Email Client – Thunderbird 3.0 released – I was pleased

Thunderbird 3.0 – I am pleased

Updated – I was not pleased that a six seven year old compose/html bug has not only not been resolved but is still in unassigned status with hundreds of comments, over 30 duplicate bugs logged and a large string of followers. I understand it’s an open source project but this is a web tool and it cannot do HTML? Whhhaaaaaatttt?

Mozilla Thunderbird Bug
Bugzilla:  Bug 250539
Get Satisfaction: http://getsatisfaction.com/mozilla_messaging.…….

PostBox
So I tried a new client based on Mozilla by some ex Mozilla employees – the express version is free. The client worked very well, no HTML issues, cleaner interface, expected functionality. It’s not Lotus Notes (yes!), it’s not Outlook 2007 or 2010 (yes!) and it’s not Outlook Express or Windows Messaging.Hotmail.Bing thing a ling (Yes!). Has a lot of ThunderBird, a similar but cleaner layout, awesome search and a lot more you can read about below. I’m liking it a lot.

PostBox Express: http://www.postbox-inc.com/express_features

PostBox full version, available from around $30 if you grab a discountfrom their FaceBook page.
http://www.postbox-inc.com/index.php

 

ThunderBird 3.0 continued… I love ya and hope to someday come back!

Pros

  • Calendar +  Tasks – via Lightning add-on (still in it’s infancy but working well here)
  • Smart Folders – single view for multiple In-boxes
  • Tabs  – I initially did not like but I’m being won over
  • Spam filtering – quickly tag mail as Junk or not Junk and adaptive junk mail learns from you via Bayesian filtering
  • Archiving – I save all email, I blame my mother
  • Search – way mo better with a new back-end database, cross account searching, time-line based results, complex search strings…
  • Add-ons – ThunderBird’s Extendability is picking up steam with Add-ons like Shrunked which re-sizes image attachments before sending

Cons

  • Follow-up – still can’t tag an email for follow-up on a given date/time
  • Exchange – still no Exchange server love
  • HTML Compose bug – Bug 250539 (work currently in progress 01-18-10)

Thunderbird 3.0  Screenshot

ThunderBird 3.0 RC1 Email Client
ThunderBird 3.0 RC1 Email Client

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