Thanks Bill (Mozilla Thunderbird)

Member Name: Donf18

Product:	Mozilla Thunderbird
Date:	01/11/09 (166 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great

Disadvantages: none it works a treat

Thunderbird is an E-Mail client from the producers of such an excellent software package as Firefox. It is a very simple looking program looking very similar to Outlook Express in format. You can download themes so that you can get the software looking just as you want it. On installing it will link your E-Mail to the Internet Explorer toolbar making it easy to check your mail whilst browsing. The Icon/ Emblem for Thunderbird is an Envelope shrouded by a bluebird, pretty much in the same vein that Firefox has a fox shrouding a globe.

To get Thunderbird you can simply Google "Thunderbird" and you will be presented with various option sites from where you can obtain the setup files. On a broadband connection it is only going to take seconds to download and a few minutes to set up. You will need the addresses of the servers from which you currently obtain your E-Mail. i.e. "pop3.netscape.co.uk" for incoming mail and "smtp.netscape.co.uk" for outgoing mail where Netscape is substituted for your provider. You can check this in your E-Mail settings on your current E-Mail client and jot it down once you have downloaded Thunderbird.

You can create several accounts and each one can be passworded if you require more security from nosey family members. Downloading additional themes can be done from the Thunderbird tool menu where all the other normal setup and features can be visited. It is very easy to setup and will check your mail as and when instructed. You can also set it to check every whatever minutes, which is handy if you don't want to keep maximising the Thunderbird screen to check. There are audio warnings that you have mail but not everyone has their speakers on all the time.

A built in address book will keep track of new and added contacts where one click will add them as recipients of any mail you intend sending to them. The initial screen before the addition of any new themes is very similar to an office document with the notable exception of the fact that down the left hand side of the screen are various folders.

1. Inbox
2. Unsent
3. Drafts
4. Sent
5. Deleted
6. any other named folders you wish to create.

I'm not going to whittle on about the folders above since I do not wish to insult your intelligence by assuming you do not know what an Inbox is. The any other folder option however is interesting. By creating a folder say with the name of "Keeps" you can transfer any received E-Mails to this c folder where they will reside until you feel the need to delete them when they become obsolete.

To the right of these folders separated by a line down the screen, is the preview pane where you get a quick glimpse of E-Mails, which have arrived. This screen is split in two horizontally and your incoming mail is viewed on the top portion. A double click on any mail will open it for you inspection. A single click will highlight the E-Mail and some of its contents will de displayed in the lower preview pane. Above this and on the right of the tool menus are several larger Icons. They are signified by different pictures. Again there functions are pretty self-explanatory being that they are

1. Delete
2. Junk
3. Tag
4. Print
5. Back
6. Forward


Having had problems with my PC and installing Windows again I discovered that the newer IE 8 had been installed. This created a problem getting Outlook Express or Outlook both of which have components, which are similar. However these and not compatible with IE8, which in my opinion is a severe oversight by Mr Bill and the rest of the Microsoft team. It was Thunderbird, which enabled me to sort things out and be able once again to get my mail.

Thundebird is totally free and has no adware or advertisements spoiling it. It is or can be tweaked by the themes to create an Inbox which is a bit different from all those boring Microsoft Outlok or Express screens. All in all a great piece of kit which will be needed by more than me should Bill's oversight not go unseen. Plus it is way better than Outlook Express.

Summary: Thanks Bill

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