| Original author(s) |
|
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Sparrow SARL |
| Initial release | February 9, 2011; 9 years ago |
| Final release | |
| Written in | Objective-C |
| Operating system | |
| Size | 12.6 MB |
| Available in | English |
| Type | Email client |
| License | |
| Website | www.google.com/intl/en/mail/help/sparrow.html |
Sparrow was an email client for OS X and iOS. After a 4-month beta period, Sparrow went on sale in the Mac App Store on February 9, 2011 and became the top paid and top grossing app in less than one day.[1] On July 20, 2012, the company announced that it had been acquired by Google and was ceasing continued development of the application except for critical bug fixes.
“We had this idea that mail was broken,” said Dom on why he started Sparrow. “We weren’t using Mail.app on the Mac because we found that it was taking up too much screen space and it was a huge application for something that shouldn’t be.” Leca and Viet wanted email to be as simple as sending out a tweet – literally.
Versions[edit]
Desktop[edit]
Sparrow uses a simplified user interface reminiscent of Twitter clients such as Tweetie or iOS apps,[2] as opposed to a more traditional email style such as Apple's Mail or Mozilla Thunderbird. Sparrow currently works with Gmail and Google Apps accounts, along with other IMAP email accounts. It also includes features such as drag-and-drop attachments, Dropbox or Box.net support for uploading attachments, Growl support, Gmail labels and keyboard shortcuts,[3] as well as quick replies,[1] threaded replies and easy switching between accounts.[4]
iPhone version[edit]
In March 2012, Sparrow for iOS was released in the App Store.[5]
Acquisition by Google[edit]
On July 20, 2012, Sparrow and Google jointly announced that Sparrow had been purchased by Google and the company's employees would be added to their Gmail team. Due to this, they also announced that development of both of Sparrow's apps would be ended except for critical bug fixes.[6][7][8]
The purchase and subsequent discontinuation prompted criticism from some tech sites, who were uncertain about the future of the apps. Sean Gallagher of Ars Technica wrote he was concerned for the app's future given Google's previous history of buying out and subsequently abandoning development on other startups such as reMail, Meebo and Quickoffice.[9]Rafe Needleman of CNET wrote that the purchase combined with the ceasing development of Mozilla Thunderbird meant there was a growing lack of quality desktop mail clients.[10]Rob Beschizza of Boing Boing created a satirical video instructing users to prepare for the acquisition by deleting the app from their computer.[11]
However, TIME noted that the acquisition may lead to better apps for Gmail.[7] Adrian Covert of Gizmodo expressed excitement about a possible official desktop client for Gmail.[12]
Related development[edit]
In 2014, Google released Inbox by Gmail, an email app with functionality similar to Sparrow. Inbox was shut down by Google on April 2, 2019.
References[edit]
- ^ abForesman, Chris (February 10, 2011). 'Sparrow 1.0 hands-on: smooth, highly usable e-mail for the Mac'. Ars Technica. Condé Nast Digital. Retrieved February 11, 2011.
- ^Gruber, John (October 5, 2010). 'Sparrow — New Email Client for Mac OS X'. Daring Fireball. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
- ^Pash, Adam (October 5, 2010). 'Sparrow Is an Attractive, Minimal Email Client'. Lifehacker. Gawker Media. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
- ^Cormier, Josh (October 4, 2010). 'Sparrow. A Mac Mail client fluttering aimlessly with little originality'. The Next Web. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
- ^Hamburger, Ellis (March 14, 2012). 'Sparrow takes flight: how a startup built the Gmail app Google couldn't'. The Verge. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
- ^Cunningham, Andrew (July 20, 2012). 'Google acquires Sparrow, integrates it into the Gmail team'. Ars Technica. Condé Nast Digital. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
- ^ abMcCracken, Harry (July 20, 2012). 'Uh Oh: Google Is Buying Sparrow'. TIME. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
- ^Albanesius, Chloe (July 20, 2012). 'Google Acquires Email Client Sparrow'. PC Magazine. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
- ^Gallagher, Sean (July 20, 2012). 'You shall know Google by its trail of dead—a Sparrow user's lament'. Ars Technica. Condé Nast Digital. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
- ^Needleman, Rafe (July 20, 2012). 'First Thunderbird, now Sparrow? We need e-mail clients, please'. CNET. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
- ^Beschizza, Rob (July 20, 2012). 'How to prepare for Google's acquisition of Sparrow'. Boing Boing. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
- ^Covert, Adrian (July 20, 2012). 'Sparrow's Awesome Email Clients Are Now Property of Google'. Gizmodo. Retrieved July 21, 2012.
External links[edit]
There is absolutely no doubt that Mail is one of the most important applications on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Yet, due to Apple’s strict policies regarding app submissions and to the difficulty that creating an email app implies, there were no worthy alternatives to the native email app for a while. Thankfully, with the arrival of Sparrow for iOS ($2.99) Apple’s own mail app has finally found a worthy contender.
