After using Mozilla’s mail program, Thunderbird, for half a year, I have been pretty much satisfied with its functionality.
Apart from one thing, which may not really be Mozilla’s fault.
You see, I’m the sort of person who likes to sync up my phone with my mail program. That way, I get to update my To-do lists, Calendar and Contacts.
The Nokia PC Suite works well enough with Lotus Notes and Microsoft Outlook. But nothing else. Thunderbird doesn’t have a Calendar or a To-do list anyway, and even if there are extensions we can install, I am not sure if they will be able to sync with my phone software.
So it looks like I may revert to using Outlook for now.
Comments
You’re so technologically savvy. How do you do it, woman?! 😉
What will happen when you no longer use Nokia?
What will happen if you have to use a different phone software which doesn’t support Outlook and Lotus Notes?
Will you abandon Outlook and Lotus Notes?
Sorry for too many questions :P, just curious.
Hi Jason.
Q1) What will happen when you no longer use Nokia?
A1) It doesn’t matter. The other phone brands like Sony-Ericsson already have their own synchronisation software. Competition is too stiff for any of the major players to be left behind on this.
Q2) What will happen if you have to use a different phone software which doesn’t support Outlook and Lotus Notes?
A2) Outlook and Lotus Notes are used by the majority of corporations. It is unlikely that any commercial mobile phone manufacturer would ignore the two programs.
Q3) Will you abandon Outlook and Lotus Notes?
A3) Not in the near future, but anything is possible. Will some third party come up with a superior program that can do everything they do? Maybe. I will only make the switch if no functionality or data is lost in the process.
I see. You are a mainstream-er :).
Thunderbird is not mainstream enough (yet).
Wait until Firefox kicks IE’s butt, then Thunderbird will get its chance.
No! I’m NOT a mainstreamer 🙂 *rebel*
Frankly I would be happy sticking to Thunderbird if only it had an integrated Calendar and To-do list.
To date, it doesn’t.
At present it isn’t realistic for big corporations to switch from Notes or Outlook, even as a free alternative. Personally I don’t think it is configured for a high-security environment but more for home use.
Moreover, secretaries and team-mates may need to access your schedules and emails from their computers. Where I last worked, in a 1000-strong government agency, everybody was doing that. Both Outlook and Notes allow that to happen.
Particularly I find Notes quite robust, if rather slow, and there are many extra features in it that allow it to run like a secure intranet.
So: For practical reasons, I’m not sticking blindly to one program, no matter how good it is at doing one thing, if another one can do everything I want it to 🙂
Ok, you are not a mainstream-er :p.
Most large institutions don’t have any choice but to use mainstream products. Unless… nope, I better stop here.