Tip: For best results, use Mac OS X 10.3 Panther's easy-to-use Mail application. It can easily send Windows-friendly attachments.
Why Send an Enclosure or Attachment?
The main reason to send an enclosure or attachment is to transfer a file that does not easily conform to a text email message, such as a database or spreadsheet file, or a word processing file that contains formatted text crucial to the comprehension of the file.
Sending Enclosures or Attachments to Another Macintosh
Usually the person who receives the attachment on their Mac will have no issues with it. But they might have an issue if the file only works with an application the recipient doesn't have. Check with the recipient before sending the email message to make sure she can open the attachment.
Sending Enclosures to a Windows-compatible PC
Sending enclosures or attachments from a Macintosh to a Windows-compatible computer is usually as simple as sending them to another Macintosh. You should make sure that the recipient has the same or a similar application program, and that it can read the file format of your program.
Applications that are available on both the Macintosh and Windows platform simplify the process since the file can be read on either platform. You might have to add the appropriate filename extension before attaching the file. See "Internet: Common File Formats" for a list of file extensions.
It is best to check with the recipient to determine if he has the same, or a compatible, application that you used to create the file.
Tip: Do you really need to send an attachment?
If all you are sending is unformatted text, type or paste the text directly into the email message itself. If the document you need to send contains tables or graphics that are not easily placed into an email message, then an enclosure is a better choice.
For Mac-to-PC emails, if the enclosure or attachment is text, it is best to save the document as ASCII or plain text. This ensures that the person receiving the email message can open it with a Windows-compatible word processor.
Tip: Keep enclosures small, or compress them
If you cannot avoid an enclosure or attachment, make the enclosure or attachment as small as possible. Not everyone is on a fast network.
If the file is large, you may be able to make it a little smaller. Compression utilities exist for both the Mac OS and Windows that allow compressed files to be sent between the two systems, such as Aladdin Systems' StuffIt. A file compressed with StuffIt will have .sit as the filename extension.
Mac OS X 10.3 Finder can compress, or archive, files. You can then use the archived (compressed) file as a Mail attachment.
If the person receiving your email message uses a Windows PC, ask if she can receive a large enclosure before sending it.
Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only, and does not constitute Apple's recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.