Need a good, non-microsoft, preferably free email client

skipdup · 05-04-2008, 07:32 AM

Can anyone recommend a good email client? Free would be great, but not totally necessary. Use exchange for work. would like to keep my personal accounts completely separate.

Thanks,
Skip

Don Plumley · Don Plumley's Garage

Thunderbird - same folks as FireFox.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

+1 for Thunderbird. Much better than Outlook in many respects.

I had Outlook "big-brother-ize" a sequence of important e-mails a few years ago - it apparently decided that I wasn't smart enough to know whether or not certain attachments were safe or not, so it started blocking them all (and gave me NO OPTION to say, "yes, this is safe and I really do know what I'm doing here - it's okay, please give me the attachment"), which made things a huge PITA for me on that job.

That was the end of Outlook for me. No such problems or "we know what's best for you" attitude from Thunderbird. The junk mail filter is great and while it does block images/attachments from unknown senders, you CAN override the block with a simple one-click button that's right there in the upper right of the message. Not buried in some g-damn sub-menu 15 layers deep, or not there at all. . .

My only regret is that it doesn't have the built-in calendar and task list like Outlook did. But I have other software for that. I'm never going back to Outlook. Ever.

stomachmonkey · 05-04-2008, 08:18 AM

Thunderbird.

These days I only use POP clients to fetch mail roughly once a week.

Day to day I use gmail.

Gmail setup to fetch mail from all my other accounts.

Inbound and replies are set to default to the originating accounts address.

Spam filter is about the best I've ever seen.

Built in chat.

Accessible from anywhere.

Couple of bonuses like calenders, online viewing, modding, saving of word/excel docs.

skipdup · 05-04-2008, 08:35 AM

Three unanimous suggestions???

Sold. Thanks guys...

Neilk · 05-04-2008, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Gmail setup to fetch mail from all my other accounts.

Inbound and replies are set to default to the originating accounts address.

How can I access my external accounts through Gmail?

gr8fl4porsche · gr8fl4porsche's Garage

Gmail is the best I have used.

stomachmonkey · 05-04-2008, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neilk

How can I access my external accounts through Gmail?

1) Go to your gmail account
2) Top right hit "Settings"
3) Click "Accounts" tab
4) Click "Get Mail from other accounts"
It will ask you for the mail account info and send an email to that account that you need to reply to so it gets verified.

Once you have added the other account you can go back and "edit" on that account. You will have an option to label it so that all mail that comes into your gmail inbox is identified with the external account addy. Helps if you have multiple accounts so you know right away which account the mail came in from.

The "Accounts" tab also has the settings for reply adresses etc....

Joeaksa · 05-04-2008, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neilk

How can I access my external accounts through Gmail?

Also you can access ANY email account by going to www.mail2web.com

We all use this in countries where our email accounts are blocked.

svandamme · svandamme's Garage

thunderbird, you can even use it for gmail

Zeke · 05-04-2008, 11:51 AM

Just signed on with TB.

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

I use Outlook Express to access my mail. Are TB or gmail POP that allow me to get my mail through OE?

Don Plumley · Don Plumley's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

I use Outlook Express to access my mail. Are TB or gmail POP that allow me to get my mail through OE?

OE, TB are email clients that access POP (and sometimes IMAP) accounts. gmail is a web-based email service that provides both an email account, and allows you to access/use external email accounts (addresses). You wouldn't want to access gmail through OE.

stomachmonkey · 05-04-2008, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

I use Outlook Express to access my mail. Are TB or gmail POP that allow me to get my mail through OE?

TB is a client.

gmail is a service.

TB can be used to access gmail.

gmail does have IMAP/POP in addition to the web interface.

Jim727 · 05-04-2008, 04:22 PM

Pegasus. Have been using it for years - excellent software.
http://www.pmail.com/

Joeaksa · 05-04-2008, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim727

Pegasus. Have been using it for years - excellent software.
http://www.pmail.com/

Another vote for Pegasus. Used it for many years and love it. One night thing is that you can delete spam or other emails BEFORE they come to your computer, so virus and spam issues are much lower.

Its free, not targeted by virus programs and done by a nice group in New Zealand. Worth a look.