Latest Email Applications - Thunderbird

[Chao Lao Beach]

OS Win8 (with classic shell)

I am refering to programs that manage you emails like MS Outlook, I used to use Thunderbird, it was ok.

Is Thunderbird still one of the better ones or has there been a major game changer?

thx

[Chicog]

For open source, it's hard to beat.

[Tywais]

Still my e-mail client of choice for quite a few years now.

[RKASA]

I can't recall when I used something other then Thunderbird - if your on win then they have a back up program Mozbackup that works well too.

[narkeddiver]

Is there a good open source version of M$ exchchange or nohope notes? I.e. Enterprise level email and calendar sever

[Somtamnication]

Been using Tbird for years. Love it.

[sustento]

I'm on Tbird 2. It works exactly the way I want so I've never 'upgraded'.

[jeepholt]

Does anyone know if Thunderbird has the capability of transferring all my back emails and contacts from Eudora?

[KittenKong]

Does anyone know if Thunderbird has the capability of transferring all my back emails and contacts from Eudora?

It does.

[lopburi3]

Question the need? Online service such a Gmail work fine. Have used for years now without issues.

[RKASA]

Question the need? Online service such a Gmail work fine. Have used for years now without issues.

If you have a number of accounts and really don't want spam then you need imap mode on a desktop. Online with more then 2 accounts would be a pain in the ---. and has many offline functions and off line backups can be used. I can transfer all my email accounts complete with set up to a new or other PC in a few minutes. Go online and it all sync up.

[lopburi3]

I have no need for more than two accounts and have not found any need for a dedicated program and happy to be ride of them - for most users believe on-line works well - and find spam control much better than any ISP provider service. For me there has not been any negative factor - although I expected there would be prior to change. On-line there is no need to transfer anything as you can access from any computer.

[sustento]

If you want to keep a searchable archive of all your emails Mailstore is free and easy to use

http://www.mailstore.com/en/mailstore-home-email-archiving.aspx

[SpaceKadet]

Is there a good open source version of M$ exchchange or nohope notes? I.e. Enterprise level email and calendar sever

Yes, there are a couple of specialized distros based on Ubuntu and Centos. They are generally full M$ AD/DC replacements. Zentyal (www.zentyal.org) is probably the best implementation, based on research I've done recently.

[narkeddiver]

Is there a good open source version of M$ exchchange or nohope notes? I.e. Enterprise level email and calendar sever

Yes, there are a couple of specialized distros based on Ubuntu and Centos. They are generally full M$ AD/DC replacements. Zentyal (www.zentyal.org) is probably the best implementation, based on research I've done recently.

Thank you for the suggestion

[sustento]

Can you turn off tabbed browsing in the latest version of Tbird? I tried it and didn't like it so reverted back to version 2. Is it worth upgrading to a later version?

[RKASA]

I have no need for more than two accounts and have not found any need for a dedicated program and happy to be ride of them - for most users believe on-line works well - and find spam control much better than any ISP provider service. For me there has not been any negative factor - although I expected there would be prior to change. On-line there is no need to transfer anything as you can access from any computer.

It can be a good idea really - if I travel I often sign up for things and email is where the deals come back - I have accounts that are for car rental, air, hotel, forums etc etc even a total junk address. When they get out of hand I just delete them - even TVF does not know my real email address and never will. Why would you give something like facebook your family email address? I gave them a real one that I use that is good enough. When I open the program I know which box to go to first and which I don't give a rat about. All my banking is on a different account then other things. My bank might get hacked for addresses but it is far more likely some other site will just sell the active address first if they had it. I have had the family address for over 15 years and no spam - at all. I don't use ISP mail with a program you can use any mail that offers imap mode gmail etc. but I don't see there ads ether as I would online, but it is just a choice.

[manarak]

Question the need? Online service such a Gmail work fine. Have used for years now without issues.

Gmail accounts etc. are ok for private use and light commercial use.

As a professional user who operates his own encrypted email servers, I prefer using an email client because of:

- confidentiality (my emails are buffered on the server, then downloaded encrypted to the email client. after the download, there is nothing left on the server)

- security (I am in control of my own security, don't need to worry about hackers breaching Amazon, Facebook, etc.)

