Thunderbird Thoughts

Every now and again I’m tempted to switch e-mail programs. Eudora has been my client of choice since version 2.something, back when I was with Internet World magazine, and I’ve upgraded it when I needed to.

I’d try Outlook Express, then immediately regret it — too many weird behaviors for my taste. And full-blown Outlook? Ick. To me, it’s bloatware (although I can see the appeal for people who keep detailed calendars, to-do lists, and address books).

Besides, using Windows and Office is enough Microsoft for me. When my old office got hit with the Love Bug worm, I was the only one unaffected because I was on Eudora instead of Outlook.

Anyway, I like the Firefox browser so much that I decided to give the Mozilla Organization’s open-source e-mail program, Thunderbird, a shot.

It’s terrific. It’s the first time since the mid-’90s that I have not switched back to Eudora within a day or two. Thunderbird is the best e-mail client I’ve ever used.

Some important caveats: It’s almost, but not quite, ready for prime time. It’s still got a few quirks and will undoubtedly drive some folks nuts.

I like its flexibility. There are tweaks and add-ons (extensions) galore, so (with one exception) I can adjust its behavior to what I like. And that’s part of the caveats: I like to tinker with software to customize it. If something bugs me — e.g., I want Ctrl-D to delete a message — I am willing to read through the Thunderbird message boards till I figure out how to do it.

So to me, knowing there are configuration files I can edit is a major plus. Outlook and Outlook Express were take-’em-as-they-are programs. There wasn’t much you could do to tweak. Thunderbird is the opposite.

The other thing I like about Thunderbird is its cleanliness. It’s a mail client, and you can configure it to read RSS feeds and Usenet newgroups if you’re so inclined.

It doesn’t have a calendar or to-do list (although it will link to Sunbird, the Mozilla folks’ calendar project) or global scheduling. It does one thing and does it very well.

I could spend paragraphs listing its features: It’s virus-proof. It has a spell-checker and built-in Bayesian spam filter. It can integrate with PGP and GPG encryption. And more — read the features page.

It’s not perfect. Its Usenet newsreader is barely adequate (although its RSS feed reader is very nice). When you delete a message you’re reading, it takes you to the next message; there’s no option to ‘return to Inbox.’ The way it handles passwords is odd.

But I’ve learned to live with these things; every other mail client I’ve used has quirks, too. But Thunderbird is free, it’s open-source, it’s slick, and it’s not Microsoft’s. Very nice, indeed.