The Evolution mailer provides a full set of office services including e-mail management, calendar scheduling, and task lists. While it does each of these tasks, it still has some stability and usability problems. If you only need e-mail access, you might want to consider Mozilla Thunderbird:
sudo apt-get install mozilla-thunderbird
This installation enables you to run mozilla-thunderbird from the command line or select it from the menu: Applications Internet Thunderbird Mail. Unlike Evolution, this only runs one application and starts up a little faster.
In my opinion, Thunderbird is much more refined than Evolution, but not as full featured. Table 5-1 shows a functionality comparison. Generally speaking, both systems are nearly equivalent when it comes to e-mail-only requirements. Although Evolution does support more protocols and non–e-mail features, Thunderbird currently offers more stability.
Feature | Evolution 2.6 | Thunderbird 1.5.0.5 |
---|---|---|
Protocols | POP, IMAP, Exchange, Hula, Files | POP, IMAP, Files |
Security | SSL and TLS | SSL and TLS; only available by Edit Acccount Settings Security Settings after creating account |
LDAP | Yes | Yes |
E-mail Security Options | ||
Load Images | Can be disabled, enabled for all, or enabled for known contacts; default: enabled | Can be disabled, enabled for all, or enabled for known contacts; default: enabled |
JavaScript | No | No |
E-mail Scam Detection | No | Yes |
Antivirus Support | No | Yes; default: disabled |
Additional Functionality | ||
Address Book | Yes | Yes |
Calendar | Yes | No; available as plug-in |
Task List | Yes | No |
Memos | Yes | No |