“Sparrow (email client)”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

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.

Versions

Desktop

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

Acquisition by Google

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

In 2014, Google released Inbox by Gmail, an email app with functionality similar to Sparrow.

References

1. ^¹{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2011/02/sparrow-10-hands-on-smooth-slick-highly-usable.ars |title=Sparrow 1.0 hands-on: smooth, highly usable e-mail for the Mac |last=Foresman |first=Chris |date=February 10, 2011 |work=Ars Technica |publisher=Condé Nast Digital |accessdate=February 11, 2011}}
2. ^{{cite web |url=http://daringfireball.net/linked/2010/10/05/sparrow |title=Sparrow — New Email Client for Mac OS X |work=Daring Fireball |last=Gruber |first=John |authorlink=John Gruber |date=October 5, 2010 |accessdate=July 21, 2012}}
3. ^{{cite web |url=http://lifehacker.com/5656252/sparrow-is-an-attractive-minimal-email-client |title=Sparrow Is an Attractive, Minimal Email Client |last=Pash |first=Adam |work=Lifehacker |publisher=Gawker Media |date=October 5, 2010 |accessdate=July 21, 2012}}
4. ^{{cite web |url=https://thenextweb.com/apps/2010/10/04/sparrow-a-mac-mail-client-fluttering-aimlessly-with-little-originality/ |title=Sparrow. A Mac Mail client fluttering aimlessly with little originality. |last=Cormier |first=Josh |work=The Next Web |date=October 4, 2010 |accessdate=July 21, 2012 }}
5. ^{{cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2012/3/14/2859933/sparrow-beat-google-gmail |title=Sparrow takes flight: how a startup built the Gmail app Google couldn’t |work=The Verge |last=Hamburger |first=Ellis |date=March 14, 2012 |accessdate=July 21, 2012}}
6. ^{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/business/2012/07/google-acquires-sparrow-integrates-it-into-the-gmail-team/ |title=Google acquires Sparrow, integrates it into the Gmail team |work=Ars Technica |last=Cunningham |first=Andrew |publisher=Condé Nast Digital |date=July 20, 2012 |accessdate=July 21, 2012}}
7. ^¹{{cite web |url=http://techland.time.com/2012/07/20/uh-oh-google-is-buying-sparrow/ |title=Uh Oh: Google Is Buying Sparrow |last=McCracken |first=Harry |work=TIME |date=July 20, 2012 |accessdate=July 21, 2012}}
8. ^{{cite web |url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2407450,00.asp |title=Google Acquires Email Client Sparrow |work=PC Magazine |last=Albanesius |first=Chloe |date=July 20, 2012 |accessdate=July 21, 2012}}
9. ^{{Cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/07/you-shall-know-google-by-its-trail-of-dead-a-sparrow-users-lament/ |title=You shall know Google by its trail of dead—a Sparrow user's lament |last=Gallagher |first=Sean |work=Ars Technica |publisher=Condé Nast Digital |date=July 20, 2012 |accessdate=July 21, 2012}}
10. ^{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57476917-93/first-thunderbird-now-sparrow-we-need-e-mail-clients-please/ |title=First Thunderbird, now Sparrow? We need e-mail clients, please |last=Needleman |first=Rafe |date=July 20, 2012 |work=CNET |accessdate=July 21, 2012}}
11. ^{{cite web |url=http://boingboing.net/2012/07/20/how-to-prepare-for-googles-a.html |title=How to prepare for Google's acquisition of Sparrow |work=Boing Boing |last=Beschizza |first=Rob |date=July 20, 2012 |accessdate=July 21, 2012}}
12. ^{{cite web |url=https://gizmodo.com/5927751/sparrows-awesome-email-clients-are-now-property-of-google |title=Sparrow’s Awesome Email Clients Are Now Property of Google |last=Covert |first=Adrian |work=Gizmodo |date=July 20, 2012 |accessdate=July 21, 2012}}

Versions

Desktop

iPhone version

Acquisition by Google

Related development

References

External links