Firefox and Thunderbird

Firefox and Thunderbird Pat Murphy 2005-01-19

Cutting Through the Hype --
Pros and Cons of
The Firefox Web Browser
and
The Thunderbird Mail Program.

• What's all the fuss about?
  
  
• Firefox: Differences with Mozilla, Netscape, IE, etc.
  
  
• Firefox: Popups, Extensions, Plugins, Themes
  
  
• Thunderbird: Differences with Mozilla Mail, Webmail, Outlook
  
  
• Conclusions
  
  

Firefox Screen Shot

Thunderbird Screen Shot

• Mozilla Projects: Firefox = Web part of Mozilla, streamlined, enhanced
  
  
• Thunderbird = Mail part of Mozilla, likewise.
  
  
• Both: Improved Performance: less memory used, more reliable (fewer crashes)
  
  
• Both: enhanced features over integrated mozilla suite
  
  
• Both: safer than IE and Outlook
  
  

• Fonts anti-aliased, tabbed browsing, themes, instant text zooming, big image "make fit", customizable bars (right click on top bar, choose "Customize")
  
  
• Memory Footprint: substantially smaller, faster startup time
  
  
• Firefox Extensions: make it even better (see next slide)
  
  
• Stability: smaller program, fewer crashes (hugely popular, more shakedown)
  
  
• Easier Downloads: full-fledged Download Manager.
  
  
• Security: Popup blocking, fine-grained javascript control

STRATEGY

• Use Firefox as much as possible, revert to IE only when strictly necessary.

• Firefox Extensions, e.g.:
  • AdBlock: right click on image, iframe, or flash; block it! (wildcards ok)
  • Web Developer: slice/dice the page you're writing, get it right
  • SwitchProxy: make it easy to switch different web proxy settings
  • Hundreds of others available
  
  
  
• Firefox Themes: "skins", instantly change appearance. Many to choose from.
  
  
• Firefox Plugins: same as Mozilla. Acrobat Reader, Flash, Java, RealPlayer. NRAO versions will have Java, Flash.

• CAVEAT: Author uses Thunderbird occasionally (still tied to vm!)
  
  
• Thunderbird is a redesign of Mozilla Mail
  
  
• Integrates smoothly with Firefox; built-in Spell Checker!
  
  
• Faster, smaller memory footprint than Mozilla
  
  
• "Bayesian" Junk Mail Filter, "Junk" button; also Message Filters (example).
  
  
• Customizable toolbar, Extensions, and Themes (like Firefox), e.g. EnigMail
  
  
• Multiple Accounts are supported; IMAP/POP3 over SSL (or not, if you must)
  
  
• Security: Fine-grain control over javascript, images in mail; more secure than Outlook.

BUT...

• Thunderbird not "integrated" with calendar like outlook
  
  
• However, Mozilla Calendar (aka Sunbird) aims to meet this need (soon).
  
  

• Firefox and Thunderbird improve significantly over Mozilla
  
  
• Functionality: Tabs, Junk Filter
  
  
• Extensibility: Adblock, Web Developer, EnigMail, etc.
  
  
• Security: cuts out spyware, popups, viral infections
  IE and Outlook are vectors for 99% of intrusions (virus, spyware, etc.)
  
  
• On the way to becoming NRAO "Standard" apps.
  

I Want It on my Home/Personal System!

• Recent versions exist in:

  /home/nraosoft/web/browsers (Firefox, Unix access)

  /home/nraosoft/apps/Thunderbird (Thunderbird, Unix access)

  \\samba-cv\nraosoft\web\browsers (Firefox, Windows access)

  \\samba-cv\nraosoft\apps\Thunderbird (Thunderbird, Windows access)

  (Also samba-gb, samba-aoc, samba-tuc).
  
  
• Or, Get Firefox and Thunderbird yourself; Take Back the Web, and Reclaim your Inbox!