Boost Mail.app productivity with two windows
David Chartier over at TUAW has hit upon a Mail.app productivity tip 
that will be useful for some users.
He points out that it is possible to open a second viewer window via the File menu (or ⌥⌘N if you are that kind of person), so that you can process your email twice as fast. Or at least, attack it from two different angles at once.
He suggests one possible use:
This is particularly useful if you have a folder (or perhaps a Smart Folder) which you keep checking throughout the day; this way, you can simply keep one viewer open to your inbox (or whatever default location that suits you), with the second viewer set on that other fold.
Nice one.
Tags: Apple Mail, mail.app, Productivity, smart mailbox, tip, viewer windowRelated posts
March 20th, 2007 at 11:37 pm
Why stop at two? I have five mail windows open at a time. Every time I click on a mailbox it takes at least several seconds to load it (I have a G4 iBook and some big mailboxes) but having a viewer window of that mailbox open keeps it in memory and thus switching to it takes no time. Particularly handy if there is a folder you search in often (like “sent items”).
March 21st, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Or get twice as confused?
March 21st, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Well DUHH!
I’ve done this from the start.. the first graphical email app I used was Eudora, and each ‘folder’ (in, out, archived, etc.) was in a separate window. I’ve always had at least my Inbox and Sent windows up simultaneously, since I use them both the most - with the In window vertically larger.. since I read and sort more email than I write.
If Apple Mail removed this ability, I’d likely switch again to an email client that did.
March 22nd, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Wow! What’s next? How about a great tip about printing your mail on paper so you can refer to it while away from the computer? Oh, and if you don’t want to be bothered by reading mail, use the little-known “Quit” command. (Power users will want to write Command-Q down, in their Hipster PDA, as a reminder for the shortcut.)
March 29th, 2007 at 1:10 am
Nice tip, but I’ve noticed that when I have multiple windows open, they will “wander” between quits and restarts of Mail.app. This happening to anyone else?