So, how to you check your email?

If you have Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, AOL Mail, etc, you are probably using a web browser to check your email.  If so, this post probably will not concern you (unless you use Gmail).

Most other types of email will have what is called POP3 access.  If so, you might be using a webmail interface or using an email client.

The most popular email client in use by PC users is Outlook Express (OE).  OE comes standard with Windows.  It is a decent email client, but often susceptible to attacks (due to its popularity and how it handles emails and attachments).  Others use Microsoft Outlook (as part of the MS Office Suites).  Outlook is a useful program with a lot of features.  Unfortunately, Outlook also has similar vulnerabilities as OE.  Also, some corporate mail systems require Outlook.  Therefore many corporate mail users must use Outlook for their email systems.

For those PC users who want a safer email reader for their POP3 email, the best alternative is Mozilla’s Thunderbird.  Thunderbird is an Open Source email client from the same development team who brought us Mozilla Firefox.

Thunderbird has several advantages over OE.  First, it is somewhat safer in how it handles email and attachments.  Second, it includes a RSS Feed Reader (more on this later),  Third, it can be run as a Portable Application (more on this later).  Finally, its data files are easier to locate and backup than OE’s.

By the way, if you are a Gmail user, you can setup your Gmail account in Thunderbird to use POP3 email readers.