Desktop or Web Mail?

On Monday Mitchell posted the article Thunderbird — Differences in response to comments on her Email Call to Action post from last week about the Thunderbird’s Future. Mitchell points out that there seems to be a trend of folks moving away from desktop based e-mail clients (Outlook, Evolution, Thunderbird, etc):

• Web mail usage grows. Younger generations in particular use other techniques.
• There are many parts of the world where email is less common than in the US, Western Europe or Japan. For example, in parts of the world where Internet cafes are a major way of accessing the Internet desktop email is not the norm.

I have a couple problems with these above statements, mainly the first one. With GoDaddy.com you get a free e-mail account(s) with your domain and/or hosting. Anytime I sell a new domain, hosting package or even an additional e-mail accounts (if they want more than one e-mail box for their domain) I am almost always asked, “How do I set this up in Outlook or MacMail or Apple Mail?” (sadly I have yet to have anyone ask about Thunderbird). Further, when people are having trouble with Outlook and we suggest they access via the free web mail they almost always rather use their desktop e-mail client. However, I can see where Mitchel is coming from with the second point. Those customers who are wanting to use Outlook are in the US. Those in other parts of the world such as India and Australia never ask about setting up in a desktop e-mail client.

One more thing, if the trend for e-mail is shifting from desktop e-mail clients to web based (web mail) then why is Netscape developing Mercury to accommodate the Netscape 9 Navigator browser? Mercury is going to be a desktop e-mail client based off of Thunderbird.

Mitchell Speaks Out

See: Thunderbird’s Future for background info. Currently, Mitchell (Baker) has made some additional posts in Mitchell’s Blog in response to the comments left on her Email Call to Action from July 25th. Some of the ‘themes’ she is has/going to respond to include:

1. Google is involved somehow
2. Thunderbird and the Mozilla mission
3. Feature thoughts about Thunderbird
4. Why can’t Thunderbird and Firefox both prosper inside the Mozilla Corporation?
5. Is Mozilla exclusively focused on Firefox?
6. Revenue is the determining factor.

I will update this post when she posts on ‘themes’ 5 and 6, plus any additional she may add.

Thunderbird’s Future

Granted I don’t talk as much about Thunderbird in here as I do Firefox. Part of that is because their isn’t as much news or anything to talk about with Thunderbird. On Wednesday Mozilla’s, Chief Lizard Wrangler (CEO) Mitchell Baker posted in her blog that Mozilla has come to a point where they to decided what they want to do with Thunderbird.

“We have concluded that we should find a new, separate organizational setting for Thunderbird; one that allows the Thunderbird community to determine its own destiny.”

Mozilla has come up with three possible options:

Option 1. Create a new non-profit organization analogous to the Mozilla Foundation – a Thunderbird foundation. If it turns out Thunderbird generates a revenue model from the product as Firefox does, then a Thunderbird foundation could follow the Mozilla Foundation model and create a subsidiary.

Option 2. Create a new subsidiary of the Mozilla Foundation for Thunderbird. This has less overhead, although it still requires a new company that serves the mission of the Mozilla Foundation. In this case the Mozilla Foundation board and personnel would remain involved in Thunderbird. Thunderbird would continue to need to be balanced and prioritized with Mozilla’s focus on delivering the web through Firefox, its ecosystem and the Open Web as the platform. The Thunderbird effort may therefore still end up with less focus and less flexibility.

Option 3. Thunderbird is released as a community project much like SeaMonkey, and a small independent services and consulting company is formed by the Thunderbird developers to continue development and care for Thunderbird users. Many open source projects use this model, it could be simpler and more effective than a Mozilla Foundation subsidiary. However, creating this as a non-profit would be extremely difficult. Running a services company as an independent taxable company is the simplest operational answer. We would need to figure out how such a company relates to the Thunderbird product itself. What’s the best way for such a company to release a product? How does that relate to the community project that stays within Mozilla?

At this point Mozilla is not sure what they want to do with Thunderbird, but they know they to do something to keep Thunderbird growing. Time and time again, I hear the biggest hurdle to corporate use of Thunderbird is it does not have a built-in/integrated calendar as does Outlook. They have tried to overcome this hurdle with the introduction of the Lightning Extension but even that doesn’t have the same functionality as found in Outlook. Then there is the Sunbird project which is a standalone calendar program. Sadly neither of these have been successful for me as they either don’t work (Lightning) or won’t run (Sunbird).
Percy at Mozilla Links has taken a much deeper look into this and how this fits (or doesn’t fit) within the Mozilla Manifesto. Most of the comments on Mozilla Links seem to point towards Mozilla basically abandoning Thunderbird. One comment goes as far as to say Mozilla is doing this because of their ties with Google (GMail).

While we don’t use Outlook at my current job, we don’t use Thunderbird either. We have our own propitiatory web-based e-mail client. While it is better than Outlook I don’t like it because it keeps everything on the server. There is come a point where I will need to start deleting and purging messages so that I can still accept incoming mail. I suppose the removal of the ‘Get Mail’ Button from Firefox 2 was a sign of what was to come with Thunderbird/Mozilla.

News Sources:

• Mitchell’s Blog
• Thoughts on Thunderbird
• Mozilla Links

Thunderbird 2.0.0.5 Released

From Mozilla Developer News:

If you already have Thunderbird 2.0.0.x, you will receive an automated update notification within 24 to 48 hours. This update can also be applied manually by selecting “Check for Updates…” from the Help menu starting later today.

For a list of changes and more information, please review the Thunderbird 2.0.0.5 Release Notes.

The security vulnerabilities addressed in Thunderbird 2.0.0.5 do not affect Thunderbird 1.5.0.x users, therefore, there is no update required for Thunderbird 1.5.0.x series users.

