The Inquirer-Home

Thunderbird 3 released

New email client is out
Wed Dec 09 2009, 15:40

OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE OUTFIT Mozilla has released its Thunderbird 3 email client. The software is available for download now and comes with a number of new features.

Mozzarella said today that Thunderbird 3 has been in development for two years. Available as a free download, the new version includes features like tabbed email and improved search and organisation tools.

Accompanying material adds, "If you like Firefox's tabbed browsing, you're going to love tabbed email. Thunderbird 3's tabbed email lets you load emails in separate tabs so you can quickly jump between them. Search results open in a new tab too. New tools like our timeline and filtering tools will help you pinpoint the email you're looking for, whether it's the one from yesterday, last month, or several years ago."

Archiving is simple, according to Mozilla, and requires little more than a pressing of the A key, or selecting the Archive button. Once archived, emails are easily searchable, and overall the whole experience should be a lot faster. Any tabs open when you close the application will still be there when you sign back in, while the main toolbar has been simplified.

So-called Smart Filters and a one-click address book should further improve the user experience. In addition a new user set up process removes the bothersome requirement to know a lot of POP type information, letting you create access to an existing email account simply by adding in your name, email address and password.

Perhaps most useful for overworked emailers is the Attachment Reminder, which works something like a backseat driver, looking for the word 'attachment' in text and reminding you to add the relevant document before you hit send. We know that's going to save us occasional embarrassment. µ

Share this:

Comments
@Rogerp

Sounds like you need Opera. It has tick boxes that you can drag to toolbars for Java, Javascript, plugins and more.

Sadly not a dedicated one for Flash, you have to use the general 'Plugins' button.

I have Javascript disabled by default and simply use site preferences to enable it only for the sites I want it. before that, I used to have to manually switch it on and off all the time, but now I rarely have to think about javascript - Just like a normal user!

posted by : Bob Monkfish, 10 December 2009 Complain about this comment
@Llyander

It's a kaspersky issue, its also messes with firefox by installing extensions incorrect.
I've had no end of trouble with it and eventually switch AV as the quality of the mozilla extensions is more than lacking, it's terrible.
Not a moz issue.

posted by : Jon, 10 December 2009 Complain about this comment
Mixed reaction

I just installed and initially loved it. I really like the tabbed email reading. However, I noticed that it was steadily using about 10% of my macbook pro CPU!! what for?! As a laptop user I can't allow my battery to drain like that... so, I'll wait for an update...

posted by : Santi, 10 December 2009 Complain about this comment
Netscape was good

When Netscape did the email client it was all I used.

When motsarella got hold of it, it went to crap and I stopped using it.

I've always thought there should be a "Java on / Java off" button

posted by : Rogerp, 10 December 2009 Complain about this comment
Don't Bother.

Unbelievably awful.

Install was borked due to my running installation of Kaspersky 2010.

Once I manually disabled all the anti-spam functions I then had to find the files in the thunderbird directory and remove them

Then once I finally DID get it installed, it decided to eat all my new email. It downloaded new email, showed a email as waiting, but the moment you click into the inbox, your mail is gone, never to be seen again.

Useless. Congratulations, Mozilla, you've given me a reason to use Outlook again. What a shoddy product.

posted by : Llyander, 10 December 2009 Complain about this comment
Auto Glym?

Does anyone know the brand name of the polish they used on this turd?

posted by : The EU, 09 December 2009 Complain about this comment
very good, but still place for improvement

Thunderbird 3 is great.

However, there is still room for improvement.

The e-mails themselves do not scale (zoom in/out) nicely. The content of an e-mail should scale like Opera scales web pages.

When you open an e-mail and delete it, the next e-mail is being displayed. How come? When I delete an e-mail I would like to see the inbox, not some other e-mail that happens to be the next on in the inbox.

I, however will stick with Outlook (also in version 2010 once available) on my W7 system. On my Ubuntu system I'll stick with Thunderbird.

Thunderbird is great, and its for free.
Looking forward for the next version ...

posted by : Fred_EM, 09 December 2009 Complain about this comment
@Chronos

You're right. The fact that KMail and Kontact have had that feature does indeed make it less "useful for overworked emailers".

posted by : ohpecz, 09 December 2009 Complain about this comment
Yeah

"Perhaps most useful for overworked emailers is the Attachment Reminder, which works something like a backseat driver, looking for the word 'attachment' in text and reminding you to add the relevant document before you hit send."

...because it's not like KMail and Kontact have had that feature for the past $DEITY knows how long, after all.

posted by : Chronos, 09 December 2009 Complain about this comment
aboutus
Advertisement
Subscribe to INQ newsletters
Advertisement
INQ Poll

Authorities in several countries raided Megaupload recently, shut down all of its services, seized hundreds of servers and arrested several of its executives on criminal charges.

Do you think the move was justified?