First comes news that , its popular Web portal.

Now I find out that , its popular email client. What's next: Microsoft turning off Skype?

If you're a regular Simply Business reader, well, you're awesome. Also, you're aware that I've been test-driving Thunderbird for the past few months. It's not perfect by any stretch, but it's definitely among my favorite mail programs.

The good news is it's not being killed outright; rather, Mozilla simply won't be developing it any further. That means we should be able to continue using it for many moons to come -- especially if some third-party developer picks up the Thunderbird ball and runs with it.

That said, you might prefer to put your email eggs in an another basket, one that has a future. With that in mind, here are three consumer-friendly alternatives to Thunderbird: