Thunderbird 3

[JohnH]

Having used Thunderbird for the last couple of years, I stuck with it when Thunderbird 3 came out last month. However, there are some really irksome features in the latest version that made me make an executive decision this weekend and move over to the Sea Monkey email application. For example, it is not now possible to view all recipients of an email. You can see three of them, but if there are more, you have to click on the word "more" which will then expand the list to a maximum of ten. Apparently, this is a known issue and will not be fixed until 3.2 is released.

I also don't like all the other periphery that has turned up in emails, like the 'reply', 'forward' and 'junk' buttons that are totally unnecessary because they are already in the mail toolbar.

Having said this, I don't think the Sea Monkey browser is a patch on Firefox, so I won't be totally keeping Simon company.

[Steve]

Isn't Sea Monkey based on FF and Thunderbird?

[JohnH]

It is, but there are variants. The email application of SM does not (yet at least) have the same annoying issues  I described.

Also, I think the FF browser is more intuitive in the use of tabbed browsing and where it places the 'Home' button, which it does not seem possible to replicate in SM.

[Steve]

I've never tried it, I used to use Thunderbird 2 and was very happy with it. Since moving to Mac their Mail program is no frills but works very well and I like Safari because of the lack of clutter I ended up adding to FF (Safari doesn't have many toys and is probably safe enough on a Mac)

[Simon]

It is, but there are variants. The email application of SM does not (yet at least) have the same annoying issues  I described.

Also, I think the FF browser is more intuitive in the use of tabbed browsing and where it places the 'Home' button, which it does not seem possible to replicate in SM.

You can move the Home button to wherever you want it in SM, John.  Right click the Toolbar and select Customise.  You may have to drag the Home button from where it currently is, to the box, then drag it from there to where you want it.

[JohnH]

Thanks for that, Simon.

Alas, the clincher for me is that SM does not have an inbuilt FTP client like FF does with the FireFTP add-on.

[Simon]

You can get FireFTP for SeaMonkey, John. 

http://xsidebar.mozdev.org/modifiedmisc.html#fireftp

[drummer]

I read about the problems with Thunderbird 3, so I didn't bother upgrading v2.0.0.23.

It's still there if you want it.

[JB]

I'm on 2.0.0.24 which seems fine.

[JohnH]

It's still there if you want it.

I just wonder if it's as straightforward as uninstalling version 3 and then installing 2.0.23 or 24, or if there is more to it.

[JohnH]

You can get FireFTP for SeaMonkey, John. 

http://xsidebar.mozdev.org/modifiedmisc.html#fireftp

Thanks Simon, didn't know that.

[Simon]

I don't give up easily. 

[Rik]

So we heard. 

[JohnH]

I don't give up easily. 

What about the search bar like you get in Firefox, where you can look at Google, or Wikipedia or any number of search engines? 
Bet they don't do that. 

[Rik]

You can probably get a Google toolbar, John.

[Simon]

I'll check later. 

[JohnH]

You can probably get a Google toolbar, John.

Yes, you can Rik. But I don't think the other search engines are available.

Bet Simon's creating an add-on as we speak.....

[Rik]

 

That or a DR roast...

[JohnH]

I'm sure he's got his priorities right.

...that's the add-on out the window, then. 

[Rik]

You haven't tried Simon's cooking then... 

[zappaDPJ]

I can't believe this thread has got this far without anyone mentioning Alan Tracy

Anyway, does anyone have an opinion on how this mail client compares to MS Outlook? I was rather surprised to find Windows 7 contains no email client and as I'd just install Office I decided to try Outlook again which I really disliked when I tried it years ago.

It appears to have had a huge make over and it impressed me no end by connection to IDNet's mail server (in and out going) with nothing more than my email address. However I'd still be interested to compare it with other clents including Thunderbird. Any opinions?

[Simon]

I'm no help there, Zap, as, like yourself, I haven't used Outlook for years, and haven't tried the new version either.  You can lose nothing by giving Thunderbird a try, although, I'm not sure you can easily transfer mail from one client to the other.

[Rik]

I preferred Outlook to TB when I tested them both about three years ago, Zap. In particular, I found that TB didn't handle digitally signed mail very well.

[JohnH]

Yes, you can transfer mail quite easily from Outlook.

I find Thunderbird much better for maintaining mailing lists and for mail shots. However, as I have said at the beginning of this thread, version 3 now only shows three recipients by default and there's no workaround, other than to regress or swap to Sea Monkey, which seems a decent email client. It's also very straightforward for adding new email accounts.

[zappaDPJ]

Thanks, I think I'll take a look at it 

[kinmel]

I still use Thunderbird, but the latest versions are becoming more and more annoying as it tries to automate configuration.

Now as you set up an email account for the first time, it goes off unbidden to find the possible server options for the email address and selects and installs the settings for IMAP as default without asking if that is your preference.

You then have to trawl through the Account settings to kill IMAP before POP3 is allowed as the default, it is just plain annoying.

[Den]

I have always used Outlook and I really do like Outlook 2007. As a back up I use Windows Live mail which is very easy to use with a nice clean interface and very easy to set up.  But I would say that wouldn't I   

[zappaDPJ]

That's the version I'm using Den and I do like the interface.

As a matter of interest does anyone know if IMAP has any advantage over POP3 other than allowing simultaneous access to multiple clients?

[Simon]

What about the search bar like you get in Firefox, where you can look at Google, or Wikipedia or any number of search engines? 
Bet they don't do that. 

Well...  not as such, but if you hit F9 for the sidebar, you can choose from a very limited selection of on board search engines, or, if you go to: http://mycroft.mozdev.org/index.html, there are plugins available for other search engines, but you can only use the ones with the logo, and they seem fairly limited, as far as UK sites go, so I think I'll have to concede the point to Firefox on that one.

[Gary]

I've never tried it, I used to use Thunderbird 2 and was very happy with it. Since moving to Mac their Mail program is no frills but works very well and I like Safari because of the lack of clutter I ended up adding to FF (Safari doesn't have many toys and is probably safe enough on a Mac)

I think Safari was the least safe browser in recognising phishing sites and malware Steve, I still use FF as I have not found a way to block adds without a) having Safari with input managers, or using a proxy like glimmerblocker. IE8 is the strongest browser out there right now ironically.

[Rik]

As a matter of interest does anyone know if IMAP has any advantage over POP3 other than allowing simultaneous access to multiple clients?

Not really, Zap, that's it's sole function as far as I can see. I found it cumbersome in use as deleting a mail from the server would also delete it from local machines.

[Gary]

I thought Thunderbird 3 was the green one with a removable pod in the middle 

[Rik]

[Gary]

[zappaDPJ]

I thought Thunderbird 3 was the green one with a removable pod in the middle 

Erm, that's Thunderbird 2 

[Gary]

Erm, that's Thunderbird 2 

You know to much 

[zappaDPJ]