Both apps are great though, so it is only fair to compare both in some key aspects to fully understand where each one excels and what unique features each of them brings to the table.
Note: This comparison was written based on Mail on iOS 6 and on the version 1.3.3 of Sparrow.Speed
Both Mail and Sparrow proved to be speedy enough to not raise any concerns or present any usability problems. However, I found that whenever opening Sparrow, the app took between 1 – 2 seconds to start responding before becoming fully usable. My guess is that this is due to the great amount of data that Sparrow needs to load and to the mail engine that the app uses. I use an iPhone 4S, so I guess that those with an iPhone 5 (which runs a much faster processor) should see virtually no delay upon opening the app.
Once Sparrow is up and running though, everything goes smoothly. Even loading long conversations works perfectly.
On its part, Mail runs buttery smooth at all times and shows no delays whatsoever during usage. This is a prime example of the Apple’s hardware and software integration at play, which is impressive considering just how complex as=' srcset='https://cdn.guidingtech.com/imager/assets/WordPress-Import/2012/12/89416/Mail-App_4d470f76dc99e18ad75087b1b8410ea9.webp 292w' sizes='(min-width:976px) 700px, (min-width:448px) 75vw, 90vw'>
Compatibility
Both Mail and Sparrow now support every major email protocol, including IMAP and POP3, the two most popular ones. Exchange users wishing to rely solely on Sparrow are (sadly) out of luck, since Sparrow does not provide Exchange support yet.
One of the signature features of Sparrow on its desktop version has always been its top-notch Gmail integration, which was also a heavily advertised feature of its iOS app. In this regard Sparrow easily tops the native Mail app with the best Gmail integration of any iOS email app to date. Sparrow supports many of Google’s mail platform’s most important features, such as Starring your messages, Archiving and, most importantly, Labeling, with all of these working seamlessly on the iPhone.
Sparrow Mail App Mac Pro
Usability
One of the greatest assets of Sparrow is its focus on usability. The native Mail app offers a very useful platform for composing and reading email, yet it lacks some important features. Sparrow’s developers know about this and have implemented most of them in their email app, making it even more usable than the already great Apple’s native offering. Some of these features where Sparrow has established a clear lead over Apple’s Mail for iOS are:
- Attach from within Sparrow: It wasn’t until very recently that you could attach a photo from within the native Mail compose window, and even now doing so requires at least a couple of taps. With Sparrow you can attach a photo with just one tap right from the main compose window.
- Conversations: Mail sorts conversations by grouping related emails that you have to access individually. Sparrow shows all related emails on one thread, accessible with just one tap from the reading screen.
- Built-in web browser: Even now, the native Mail app will force you out of it and into Safari when you tap on a link to open it. Sparrow handles this much more conveniently, opening all links on its own built-in browser.
- Mark All Mail as Read: This is a very nice feature that Sparrow allows you perform right from your inbox in just a couple of taps.
- Mail filtering: Sparrow handles mail filtering in a very smart way. All you have to do to scroll between your Inbox, Unread and Starred messages is to tap at the top center of the screen to do so.
Best Mail App For Mac
All these small changes make for a big difference in real-life usage, and if you have to deal with tons of email frequently, then Sparrow will be like a godsend to you.
One aspect where Sparrow falls short though, is when it comes to landscape support, since it offers none at all, while the native Mail app does.
Additionally, due to Apple’s strict approval rules for apps, Sparrow is not allowed to fetch mail in the background. This means that it does not support push notifications and that you will actually need to manually refresh the app by opening it every time you want to check your email. This is a huge drawback and will remain so until Apple relaxes its rules in that regard.
Another aspect of Sparrow that might discourage some is that it was recently bought by Google. At first, it was thought that the app would stop receiving updates as a result, but it has actually received a few since, including support for Passbook attachments and for the iPhone 5 screen resolution.
Other important features like Unified Inbox, attachment saving and batch editing are all present in both Mail and Sparrow.
Is Sparrow Worth It?
With the native Mail app being an already excellent choice for handling your email, getting a paid alternative might seem unnecessary. However, Sparrow is abound with little details that make handling your email a much better, faster and (let’s say it) fun experience. The app doesn’t cost much ($2.99), but for many, its most serious flaw will be the lack of push notifications.
Sparrow Mail App Mac Desktop
If you can live with that and are looking for a fresh take on email on your iPhone, then Sparrow is the better app. If email is just a casual activity for you however, then the native Mail app already offers what you need.
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Also See#email #gmail
Did You Know
Sparrow Mail App Mac Download
MEMS gyroscopes became popular after the launch of the iPhone 4 in 2010.