Update: Installing Add-ons In Thunderbird

In the Installing Add-ons in TBird entry, I put together a very comprehensive step-by-step list to install add-ons. All along I was think ‘there has to be a simpler way to do this.’  Well, there is according to this comment from CHR:

As far as I know, one could still drag & drop the extension from firefox to the thunderbird add-ons manager window to install the extensions right away.

Okay it cain’t be that simple, can it? Well I decided I would test this out and install Lightning (which I am still having trouble saving events/to-do tasks) via this method. So I found the add-on in the Thunderbird section of AOM and dragged the Install Now link from the green box into Thunderbird add-ons manager window.  At first nothing happened then a few seconds later the usual install dialog popped up.  I went through the steps and installed Lightning and then restarted Thunderbird.  Once I restarted there was Lightning installed and ready to go.  Now if someone can tell me what the heck I am doing wrong when trying to add tasks or events I’ll be able to do a write-up on the add-on.

Netscape Mercury

I stumbled across this Wikipedia article earlier this week while doing some other research on Netscape. I thought this was interesting…

Netscape Mercury is a standalone e-mail and news client in development by Netscape. Announced on June 11, 2007, the program is intended to accompany the web browser Netscape Navigator 9, and is based on Mozilla’s Thunderbird. The software is named after the ancient Greek god Mercury, the messenger. It replaces the former Netscape Mail & Newsgroups client included in versions 4 to 7.2.

I guess Netscape is trying to get back to the all-in-one web browser, instant messenger, e-mail client, etc. Seems like all these other internet companies (Flock for example) are basing their software of the Mozilla equivalents. I suppose it is better than say basing it off of MS Outhouse Outlook!

Installing Add-ons in TBird

Currently, Thunderbird does not have the automatic XPI installs like Firefox does for add-ons. This presents a problem to many Thunderbird users who have grown accustom to the simple install process in Firefox. Clicking the Install Now button/link will cause Firefox to attempt to install the add-on in itself. This is not a good thing, especially if the add-on is not designed for Firefox. I have been hearing that the future (late 2007/early 2008) Thunderbird 3 is going to make installing add-ons simpler. Until then you will need to follow a few steps. These steps may seem a bit complicated at first but do it a couple times it becomes easier:

1. Once you have located a Thunderbird add-on you want to install, right-click on the Install Now link in the green box.
2. Select Save Link As… from the context menu.
3. IMPORTANT: Some extension authors require you to accept an End User License Agreement (EULA) before you can install the add-on. Before you click Save take a look at the Save as type field:If the Save as type field displays XPInstall Install as it does below, then you can go ahead move on to Step 4.
   If the Save as type field displays Firefox Document as it does below, click Cancel. Click on the Install Now link in the green box. This will take you to another page which will have the author’s EULA. Review the EULA then right-click on the link in the green box. Now the Save as type field should display XPInstall Install and you can move on to Step 4.
   
4. While you can save the download add-on anywhere you like, I find it is easier to save to the Desktop. Select your save location and click the Save button.
5. Minimize Firefox and toggle to Thunderbird (if Thunderbird is not yet open, open it). From the Thunderbird Tools menu, select Add-ons or Extensions (TBird 1.5). The Add-ons or Extensions (TBird 1.5) Manger window will open.
6. From the Desktop or where every you saved the add-on in Step 4, drag the add-on in to the Add-ons or Extensions Manger window and follow the directions.
7. Restart Thunderbird. While you are waiting for Thunderbird to restart you can (optional) send the add-on downloaded in Step 4 to the recycle bin. Once Thunderbird restarts your new add-on is installed

Edit: There is actually a simple process to install add-ons after all, take a look at the first comment to this post and then: UPDATE: Installing Add-ons in Thunderbird.

This has to be by far the best extension I have seen for Thunderbird yet! I really hope this becomes a standard feature in TBird 3 as this makes viewing links in e-mail so, so easy! The extension installs a min-browser in the preview pane. When you are viewing e-mails the preview pane behaves as normal displaying the e-mail’s content. However, click on a link in the e-mail and it will load up the page right there in Thunderbird.

Click image for full-size version
Preview pane while viewing an e-mail

Click image for full-size version
Preview pane in ‘ThunderBrowser’ mode

I usually keep my Thunderbird open all the time, but not always my Firefox. Sometimes I forget I don’t have Firefox open and click on a link in an e-mail. Firefox launches, but with a fresh profile. So then I have to close that session of Firefox when I am done viewing the link and relaunch so that I have all my settings associated with my profile. If you do want to view the link in Firefox (or IE) simply right-click on the link and select Visit In Browser.

ThunderBrowser works with TBird versions 1.5-3.0a1.

IMPORTANT: TBird currently does not support automatic XPI installation of add-ons. DO NOT click on Install Now link on the add-on page as this will cause Firefox to try to install the add-on (which likely won’t work). Instead, right-click on the Install Now link, Save Link As…, and save it to the desktop. Toggle over to Thunderbird and open the add-ons manager (via Tools menu). Drag the downloaded add-on into Thunderbird’s Add-On Manager to install. Restart Thunderbird and you will be ready to go.

Thanks for the tip Scott!

New Spell Check For Thunderbird 3

Hunspell has replaced the old MySpell spell check engine in Thunderbird 3.  Hunspell also replaced MySpell in OpenOffice.org last year.  Good news is dictionaries that are already installed while for MySpell will work with the Hunspell engine.

Hunspell offers support for Asian languages, Unicode support, morphological analysis and support for complex compounds and agglutinative languages like Azeri, Basque, Estonian and Hungarian.

No word at this time when Hunspell will replace MySpell in Fx 2.0.0.X/3.X or TBird 2.

News Source: Mozilla Links