GrantPalin.com

In the past, I was happy with Outlook Express, since it was included with Windows XP, and was easy enough to set up and use. However, more recently, I have been wanting to move to a more open alternative. Not necessarily open source, but a more open way of working. Having read about the recent 2.0 release of Mozilla Thunderbird, I decided to give it a try.

Installation was easy: just download the installer from the Mozilla Thunderbird website, and run it. When I opened the program for the frst time, it offered to import my emails, address book, and settings from Outlook Express, which I let it do. Very handy.

Once I got into the program, I took a look around. The interface is different from what I’m used to with OE, but that will pass. I found all the important parts easily enough: the Get Mail button at the top left, the Write button, Address Book, and Delete. The rest is just fluff…:-p

Seriously though, it had everything I needed to start. At first.

One of the things I like about Firefox (also from Mozilla, for those who don’t know) is it’s extensibility. You can download little mini-programs that can be added into the browser, giving it a little more functionality than what is available in a base install. Since Firefox and Thunderbird are both from Mozilla, one would presume one could use extensions with TB also. And they would be right.

There is a section on the Mozilla website for Thunderbird extensions. Browsing through there yielded a long list of available extensions. I got the following ones to start:

• MinimizeToTray - I’ve used this extension with Firefox also. When minimized, a Firefox window becomes an icon in the system tray instead of a taskbar button, which is a little tidier. This plugin also works with TB.
• Contacts Sidebar - By default, address book entries do not appear in a sidebar like they do in OE. This plugin creates a sidebar group that lists your contacts. Saves a trip to the Address Book button.

So I got a little more functionality into the program. The extensibility is great. Things are looking good. I do have some minor complaints with it though.

First, when I write a message and click Send, it sends immediately, without prompting. That could be a timesaver, but I would refer to be able to just store the message locally, review it, and then actually send it. It would be nice to be able to write a message one day, keep it, and send it the next day. I’ve dug around in the program settings, but haven’t (yet) found anything on how to control this behavior.

Also when I send a message, I get asked whether the message should be sent as “Plain Text and HTML”, “Plain Text Only”, or “HTML Only”. This can get annoying when I am going through messages and responding to them. I haven’t found a setting for this either.

All in all, my initial experience with Thunderbird has been a positive one, and I think I will be sticking with it for a while at least. I have moved all my contacts and emails out of Outlook Express, and over into Thunderbird.