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Preview

Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0: a first look

Lindsey Turrentine CNET

Published: 07 Dec 2004

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.

Isn't that Outlook Express? No, wait, it's Firefox! Guess again: it's Thunderbird 1.0 release candidate -- slick and easy software for reading your mail, blogs and newsgroups.

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.

It's hard to find a free email client that can go toe to toe with Thunderbird. Microsoft's continued support for future versions of Outlook Express is questionable, which makes the open-source Mozilla software even more attractive. Check back soon for a full review of the final code.

Eudora 6.1

Review Power users looking for an email solution that can also help to cut spam should consider Eudora 6.1. However, competitors such as Notes and Outlook offer cleaner interfaces and more intuitive processes for managing email. [30 Jun 2004]

Mozilla Firefox 1.0

Review Firefox's tabbed browsing, RSS support, security features and overall cool factor make it more attractive than Internet Explorer. [10 Nov 2004]