Apr 27 2009
Getting the Most from Thunderbird
This partner in crime to the Firefox browser is arguably the best way to get your email. I know it is the default client of several of the ‘Mercs, and should be yours too.
Sometimes overshadowed by the popularity of the browser, Thunderbird has a slew of complementary extensions, which is what we’ll be looking at today.
First up, we’ll put Thunderbird on equal footing with in line spell checking. While the default install comes with a spelling dialog, many of us prefer the convenience of mark-as-you-type spell-checking.
Grab the In-Line SpellChecker extension here. Remember that Thunderbird extensions must be downloaded to disk and installed from the Extensions window (click the +).
Next up we’ll set up Thunderbird to retrieve your Yahoo! or Hotmail with the WebMail extension. After installing the WebMail extension and either the Yahoo! or Hotmail extension, you’ll be able to configure a new email account to retrieve your mail from your web-based system.
To set up the extension you’ll have to select a free port for your system to emulate a mail server. Once you have a green status light, TB will pull down your mail.
Add an icon representing the weather in the zip code of your choice with the World Weather extension. The icon and temperature shows up below your mail folders on the left.
Now, to lighten things up we’ll bring in the tunes with the Thunderbird version of FoxyTunes. With this extension you’ll be able to control iTunes from inside Thunderbird.
Adjust volume, skip around and view the playing track in this subtle interface along the bottom of your Mail window.
Now, you’ve got an email application to be reckoned with! Take advantage of these extensions to bulk up your Thunderbird, and I’ll see you back here next week.