I had some time on my hands, a computer and a Net connection. I installed Perl, rented some Web-server space and started coding.

I was writing a Web-based email client that I called aMail. I didn't really know where I was going with aMail, but before I knew it I had a really good email client. I put together some documentation, put the program on my Web site and posted to a Perl newsgroup announcing aMail's arrival.

aMail was just what I needed when I went to Australia for two months. I used it as my sole email client during my travels.

When I returned, I discovered that aMail had been downloaded thousands of times. People really seemed to like the program and were using it all over the world. But naturally, they wanted more. The requests for features came pouring in.

The problem was, aMail almost exactly fit my needs. But, being the giving person that I am :), I continued to work on the program. I added features that I certainly did not need, like user quotas, and options for saving disk space. I was soon on my way to producing a commercial product.

Since then, I've renamed my program ATPmail and transformed it into my 'dream' email client.

Currently, I manage many email accounts through ATPmail, as easily as I used to manage one. I tried to build in intelligence wherever possible, and I continue to add features that will simplify managing email. At the same time, I have attempted to maintain ATPmail's speed, using every trick I know.

You will find, I think, that ATPmail offers a unique combination of performance and features.

I now sell ATPmail through ATP Solutions, Inc.. Yeah, the lawyers got involved and I was advised to incorporate. I plan to continue to maintain the free version of aMail as long as people still desire it, but development has stopped.

I hope you enjoy the programs that I wrote, whether you choose to buy ATPmail or get a free copy of aMail. Consider this my little contribution to the digital age.

Yours,

Alex Hart
President, CEO, and Head Honcho
ATP Solutions, Inc.

Design Philosophy

The philosphy behind the design of ATPmail is simple. Email is not the most glamorous thing in the world, but it is one of the most important. The less time we need to spend with our email, the better.

As I use email, I try to notice the things that slow me down. When I find myself retyping something that's on the screen, I know there must be a shortcut. When I find myself searching my mailbox for buried emails, I know there must be a better way to organize things.

When I first started designing ATPmail, the available browsers had severe limitations, and so ATPmail was limited. With the power that browsers offer today, whatever I can imagine I can implement. The possibilities are endless. ATPmail is now as powerful as any email program available, Web-based or not.

Throughout ATPmail, you'll find tons of features that show this philosophy in action.

Alex Hart
Designer of ATPmail

The single user version of ATPmail differs from the multi-user version in a few ways. There is no admin script, no quota is enforced, and there is no user name. Login is done with just a password. In all other respects, the two version are identical.