Mozilla's Lightning to strike Outlook?

Published on December 27, 2004 By Island Dog In Personal Computing

The Mozilla Foundation is hatching yet another software project to challenge a key Microsoft title.

The new project, code-named Lightning, aims to integrate Mozilla's calendar application, Sunbird, with its recently released Thunderbird e-mail application. That integration is aimed right at the heart of Microsoft's widely used Outlook software.

"I think Outlook leaves a lot of room for a fast competitor," said a Mozilla volunteer involved in the project, who asked not to be named. "There's a lot of user dissatisfaction out there, and it will be interesting to see what the market looks like once there's a strong open-source alternative."

Link

This sounds interesting, but can it compare to something like Outlook?

Comments

Sleeping Dragon

on Dec 27, 2004

I'm not very productive without my Outlook. I also wonder if it will not be as quick as Outlook since Outlook is a microsoft product that is integrated in the computer. Just like Firefox does not navigate as quick as IE. In the business world, Outlook is probably the most valuable in house tool, and not many bugs, I think. It would be hard to usurp.

Island Dog

on Dec 27, 2004

I have tried both outlook and thunderbird. Thunderbird is a great replacement for Outlook Express, but falls short of replacing Outlook.

werewolf

on Dec 27, 2004

The project looks sound and I can't wait to test it. I hate Outlook and if the differences between Lightning and Outlook are the same as the differences between Firefox/Thunderbird and IE/OE, respectively, then I'll jump in with both feet.

SSG Geezer

on Dec 27, 2004

I despise outlook, but that is probably due to the mindless drones that maintain our e-mail servers at work. complete maroons.

paxx

on Dec 27, 2004

I have recently switched from using Outlook (which I have used from way back when it was called Exchange) to using the combination of Thunderbird and Sunbird. It's doesn't fall short. It's faster to open than Outlook and uses a lot less resources. It also has a lot more intersting features and it's calendar application uses an open standard format (the Apple iCal format). What that means is that any calendar application could be written to use that format and your Sunbird appointments could be displayed and updated through any third party calendar using the same file format. You can also have different calendars, have them hosted on a web site and therefore share calendars with people and/or have access to your calendar from any computer. It also support extensions the same way Mozilla/Firefox does, and therefore it can have additional features added by anybody who can write the extensions.
I don't miss Outlook one bit. Sunbird/Thunderbird do what I need and better.

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