Mozilla Firefox browser has already won the hearts and mice of millions of disgruntled Internet Explorer users. Now, the Mozilla Organization aims to do it again with its open-source email program, Thunderbird.
The newly minted version 1.0 isn't entirely free of flaws, but it runs rings around the more well-established mail clients. It's as easy to use as Outlook Express but far more powerful, and it's superior to the idiosyncratic Eudora 6.1 or the ponderous Outlook 2003. The final code is now available here; this preview is based on the release candidate.
Well designed, easy to use, free for the download (with no ads in sight) -- what more could you want from an email client? Well, how about a built-in junk-mail filter and an RSS reader? Or smart search tools that let you save the results in a folder and run the search again at a later date? Or the ability to colour-code messages for easier sorting? Did we mention that it works across the Windows, Mac, Linux and Solaris platforms?
But most compellingly, Thunderbird provides big gains with almost no pain. At install, it automatically imports account settings and addresses from Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express, Eudora or Netscape Mail; the 1.0 candidate also transports unopened mail from your old inbox. The interface looks like a hybrid between the Firefox browser and Outlook Express, making it extremely intuitive. And although it doesn't have the contact management and scheduling muscle of a program such as Outlook, it's a lot sleeker and swifter -- more sports car than 4x4.
There are a few small annoyances. For example, Thunderbird doesn't display the date on messages less than one day old, although you can change this by manually editing a user preferences file. In our limited tests, Thunderbird trapped almost all of our junk mail but also a large number of legit messages. You'll have to train the spam filter to make it fully effective, and when you mark a message by clicking Not Junk, you have to manually move it to your inbox. The new RSS reader was hard to find and somewhat Spartan -- newcomers may find themselves at a loss. And if you run into snags, you must rely on FAQs, user forums and the community of Mozillans for assistance.
Talkback
Yes, I really like this bird.
I use it since version 0.2.
I tested Outlook 2003 month ago which looks nice and makes strong first impression, but after few days I dropped it because it is much too heavy overloaded.
Have used Thunderbird since .07, have never even opened Outlook Express since reinstalling windows in Sept , 2004, Have tried lots of other emails, but Thunderbird is the best, also use Firefox 1.0, and only use Internet Explorer, if a link opens it, but not to often dose this happen, now if they could only devolpe a program like MS Money, I would be very happy
It's a good product, it's easy to use and it's free. It also works on several platforms - inclusing Mac OS X. That does it for me.
Knocks the pants off Outlook Express, great user interface, great spam catcher (Just give it a chance to learn).
Loads of skins,extensions and add-ons.
I would never go back to Bill Gates flawed mail program.
OK, well you must speak as you find. I think Thunderbird is crap. Why? Well, this has happened to me twice - I have on average about 30 e-mails a day from various sources, some of which are quite important (to me at least). Also, I have a modest Address Book of around 100 entries.
First, Thunderbird would not import my address book from OE, there was no choice given. Then, it would not recognise my A drive floppy. Overcame these two problems by manually entering the address book - tiresome.
Then, after a couple of weeks, on boot up into XP, suddenly there is nothing in my Thunderbird. I had to make a new account. Of course, everything from inbox, sent, deleted and address book was lost.
This has, as I said, happened twice. Poor old OE still chunters in the background with all old messages up to the change to Thunderbird - and the address book is still there.
My Thunderbird 1.0 is installed from the CD so its not a download problem. I wonder how long it will be before it wipes itself clean again?
Very dischuffed!
I think it is brilliant the way it imports all the previous settings etc from Outlook. No aggro at all in changing over and Outlook is now in the recycle bin
It's not without it's flaws but I find it to be a much more comfortable experience than Outlook.
Well Lindsey Turrentine et al -
from, my previous post I now have an answer to my question. As at 07.30ut the xxxxxxx program has wiped itself clean for the fourth time! I probably won't give Thunderbird any more time unless someone can come up with a solution - the problem being, for those who haven't read the earlier posts - every few days Thunderbird wipes itself clean of all things. Inbox, Outbox, Sent, Draft, Address Book, and all the e-mails wihich have accrued since it last blew out!!!!!
This is sickening. There is so much work putting things to rights, only to have them deleted suddenly and without warning.
This is why I think Thunderbird is CRAP!
Michael Harrington - no one else's Thunderbird wipes itself clean. It seems to be a problem pertinent only to you. I therefore conclude it's a fault with your system and not the program's fault. Metihnks you are doing / have done something wrong.
Love the layout, ease of installation and spam tools, beets Outlook Express any day, ......but I can't use it as it is incompatible with Norton Anti Virus and will refuse to receive mail from certain POP3 accounts, shame.
Thanks for that Scotbot. However, I have the Mozilla Suite on CD and have only installed it from there. I cannot see how I could be doing something wrong. Firefox works well and is far superior to IE, but Thunderbird does not. I just don't know why. Outlook Express doesn't wipe itself out in any way, so I am using that with Firefox. Puzzling!
I have been onboard the Thunderbird client since version 0.7 and it has been good to me. As for wiping itself out, can't say I have ever heard of that problem?
I enjoy just about everything associated with the program and fully intend to keep using it. I have tried just about every known e-mail client available from freeware to shareware and have settled positively on Thunderbird.
Well everytime I install it it somehow knackers my ability to send and receive email from my BT account and its not until I uninstall it that I regain access to my email via Outlook Express again.
Pity really as I would use it in preference.
And why is the ability to enter passwords etc not as easy to access as the Outlook Express program?
It must have taken over my OE settings on first install but I cannot find the options easily to check that the passwords are all correct. From that point of view its still a bit crap.
One possible issue that makes me a bit leary, is with what happened to the ability to keep messages archived in the program accross reinstalls.
A little history. Back in the Netscape 4.x days, there was no problem. Have the data, either on a second hard drive, or backed up and then restored along with the rest of one's data or user profile directory, re-format, and then reinstall the hard drive with the operating system and Netscape installed on it, and no deal. Just re-point the thing to one's old profile, and all the old email returned visable and all. (That is precisely how I want it.)
Then AO-Hell (who's rather inane software, in my view didn't include this option for their email client) merged with Netscape, and all of a sudden Netscape 7 or was it 6, then lacked this ability. It reverted to the inferior AOL way of keeping messages accross fresh formats and reinstalls of the OS.
So, I had my email folders (which I've kept since 1997) migrated up to the newer Netscape, and when I upgraded my computer shortly after and reinstalled, changed the profile and all, but hey, my email wouldn't show up as Netscape 4 had. I considered this a serious enough problem and detraction from the way I want email handled, that I switched my profile over to Outlook Express and kept it there ever since.
So now, I reinstall, change the store directory to the hard drive/folder that contains all the old email, tell it I want to still use this profile and all is well. The absolute only way I would even consider trying another email client is not only if I can import the messages initially, but if I can continue to use old store folders and have all prior messages reappear accross fresh format/reinstalls as both Netscape 4.x (before the newer versions of Netscape in the end), and Outlook Express allow this... Without info, I'm not about ready to risk losing mail archiving in the email client itself ability...
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