popular e-mail client?

Hi my mom got a new computer and it's windows 7 instead of XP so no more Outlook. She's 65 and that's what she was used to...I can't talk her into a web based e-mail service so I'm wondering what would be a good program. I understand the Outlook replacement is Windows Live Mail but I figured the OS switch would be a good opportunity to switch to a non-microsoft web-client.

When I typed in the heading there was a thread from 2004 that came up suggesting Pegasus or Moziila Thunderbird...but that was quite a while ago so am not sure if those would the current top picks.

Remember it's for my Mom. So the more user friendly the better. I just need something to receive her e-mails from her ISP provided e-mail, like Outlook,
where the e-mails store to your PC instead of on the web...you know what I mean.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

I've been very happy with Thunderbird for several years. There was virtually no learning curve in switching from Outlook. (I agree with her that Windows Live is not ideal if you are used to Outlook.)

I'm not current with other alternatives so others can weigh in with their views on newer clients. Thunderbird is of course updated regularly so it is being actively developed and not outdated.

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Whether or not she will want her old emails transferred over to the new client might be a consideration in your choice. I can think of ways to do it in Thunderbird (although I am no expert on the procedures) if her XP machine is still running. I'm sure other clients have this function but you might check into that as well.

 

I have happily used Thunderbird and Microsoft Outlook (not Outlook Express) in the past.

However, when I got my new Windows 7 machine last year I tried Windows Live Mail. I liked it very much, and I didn't even try to install Thunderbird or Outlook.

Now more than one year later I am still happy with Windows Live Mail; very easy to use, and very unobtrusive.

I think it is also quite easy to import old messages from Outlook Express. Google will find you how to do that.

 

For a basic user like your mom I wouldn't recommend Thunderbird, good as it is. The whole user interface, and especially tabbed messaging, will be alien to her. Windows Live Mail is the natural progression with plenty of support pages on migrating from Outlook Express the web. Haven't done it myself but usafveteran here says you can use it without the web, just storing everything locally as with OE.

 

Correct. I steered my mother (now 86 years old) through the same transition. About 9 months ago, after some prodding by me, she replaced her quite old Win XP system with a new Compaq tower system running Windows 7. She had been using Outlook Express with Win XP. I installed Windows Live Mail in Windows 7 and she has been happy with it. About 6 months ago, she changed her ISP from the phone company to the cable company. The old email account, the one provided by the phone company is still active, and she now has an email account with the cable provider. I set up both accounts in Windows Live Mail. She likes having them both in one place.

Windows Live Mail can sometimes create email accounts for you if you simply open the panel to create a new account and enter the email address and password. Windows Live Mail will then search for the incoming and outgoing servers, port #s, etc., and finish creating the account. This automatic account creation will not always work but, if it doesn't, you can manually create an account, just you would with Outlook Express or other email clients.

 

F.Y.I to anyone reading this for a similar problem....

At first I went for Windows Live Mail, it tried to get me to download a whole host of windows live applications, then choosing only the Mail client it said four other things would be loaded with it without a choice...including things completely unrelated to mail. So I cancelled the installation.

So then I downloaded Thunderbird, right on installation it asked for the e-mail address and password and even on opening for the first time my mom's mail was coming in...super simple and easy. And my Mom had no problems figuring it out.

 

Specific components of the Windows Live Essentials, such as Mail (meaning Windows Live Mail) can be selected rather than installing the entire suite. Anyway, since you've already installed Thunderbird and it's working fine for your mom, you might as well stick with it. Thunderbird is a fine email client.