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Thunderbird has been around since 2003, but has stalled in recent years due to declining interest from Mozilla and limited funding. However, the project is now making a comeback, and Thunderbird might be worth a try.
Thunderbird is a cross-platform desktop email application, similar to Microsoft Outlook or Apple Mail, with excellent support for accounts like Gmail, Outlook/Hotmail, and Yahoo Mail. It also has a built-in calendar and address book, which can also be synchronized with cloud services (like Google Calendar), and the app has limited support for live messaging.
The Thunderbird team revealed its plans for version 102 in a blog post earlier this month, with the update expected to arrive in late June 2022. The address book will have a revamped design, with related information divided into cards for easy reading. Thunderbird is also working on a new (optional) ‘Spaces Toolbar’, which acts as a tab bar for all of the application’s features, similar to Outlook on the web. The account setup process and import/export wizard are also being revamped, and there is initial support for Matrix messaging directly in Thunderbird.
Thunderbird developers have also been fielding questions and feature requests, though many of the planned enhancements won’t appear for many months. Color coding for emails is expected to arrive in Thunderbird v114, a universal font size setting is in progress, and some icons are updating. there is even an android app in development.
Mozilla originally created Thunderbird alongside the Firefox web browser, with both applications serving as a replacement for the old Mozilla Suite. However, Thunderbird began to decline after Mozilla moved some of its developers to other projects in 2012 and then cut most of the funding in 2015, leaving Thunderbird’s future entirely in the hands of independent donations.
Fortunately, the future for Thunderbird is starting to look bright again. Mozilla moved the project into a new for-profit corporate entity in 2020, known as MZLA Technologies Corporation, and user donations increased 21% in 2021. The new structure and increased funding have led to a wave hiring: Thunderbird said: “we have been rapidly expanding our team” in the blog post, which means faster development for the email client.
Most of the cool enhancements haven’t been implemented yet, but now is a good time to give Thunderbird a try, especially if you’re tired of the resource-heavy Electron desktop mail apps (like Spark) that have become increasingly popular. . The team is also accepting donations so that it can continue to hire more developers and other staff.
Source: Thunderbird Blog
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