CNET Editors' review
Formerly known as the e-mail component of the Mozilla Web browser, Thunderbird now exists as a standalone, full-featured client. The recently stripped-down code feels leaner and more focused than the original Mozilla component. In terms of features, the program is comparable to or exceeds other products in this space, boasting good junk-mail filters, compatibility with RSS feeds, HTML support, and multiple identities. Thunderbird handles both POP and IMAP accounts admirably, but we would like to see greater support for Microsoft's Exchange server. The program also boasts stellar security features such as S/MMIE, digital signing, message encryption, and a built-in phishing detector. Visually ahead of the game, Thunderbird's interface is a joy to use, and the application now lacks the sluggishness that plagued previous versions. We also like the layout options, which allow us to view our mail in various columned arrangements. Other little perks include message searching, saved-search folders, import tools, smart-address completion, labels, and return receipts. Though the lack of full Exchange support will keep this e-mail app on the sidelines in the corporate world, home users looking for an alternative to Outlook Express will absolutely find Thunderbird a high-flying choice. Watch the CNET video review of Mozilla Thunderbird:
Publisher's Description
From Mozilla:
Thunderbird makes e-mailing safer, faster, and easier than ever before with the industry's best implementations of features, such as intelligent spam filters, a built-in RSS reader, and quick search.
Thunderbird gives you a faster, safer, and more productive e-mail experience. Thunderbird was designed to prevent viruses and to stop junk mail so you can get back to reading your mail. Thunderbird provides the most effective tools for detecting junk mail. Our tools analyze your e-mail and identify those that are most likely to be junk. You can automatically have your junk mail deleted or you can put it in a folder you specify, just in case you like reading junk mail. View your e-mail the way you want it. Access your e-mail with Thunderbird's new three-column view. Customize your toolbar, change its look with themes, and use Mail Views to quickly sort through your messages.
Version 1.5 adds a variety of new feature and bug fixes, including spell-checking as you type, integration with server-side spam filtering, message aging, and a built-in phishing detector.
More Popular E-mail Software downloads
- Windows Live Mail
6,283 downloads
- Microsoft Office Outlook 2007
5,428 downloads
- Mozilla Thunderbird
2,848 downloads
- Microsoft Office Outlook 2010
1,785 downloads
- IncrediMail
623 downloads
-
All versions:
3.8 starsout of 1,155 votes
-
Current version:
4.2 starsout of 41 votes
-
My rating:
Write review
-
"Better than outlook"
Version: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5
Pros
The best mail client around, easy to add an e-mail account. Checks mail regularly, no bugs, works perfectly and looks good.
Cons
could include more themes
-
"Are our expectations too low or is this really an ordinary program?"
Version: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5
Pros
It installed fine, detected and imported my existing outlook messages just fine.
Cons
It is less flexible on message displaying and message composing than outlook. It replaces original formatting and fonts with the ones it/you define in options, and does not display SOME messages correctly. Also it appears to offer less flexibility in composing messages... but I may be wrong on that one... if I am, it gains a point there but loses it again for not being as intuitive as outlook. Overall I found nothing here to motivate me to switch and use this program. The program appears less polished than outlook. I'm looking at the overall rating here... and I just don't understand - are the other programs so crappy that you rate this ordinary-interface product so highly??? When comparing email programs, you may want to use Outlook as the yardstick.
-
"Looks exactly like Outlook Express...not as fast though"
Version: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5
Pros
Its free.
It looks and feels exactly like Outlook Express.
It is Outlook Express plus some stuff from Microsoft Outlook not in Outlook Express.
Outlook Express mail and address book is easily imported into the program.
Comes will a built in spam filter.
Cons
The program is quite slow in comparison to Outlook Express. I ran it on recently formated-reinstalled Athlon 1.2GHz machine, and it was quite sluggish. Compare this to very smoot Outlook Express operation.
Import process requires that an account already be set up on the machine. You can't just open Thunderbird, click import and locate the mail backup files. You have to first have an account created in your mail program, and THEN you can do the import process, as Thunderbird looks to a default location for the mail backup files, you cant alter this process.
Same goes for Address Book.
Takes some time getting used to if one is a long time Outlook Express user.
You can import mail from Outlook Express to this program, but there is no way to export mail from this program back into Outlook Express. So once you start using this program you are kinda stuck with it.
.
.
.
Im a long time Outlook Express user, and I really dont feel like learning a new mail client that is in fact slower than Outlook Express. So while Thunderbird is a great freeware product, I dont see the positives of using it for a user like me when all I do is mail and address book.
-
"Importing Email from Outlook does not work, for me."
Version: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5
Cons
Ever since Thunderbird came out, what 2 years ago? I have attempted to use it. However, it will not import mail from Outlook. When I sought help on the forums Mozilla directed me to a 3rd party software to get it done! I really would like to use it but cannot because of this problem.
Summary
null
It is now two years later and Thunderbird still does not like Outlook for that matter Winmail either. It took exporting in one format, then importing the files contents into Thunderbird. The same procedure had to be used for my address book.
Updated on Oct 19, 2009
So after some additional work and angst I was able to get my data into Thunderbird. Still a very unsatisfying exercise to go through. -
"SO much better than Outlook Express"
Version: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5
Pros
Much faster and more secure than Outlook. Try Mozilla Thunderbird and make it your default mail server, it's FREE!
-
"If Only They All Were This Good!"
Version: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5
Pros
I adore this program! It's ease of use makes it head and shoulders above the others in the market. Setting up to catch all your e-mail is a painless affair unless you use Hotmail, which MSN won't allow programs to work with. Even for the AOL users out there (both of you), this program can pull your e-mail without you needing to sign into AOL to get it. It's just fantastic.
Cons
The only downside is the lack of a good calendar, as others have mentioned. And this app needs some more skins, as the GUI is very very boring and plain looking. A little color never hurt anyone.
-
"The best overall email client out there, period."
Version: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5
Pros
Open Source.
Free to use.
SUPERB junk mail filtering.
Excellent incoming filter options (folder, virtual folder or both).
Fast.
On-the fly spell checking.
You can have multiple accounts, each with indivitual inboxes and subfolders. On top of that, you can have multiple identities in each account.
RSS reader built-in (although you can do better with an extension).
Smart address completion.
Full Usenet (newsgroup) capability (multiple account options here too).
Easily import your email and settings from other programs.
VERY customizable thanks to addons (extensions) from various sites (including the official Mozilla addons site).
I personally have about 20 extensions installed.
Cons
You'd think the words "Mozilla" and "Thunderbird" would be in the spell checking dictionary.
Sometimes an installed extension can render the program instable or create strange behavior. And it can be difficult to determine which extension is the culprit.
-
"From the producers of Firefox"
Version: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5
Pros
.. comes Thunderbird. Ease of use like Outlook Express but more secure. Subscribe to weblog feeds, newsgroups and checks your Inbox. Add extensions and make email retrieval safe!
-
"good & pratic"
Version: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5
Pros
Nice interface , many useful features , simple to use , rarely fails
-
"fast, easy to setup& use and customizable"
Version: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5
Pros
it's pretty much fully customizable and its easy to set up your email accounts in. it is also faster in my oppinion than outlook express.
Cons
nothing
Add Your Review
Submit your reply
E-mail this review
Report offensive content
Previous Versions:
