Filed under: Utilities, Macintosh, E-mail, Productivity, Apple, Freeware
SpeedMail - speed up Mail.app
Over time, your Mac's Mail program can start to feel sluggish because, like any database, over time it needs to optimized. While there's a terminal command you can run to perform this function on your mail database, SpeedMail is a tiny little downloadable utility that will perform the same function without having to head into the potentially intimidating world of terminal windows. Of course we recommend backing up your Mail data files before doing anything like this.
For the brave Mac users out there, here's how to get the same benefit as running SpeedMail without having to download anything at all. Comments at MacUpdate about SpeedMail suggest simply opening a terminal window, and typing:
sqlite3 ~/Library/Mail/Envelope\ Index vacuum;
We've tried both and they do seem to have the same effect, although once the optimization is done, it's done. In other words, pick one or other other, since running both isn't going to get you any further benefits.
With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet.
They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Lisa Hoover said 12:49PM on 7-15-2007
Jason,
I have four POP and one IMAP accounts pouring into my Mail.app and, consequently, it's been just...poking...along...lately.
I tried this trick and now it worksreallyfast.
Great tip, thanks!
Lisa
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Josh said 6:37PM on 7-16-2007
Thanks! I just tried the terminal command and it really helped!
Reply