- Quick specs
- Price: Free
- Operating system: Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/2003/Vista/7/NT
- Date added: January 20, 2010
- Total Downloads: 940,992
- Downloads last week: 4,064
- See full specifications
- CNET editors' rating: stars
- Average user rating: stars out of 833 votes
See all user reviews
CNET editors' review
Reviewed by: Seth Rosenblatt on December 08, 2009
Despite perceptions to the contrary, the desktop-based e-mail client is not dead. Mozilla Thunderbird 3.0 is a serious reaction to the prevalence of Web mail, so whether you're looking for a strong desktop client, an Outlook replacement, or a powerful tool for managing archives and Web mail offline, Thunderbird can scale to your needs.
Outlook users will notice the speed and responsiveness of the program, which loads quickly, even when weighed down by multiple folders and RSS feeds, and the basic feature set remains intact: good junk mail filters, HTML support, multiple identities, and robust Web mail, POP, IMAP, and Microsoft Exchange server support. Security features include S/MIME, digital signing, message encryption, and a built-in phishing detector. Add-ons, based on the same code as Firefox's add-on network, can enhance your security even further.
Joining such useful features as the back and forward e-mail browsing buttons and customizable tags in version 3.0 are a set of must-have features. The powerful search tool integrates results with desktop searches on Windows Vista and Windows 7, while tabs reinforce the connections between Web browsing and e-mail reading. In fact, the new search tool is so powerful that if you have a massive number of e-mails, you may want to set it to index them overnight lest it drain system resources from other programs. Gmail support especially has been revamped, so you now get an All Mail folder in Thunderbird, among other improvements. Mozilla's new Personas skins work in Thunderbird, while the Lightning add-on supplies the missing Microsoft Exchange-compatible calendar feature.
Flexible, powerful, and lightweight, Thunderbird 3 is an appropriate companion to Firefox in every way.
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Publisher's description
From Mozilla :Thunderbird makes e-mailing safer, faster, and easier with such features as intelligent spam filters, a built-in RSS reader, and quick search. Thunderbird was designed to prevent viruses and to stop junk mail. Thunderbird 3 includes tabbed e-mail, new search tools and indexing, "smart" folders, support for Firefox's Personas, a simplified setup wizard, and robust junk protections that include phishing and spam filters.
Thunderbird 3 is based on the Gecko 1.9.1.5 platform including some major re-architecting to provide improved performance, stability, web compatibility, and code simplification and sustainability.
What's new in this version:
- Several fixes to improve stability and security
- Several fixes to the user interface and attachment handling.
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User reviews
- Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 833 votes
- My rating: 0 stars Write review
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Showing 5 of 28 user reviewsSee all 28 user reviews
This software version | All versions -
Version: Mozilla Thunderbird 3.0.1
Pros: Love having tabs and now having lightning with calendar that much better.
Cons: None so far.
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Version: Mozilla Thunderbird 3.0.1
Pros: More detailed layout and seems easier to modify.
Cons: Started getting duplicates on some of my e-mails but not all. Didnot seem to be contained to particular sources.
Summary: Have not used enough to learn all the features. I had been told that there is a method of an appointment reminder but have not found the add-on or feature yet.
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Version: Mozilla Thunderbird 3.0.1
"This seems to be an alpha test version"
Pros: Compared with v.2.0.0.27, absolutely nothing. It churns my stomach to see what they have done to the world's previously best email client.
Cons: Everything: (1) it is a resource hog and doesn't work properly; and (2) going to tabbed browsing without providing any control for the tabs (or add ons to do that) kicks lack of user functionality in programming up to notches previously unknown,
Summary: It worked ok for a week or so, then it stopped loading the full screen -- I can see the underlying window through parts of the T'bird window; the only way to clear this is to switch to another window and then switch back to T'bird; this is probabl... read more >>
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Version: Mozilla Thunderbird 3.0.1
"Has several definite problems"
Pros: I love it as an email client; have used it for years.
Cons: BUT, since the last two updates it has been less satisfactory. Fonts won't do what I want; the Calendar I've stopped using; there are much better ones.
Summary: I'l stick with it but do hope these glitches will be fixed soon. I get so tired of having to select and enlarge my fonts all the time.
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Version: Mozilla Thunderbird 3.0.1
Pros: Not vey much.
Cons: See complaint in Summary
Summary: The news reader is a disaster. It does not _reliably_ group threads together; it does not allow accessing killfiles as easily as previous versions; various buttons were relocated apparently just to give it a new look, but they are not as easily acce... read more >>
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