- data safety (I can easily archive and backup the archive)

I believe a local email client is the best when working combined with one's own email servers - it's very flexible and easy to setup aliases, redirections, catchalls, routing rules, CC rules, spamfilter, etc.

Regarding protection against viruses and spam, I run Amavis and Spamassassin with a set of regex rules. works well.

Edited October 26, 2014 by manarak

[KittenKong]

Question the need? Online service such a Gmail work fine. Have used for years now without issues.

If you had ever wanted to read or write your emails without a permanent internet connection you would know the answer to that one.

Using an email client like Thunderbird as opposed to webmail enables me to connect for just a few seconds and send/receive as many emails as I need to, and then disconnect but still be able to read/write them all, until the next brief connection. So, for example, ideal for use when travelling or even if my home internet is down and I have to use pay wifi hotspots temporarily. Or even when my home internet connection is just flaky and only works for a few minutes at a time.

Of course you can use Thunderbird with a Gmail account also, thus getting the best of both worlds if you really like webmail.

[lopburi3]

That was 10 years ago for most of us however - today almost everyone has internet at home and access when travelling. If you do not have on-line access agree it is not a viable option but for years now most of use have not had that issue. Even a smart phone can be used if needed.

But I am one that travels with a non-smart phone and can wait to receive/send an email if not at home.

[NanLaew]

I used Outlook Express until I saw the light and have been with Thunderbird ever since. The only issue I had with them was around v.3 (I think) when they changed the oars for an outboard and one couldn't import archived emails from the older version. But I got over that and now on the beta test route with them as I am with Firefox, my browser of choice.*

My work entails using client networks and most of them are quite anal about security and disable pop3 and IMAP so then I resort to gmail which coincidentally manages to fly quite well on most low-bandwidth (satellite) connections, especially when I go deep cover or otherwise trying to keep "below the radar".

* Anyone interested should try the Palemoon version.

[mortenaa]

Try Mailbird.

Btw, always reside to server side email solutions, eg Imap based solutions.

[KittenKong]

That was 10 years ago for most of us however - today almost everyone has internet at home and access when travelling. If you do not have on-line access agree it is not a viable option but for years now most of use have not had that issue. Even a smart phone can be used if needed.

As I said, that doesnt help if your internet is temporarily flaky as it so often is here. Or if you are somewhere where there is no permanent free access.

Not the mention the simple speed advantage of having all your sent and received emails and attachements permanently stored on your local machine. I personally have better things to do with my life than wait for webmail to load but I know that some people seem to enjoy that.

[sustento]

Can you turn off tabbed browsing in the latest version of Tbird? I tried it and didn't like it so reverted back to version 2. Is it worth upgrading to a later version?

Bump

[Tywais]

Can you turn off tabbed browsing in the latest version of Tbird? I tried it and didn't like it so reverted back to version 2. Is it worth upgrading to a later version?

Bump

Thunderbird has a similar ability as Firefox's about:config to set hidden configuration settings. This one is for disabling tabs.

[NeverSure]

I don't understand why someone wouldn't want an email client that pulled all web based mail and stored it locally. No need to go online, I get a notice if I have mail from any of them. Then I just look at my local client which is tied to the startup menu.

??

[KittenKong]

Thunderbird has a similar ability as Firefox's about:config to set hidden configuration settings. This one is for disabling tabs.

For me that doesn't seem to really disable tabs. It just seems to hide the tab bar when there is only one tab in use.

Double-click on a message or do a search and the result still opens in a new tab.

[noodle]

I changed from Thunderbird to Thunderbird Portable several years ago. Works well.

[NanLaew]

I changed from Thunderbird to Thunderbird Portable several years ago. Works well.

Good advice there for those that travel and either have security concerns on public computers or Admin restrictions on loading programs on third-party (client provided) computers.

I have Portable versions of most of the programs that I frequently use installed on a USB stick (along with bootable linux for total disasters). I have Thunderbird Portable as well which gives the convenience of my regular email client along with total anonymity once I log off, close PortableApps and remove the USB stick.

Edited October 27, 2014 by NanLaew

[astral]

Thunderbird can hardly be called a new application

but is good and my choice.