You have just wrapped up your exploration of the Firefox browser and learned about how you can make every day a fine browsing experience using a safe and customizable browser that will allow you to explore the web in ways you never knew were possible. (If you haven't yet read the Firefox part of this book, I strongly encourage you to do soyou won't be sorry!) Now it's time to introduce you to Firefox's elegant companion, the Thunderbird email client.
Thunderbird is a full-featured email program that allows you to manage your mail in a safe and efficient manner. While setting up an email program may seem like a daunting task, Thunderbird provides a simpler set of controls, and its relative ease of use makes it perfect for beginners as well as advanced users. If you have been using another email client to manage your mail, Thunderbird provides a mechanism for you to import your mail, address books, and other settings, so it is easy to pick up where you left off.
Thunderbird provides a little something for everyone. If you are coming from Outlook or Outlook Express, you will enjoy feature parity because Thunderbird offers many of the same features that are found in both of those clients, such as global inbox, saved searches, filters, and multiple identities. If you are looking for something a little different, Thunderbird has a number of powerful search features that allow you to locate information quickly. In addition, Thunderbird provides a robust spam filter that keeps your inbox spam free.
If you are starting from scratch and and are unfamiliar with Thunderbird, I encourage you to read the entire Thunderbird introduction (Chapter 9, "Getting Started with Mozilla Thunderbird") as well as Chapter 10, "Setting Up Your Mail, RSS, and Newsgroup Accounts Using Mozilla Thunderbird." Remember, email can be somewhat complicated to set up and a little more difficult to manage for a number of reasons, so it is important to read these chapters and learn what information you will need to have on hand to set up your email accounts as well as how to migrate from other email clients.
If you have been using Thunderbird and are interested in learning how to get the most out of some of its features, you might want to check out Chapter 12, "Organizing Your Email Topics," and Chapter 13, "Customizing the Look and Feel of Mozilla Thunderbird." Remember, one of the truly unique features of both Firefox and Thunderbird is the ability to customize the programs by using extensions and themes. Depending on how you use your email client, you can likely find an extension that will make your life infinitely easier.
Okay, you are primed and ready for takeoff. Fasten your seat beltwe are about to taxi down the runway and begin our journey into the air, to soar to new heights with an exciting new email program called Thunderbird! Turn the page to get started!
