Suggestions for easy email?

[afto]

I'm setting up a system for a challenged user (electronics engineer, smart and eager but short-term memory is slipping). To keep things simple to use and to administer I've set up a Puppy system with a simplified desktop and links to some favorite sites. Now we'd like to add email.

I'd appreciate suggestions for an easy to use email system with little that needs to be memorized / learned. Web based, like gmail? Thunderbird? Something else? It may be that email is now beyond him, but he'd like to give it a whirl and I'd like to give him the best chance of success. I expect to have to monitor it and weed out the spam. But he'd like to be able to email to and from family and friends.

My points of reference are pine on Unix, Exchange on Windows, and web-based systems SmarterMail and SquirrelMail.

Anyone have experience with simple email?

Thanks,

Afto

[alienjeff]

My 81-year old father does very well with Thunderbird, even though his experience with PCs has been minimal. Hope this helps.

[aliG]

Afto,

WEB CLIENTS:
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I'd recommend Gmail (or Googlemail as it's known in the UK )- has a number of feature including an optional "simple" interface, also the ability to group conversations e.g. two messages from 14 days apart appear next to each other, could help with the short term memory problem.

Select the "keep me logged in" button and you simply need an icon on the desktop - no password to type in.

Web based also has the advantage that is can be "supported" by someone else (you?) at a distance if they are trusted with the password.

APPLICATIONS
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I have used Thunderbird since version 0.9, but mainly on Windows, pretty simple to set up and use. I use it to download my mail from Gmail (Gmail supports sPOP3) but nowadays find I use it less and less and rely on the web interface more.

[oblivious]

I find Thunderbird easy, too.

[mouldy]

I've found Sylpheed fast and easy, have used it for some time. Not huge amount of difference in modern email clients as far as use. Some do add too many "features" in my opinion. Pick one that loads fast on your computer (Sylpheed runs fast even on old hardware) and appeals to you. If you need IMAP, make sure it works in your choosen client. Thunderbird works well also, just much larger.

[JaDy]

Afto:

Gmail may be most appropriate for your situation because you intend to manage the spam. With Gmail, you can log into the account from any computer, so you wouldn't need to go to your challenged user's computer.

I use Gmail from several locations/computers. Using Sylpheed on one computer, I collect all non-spam mail for archiving.