The difference is yahoo email and MSN email are web based meaning there isn't an actual program your using its just opening in your browser. The same thing with gmail if you just go to gmail.com and log in but thunderbird/outlook are programs that you install on your computer that you download your email too.
The advantages of using something like thunderbird/outlook is that:
1. You can download messages and read them later
2. Easily access from your desktop without having to go to your browser, go to the site, log in. You just click an icon and it downloads your mail for you.
3. You can have multiple accounts set up in the programs so you can get all of your email at once instead of logging into 2 gmail accounts and your isp email.(this is of course if you have more then one email, which most people do)
4. You can easilly sort, manage, save messages.
And lots of other stuff.
If you don't mind actually logging into yahoo or whatever then you wont really get much difference. Using an email client like thunderbird/windows live is also a lot easier if you get lots of email.
If I had a smiley with a little light bulb above his head, I'd stick him here.
That is the difference that I've never had explained to me, or read anywhere. I have a few email addresses that I use and Thunderbird sounds really handy, although setting up those smtp thingys, I always screw up somehow.
Gonna have a look at Thunderbird and maybe this new Live Mail, and if I get stuck I'll take a screen shot of where I'm at and ask again.
It's surprising how getting a basic understanding of something can open a wider door.
Thanks for your help, and if you ever need a guitar tuning, I'm your man.
Gmail however does allow pop access to their email.
If you were going to use Thunderbird to check your gmail account you would need to know the pop(incoming) server and the smtp server(outgoing).
Which is:
pop.gmail.com
smtp.gmail.com
Then you would need to go into your account settings and enable ssl for both incoming and outgoing(so that it will prompt your for your password).
Windows Live Mail will do all of this for you where you will only have to enter in your email and password.
Someone said thunderbird 2 would too but I haven't seen it do it. I've always had to do it manually.
rridgely, I am the one who said Thunderbird 2 sets up Gmail for you with out the need to enter the server info. It's one of the features Thunderbird highlights on their home page about whats new in Thunderbird 2. If you are having to enter server info for Gmail in TB 2 I wonder what you are doing to create the Gmail account? I click "create new account" from the main screen. A dialog box pops up with four options, 1) create a E mail account 2) RRS News and Blogs 3) Gmail 4) News Group account. Select the Gmail option and than all you do is enter your name and Gmail address and you are done. No server info is asked for or required. Thunderbird does the rest. First time you send and receive a Gmail email you will need to enter your password.
I just did a fresh install of thunderbird to test out.
I downloaded and installed it and when it opened it first asked me what type of account(email) then asked for my name and email address.
Then it asked for the server info:
Its done the same thing every time I've installed it so I don't know whats going on.
You should have an option for Gmail account. Select that one not e mail. Go to tools->account settings. At the bottom it will say "add an account". Click it and a diolog will pop up with 4 options for accounts. Select Gmail NOT e mail. It's built right into the account set up wizard.
Oh I just tried my comcast account with the new windows live mail. It automatically knew the server info and stuff.
This is really great because it could drastically make first time email set up for new computer users so much easier. Comcast is a pretty major ISP so I would be eager to hear if it auto configs for people with smaller ISPs.
Oh I forgot to add that if you need any help dennis just let me know.
If you have an AOL instant messenger account or MSN account and would rather get help that way thats fine too. Just send me a PM with your screen name.
Oh I forgot to add that if you need any help dennis just let me know.
If you have an AOL instant messenger account or MSN account and would rather get help that way thats fine too. Just send me a PM with your screen name.
Thanks squire, but that simple explanation about the difference between an email client and webmail, was all I needed.
Installed Thunderbird, and then went to my Gmail and Yahoo accounts and quickly discovered that they have to be enabled to use pop3.
In the case of Yahoo, it gives a clear and concise explanation of pop3, and provides the server info that may be needed to configure whichever email client you happen to be using.
I've include this info, and the Wiki link, in the event that others may be having the same difficulty in simply understanding how these things work, but are reticent to ask.
Mind you, what was reassuring, was you making a pigs ear out of setting up your Gmail.
Well Yahoo mail does not allow free pop access here in North America. Lucky for you Dennis you will be able to set up Gmail and Yahoo Mail in Thunder Bird free of charge.
Yeah, I wish I could get free pop access from yahoo. I've been trying to get away from using yahoo at all but I still have some mail sent there(I've had that account for around 8 years so its hard to switch. )
Yep, pretty good, although I've just switched from their mail beta to the old one because of the tie in with Yahoo chat.
Every time I accessed my mail I was being instantly connected to their chat rooms. Don't even use Yahoo messenger. There is a link to sever this tie in, but no surprise, doesn't work.
Gonna try and move permanently to maybe Gmail, but it's a bitch having to tell everybody.
Off topic here, but I've just woken my daughter up (in the real world). More than my life's worth not to sign off. See you later.
Yep, pretty good, although I've just switched from their mail beta to the old one because of the tie in with Yahoo chat.
Every time I accessed my mail I was being instantly connected to their chat rooms. Don't even use Yahoo messenger. There is a link to sever this tie in, but no surprise, doesn't work.
Gonna try and move permanently to maybe Gmail, but it's a bitch having to tell everybody.
Mind you I have never had or signed up for any of thier chat or messenger programs. On a side note as far as privacy goes, I would rather trust yahoo over Google inc and their suite of info gathering software and services.
I really don't see what the attraction of Google is. Maybe I'm getting old.
Yeah, I wish I could get free pop access from yahoo. I've been trying to get away from using yahoo at all but I still have some mail sent there(I've had that account for around 8 years so its hard to switch. )
There is an extension for Thunderbird that will give you pop access for all the web mails like Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo Mail and some others. I just use Gmail for web mail now so it's no problem with TB I don't need that extension. Here is the link http://webmail.mozdev.org/index.html
Well if your in the UK and get free pop access then there doesn't seem to be a difference.(google gives more space but who is filling up 2gigs? I download all of my mail off the servers and have the client delete if afterwards). I've always rather had my email in something like outlook instead of web based because I find it easier to use/manage.
Yeah I just use Gmail. It's almost 3 gigs now for storage. If I need multiple accounts I just create more Gmail accounts. I don't see the point in having multiple accounts with multiple providers and as you now know Gmail is very simple to set up in Thunderbird.
If you opened it up and thought the color scheme was ugly(I did) just know that you can change it. Mine is now a very slick black color.
Writing emails with this thing has been really enjoyable. The grammar/spell checking is great and everything is laid out really cleanly.
The only thing I don't like was that when I got an email from cnet(download newsletter thing) I noticed that the client will search the web for similar things that was in the message. This can of course be turned off which I did.
Its got a lot of the same security things thunderbird has. It won't load things like pictures and scripts in email in less your approve it to.
Here is picture for those who haven't seen it:
(yes I hid my email and deleted all the messages so you couldn't read them. )
I may just switch over to this permanently if its still trouble free for the next few days.
Sorry about the picture quality. Its a jpeg cut from part of a jpeg.
