Did you know Microsoft Outlook has a 2GB limit? When it reaches this limit, some rather unexpected things start to happen. Your email stops receiving and as I found out, it stops all together! The result is total frustration, an instant halt to email communications, and a feeling of helplessness while you search the web for solutions.

I think I have found that solution, Mozilla Thunderbird. Unlike Outlook, Thunderbird is free. Thunderbird does have filesize limitations for the mailbox, however it is 4GB per folder created in your Inbox instead of 2GB for your entire Inbox like Outlook.

Installation of Thunderbird was a breeze, and mapping accounts via IMAP ensured I had all my emails back plus the ones I had missed while down. The Lightning plugin also gave me a fully functional calendar with appointments that are compatible with Outlook.

I recently created a new signature, and by linking to the following images, Thunderbirds signature works a treat.


The best part of Thunderbird I have found is the inbox search feature which gives back results on the fly as you type so I can easily find email.

Next step is to review Gmail as that is probably the next migration. Shows that there are viable (and free) alternatives to Outlook. I for one will not be looking back.