Thunderbird 0.9 Released

Simon (S2) writes "Thunderbird 0.9 is now available for download! New features include Saved Search Folders (aka Virtual Folders) which allow you to display messages based on previously set search criteria across multiple folders. Message Grouping allows you to organize e-mail in a folder by grouping them based on various attributes like Date, Sender, Label, etc. Thunderbird 0.9 also includes numerous bug fixes and other improvements. For more information, see the release notes. Builds can be found on the mozilla.org FTP server or in the release notes above."

Comments

So, have the devs been listening?

[Dragoon412]

One of the most requested features I see is the ability to minimize to the system tray. Have the devs even mentioned this being a consideration?

I use Thunderbird, and I like it, but it drives me nuts having one more thing cluttering my taskbar when all I want it open for is to let me know when mail arrives.

Saved Searches sounds good but...

[samael]

I'd like to be able to tag messages with meta-data (like "To Do" or "Mum's Birthday" or "Project 257") and then be able to produce searches based on that.

What about performance and memory usage?

[kbahey]

This is not to disparage Thunderbird or anything. Thunderbird is one of two mail user agents (MUA) I use regularly, the other being plain old mutt when I am connected to the home server using ssh.

The issue with Thunderbird is not functionality, but rather bloat. It takes up a lot of memory and is slow. Compared to for example, FireFox, on the same machine.

Bayesian Folders

[Anonymous Coward]

I want a folder that can learn what sort of thing I want in it. Like the spam filtering, but not just junk. So I could drag credit card notices to my Bills folder a couple times and then have it just happen. When somebody smarter than me implements this, then I'll be a Thunderbird supporter.

Question for the Outlook "switchers"

[holden caufield]

This is not a troll.

I use Outlook for my personal email, and I'm strongly considering changing my mail client. Other than the security benefits of not automatically running scripts when viewing messages, can anyone who has switched to Thunderbird tell me what other features make this client a preferred choice to Outlook?

I'll politely add that open-source isn't enough to compel me to change, nor is bayesian filtering (I already use SpamBayes).

Thanks for your help, and really, I'm not trying to fan any flames!

Re:Question for the Outlook "switchers"

[Nevenmrgan]

- It's faster than Outlook (though slower than Firefox). In the latest Outlook, message rendering can take up to a few seconds - the UI is just not very responsive.

- Leaner UI overall. I like Outlook's corporate functions, but I just don't use them that often at work, and never at home. Also, Outlook suffers from having 15 different ways to get to your folders - they keep adding new panels and icons. I don't consider this a good thing at all, since it rarely - if ever - increases my productivity or improves my user experience. It just makes me click around idly.

- Significantly faster (and better) quicksearch (there are even rumors of search-as-you-type in the future!)

- As with any other Mozilla product, they listen to the users' comments. If a reasonable, much-requested feature doesn't make it to the release, I'll bet my hat there's an extension that does it.

- Shockingly, it's a better client for Ma and Pa User. Fewer buttons, leaner out of the box, no office environment mumbo jumbo. (I'm not even going to take seriously suggestions to use Outlook Express in that case.)

I want a "Export to mysql" option

[LoboRojo]

For all of use archiving our email for years, wouldn't it be nice to be able to file messages in a real database? YES!!!!

Forward Wrap

[jeffehobbs]

One of the major annoyances my company is finding during our internal Thunderbird testing is this freakish behavior:

1) user gets email.

2) user replies to email, text wraps correctly.

3) user forwards email and the text does not wrap at all, but instead runs off the screen horizontally causing annoying readability issues.

Does anyone know why this is? It still appears to be in Thunderbird 0.9. I'm confused as to if it is a bug or by design. If it's a bug, it's kind of a big one. If it's by design, it's kind of a poor design and there should be an option or preference to have "reply" and "forward" act consistently.

Otherwise, Thunderbird ROCKS -- nice work Thunderbird developers. It's fast, free and just getting better and better with each release.

~jeff

p.s. Inline spell check would be nice