Member Avatar for gn0m3

Hey guys,

The company I work for currently use Citrix to let Mac users access Word and Excel. However we have just updated all the Macs we have to Panther (10.3.9). Before the change they were using Outlook 2001 under classic, however we want to abolish classic and stay in Panther. We have looked at Entourage, Mail and Eudora but want to hear of others who have done this before using Citrix. It works superb for Word, Excel and Access but would like feedback before we make a choice!

Thanks

gn0m3

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Given the upgrade to Panther (10.3.9) and the goal of removing Classic, two practical paths stand out: deliver full Windows Outlook from a central Citrix/Windows host for feature parity, or move most users to a native Mac solution and reserve Citrix seats for power users. This ties to ’s budget concern and ’s Entourage suggestion—Entourage gives native Exchange access but has licensing cost; Citrix preserves the exact Outlook/Access behavior but shifts complexity to servers and licenses.

Key trade-offs to note:

  • Function parity: hosted Outlook provides the same Exchange features (rules, delegation, Access connectivity) without Classic, while IMAP/OWA or native clients often lack some server-side features.
  • Dependence and performance: Citrix sessions require stable LAN/VPN links; large PST/OST files on the server can inflate storage and slow logins.
  • Licensing and ops: Citrix seat licenses and Windows/Office server installs add cost and admin overhead; Office for every Mac also has a license cost.

Practical checklist for a Panther + Citrix rollout:

  • Test with the exact ICA client build supported on 10.3.9 and confirm Command/Option-to-Control key mapping.
  • Pilot three user types (power, average, light) to measure login time, mailbox performance, printing, and attachment workflows.
  • Configure server-side mailbox/OST quotas, disable roaming PSTs, and map local drives/printers carefully to avoid data-loss surprises.
  • Reduce color depth and unnecessary visual effects in ICA sessions to improve responsiveness over VPN.
  • Secure access with VPN or Citrix Secure Gateway and plan server storage/backups for user cache files.

If budget is tight, keep Citrix for Access and heavy Outlook users while moving the rest to Mail.app/IMAP or OWA. A short pilot will expose the real costs and performance trade-offs before a full purchase decision.

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Member Avatar for Member #33065

I use Outlook over Citrix for checking my email via our VPN connection. It works great! However, with Office:MAC 2004 and Entourage, you're basically getting your Outlook client native to the Mac. I would go that way, and you'd get Work and Excel. You're still SOL for Access though.

Andy

Member Avatar for gn0m3

Thanks Andy, we looked at buying Office and then using Entourage but after spending £20,000 upgrading the Macs and other software there is no cash left!! BTW have you tried word/excel etc over citrix?, blisteringly fast.

gn0m3

Member Avatar for Member #33065

We have, but since you have to own a seat license for everyone that connects to Citrix, and everyone already has Office on their desktops, there's really no point. However, Citirix does make an excellent dumb terminal approach to computing. Bring on the 486s!

Andy

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