Outlook has been copping some heat lately, largely for attracting virus writers, while Thunderbird has been getting all of the good press. We examine the two products, and other e-mail clients available today, so you can see if replacing Outlook really is an option. |
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Contents 
Avoiding e-mail worms
Barca
Calypso
Eudora
Lotus Notes
Outlook
Pegasus
Pine
The Bat
Mozilla Thunderbird
Specifications
Final words
Editor's choice
About RMIT |
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Many people won't give much thought to e-mail client software, thinking "I use Outlook Express -- it came with Windows." or "I am a Mac user, I will use the standard Mail package". But a business cannot really afford such a laissez-faire attitude toward its computer operating system. What a business should be thinking is: what features do we need from our e-mail software? Do we need integrated e-mail/organiser software? How vulnerable is the software to malicious attacks? How much are we willing to pay for something different?
Some of the packages reviewed are more than simple electronic mail facilitators (such as Barca, the Bat, Outlook, Eudora, and Lotus Notes), and some are complete personal information manager's (PIM's) that include calendar, planner, and diary functions. Others are pure, plain-and-simple, e-mail clients. In fact, the programs we reviewed that are purely e-mail programs, are actually free.
"Wait a minute!" I hear you say. "Free software? What's the catch? Advertising, poor quality?" Perhaps surprisingly, the answer is often simple altruism (yes, it does exist). Pine and Pegasus, for example, are the products of university staff who have perceived a need at their local campus. Having arrived at a solution the creators apparently saw no reason why others shouldn't benefit from this work, and as such both programs are available for free download.
Equally, Mozilla Thunderbird is part of the Open Source project which operates from similar ideals. Open source programs are available to all for free distribution and even modification -- since the original source code is available. Pine and Pegasus are not open source in this sense. The fourth free product is Calypso and this is another kettle of fish. It was shareware, but became freeware when a later version became available. If you like this version you might like to pay for the next one.
What about Opera; another free browser with a built-in email client. I mean, if you are going to give top honors to a free client, then you should look at the other free client also. This review justified itself largely based on the failing security of outlook, but if that's your main concern, don't get thunderbird no matter what. I mean, come on, IT'S OPEN SOURCE. It doesn't get any less secure than that. It doesn't have the market presense of outlook, but if it ever does look out -- there will then be incentive to use it as the vehicle for viruses, and it will be childs play since it's open source.
Opera, with it's email client, is free, not open source, and actually attempts some things that are revolutionary. I don't think that it would win your shoot-out, since it tries to be different and takes a lot of getting used to. I don't even think that I like it the best of the ones that I try, but I respect it for what it is trying to do and the fact that it is much more secure than outlook.
Just my 2 cents; I'm tired of hearing about Mozilla/Thunderbird when I have seen time and again that it is an inferior product to my current favorite.