10.5: Browse recent Mail messages in the Finder

Nov 15, '07 07:30:07AM

Contributed by: Anonymous

Want an easy way to keep on top of your email? In the Finder, press Command-F to bring up a search window. It should default to setting Search to This Mac and Contents. In the criteria row, click the first pop-up menu and select Other, then scroll down to Spotlight Items (you can also press spot... to jump there directly), and click OK. Set the second pop-up menu to include.

Now hit the plus sign to add another row, and set the criteria to Kind is Other, and in the text box, type Mail message. As of now, you will see all of your messages from Mail; if you want, like me, to show recent messages only, hit the plus sign again. On this new row, set the criteria to Created Date is yesterday (or whatever time period you prefer). Now you only see your recent emails.

Save this search as Recent Emails, and voila, you have email right in the Finder. Just hit your Recent Emails folder to check them out. You can press the Space Bar to quick view a message, or, if you want to have fun, you can go into Cover Flow view and scroll through your emails, previewing each one in Cover Flow, then pressing Space Bar to read the interesting ones.

Keep in mind this isn't a total replacement for Mail. You can't write messages, and Mail needs to be open if you want to get new messages. However, Mail doesn't need to be open to view already-downloaded POP email.

[robg adds: As a commenter on the hints queue site points out, you can do the same thing with a Smart Mailbox in Mail, of course -- but then you won't get to use Cover Flow mode to browse messages. Also note that if you subscribe to RSS feeds in Mail, they'll all show up (and I can't see any way to exclude them).]

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