Tony Finch wrote:
Hector <sant9442(_at_)gmail(_dot_)com> wrote:
But the same reasons POP3 exist is that not all users can be or wish to
be "mini-sysops."
Choice of protocol is orthogonal to usability. For instance, Turnpike is a
fairly typical user-friendly GUI mail and news reader which includes an
SMTP server for receiving incoming mail from ISPs like Demon.
POP mainly exists because back in the day servers didn't have enough disk
and users did not often have more than one computer.
While it is true for smaller systems and operators disk space was a
premium, choosing the right cluster size, cost, i.e. $1500 for a 10MB
Micropolis EIDE drive, considered top of the line, etc, was a
consideration, it not the main reason and breadthru: time-shifting,
offloading technology needs was blossoming in many areas for three
reasons:
- Reduce Online cost,
- Higher Productivity offline,
- Greater Interactive I/O design capabilities (Fancy Frontends)
Online cost saving was the big one.
IBM even had the patent on offloading resources to clients which was
the important "version 2" of offline mail system when we began to go
graphical if only first starting with mixed text/iconic symbols, ala
Minitel, Prodigy type systems. Before there was HTML, there was RIP
and it was definitely part of the top commercial Online Hosting
Systems plans if not already incorporated. HTML killed RIP.
I speak confidently as this as the 3rd offline mail system of its kind
after TAPCIS and QMail Deluxe (QWK) and first to add Fidonet and
RFC822 gating with the Silver Xpress Offline Mail System. That
started to wind down when the cost was no longer a factor and Online
connectivity was now feasible. RFC-based methods and that included
WebMail also reduced the needs for Offline Mail/Point systems.
But RFC-based Offline Mail, especially POP3, NNTP methods really only
help global standardization in an era where there was no standards -
only technology leaders with particular proprietary methods and it
really began to take off when internet connectivity cost was less,
more feasible and accessible by wider mass market of users.
--
Sincerely
Hector Santos
http://www.santronics.com