E-mail is wildly popular. In fact, it's probably the most popular use of the Internet. Every day, literally billions of messages travel around the world. These include personal messages, business correspondence, and (of course) the much-hated spam.

But to send, receive, and read e-mail you need an e-mail client. On Windows, most people use Outlook or Outlook Express. But what can the new Linux user expect to find in the way of e-mail clients? A lot.

There are dozens of e-mail programs available for Linux. They range from text-based command line tools to fully graphical applications. And you can find an e-mail client that meets your needs.

What To Look For

Choosing an e-mail client is a personal matter. The process shouldn't be as complicated as, say, selecting a new wardrobe. But there are a few factors to consider when you're looking for the right Linux e-mail program.

Ease of Use

In order to get it to work, does the e-mail software require you to edit a configuration file? Or can you do the configuration within the application itself? If you've moved to Linux from Windows or MacOS, you should determine if the e-mail client that you're considering behaves like the software that you previously used. If it doesn't, expect it to take a while before you get the hang of the new program.

Features

You should consider the number of features that you need and that you will actually use. Do you just want to send e-mails, or do you want your e-mail client to act as a contact and personal information manager as well? Is the ability to send and receive encrypted e-mails important to you? On top of that, if you have multiple e-mails accounts, you should make sure that an e-mail client actually supports multiple accounts.

HTML E-mail

And what about HTML e-mail? HTML e-mail is simply e-mail that's formatted using HTML -- you can add real lists, character formatting, and more to your messages to make them stand out. Many people love HTML e-mail, but not all e-mail clients support it. Some e-mail clients only send plain text, and when they receive HTML-formatted messages, they will display the HTML code as well as the message text.

Migrating Information

If you're moving to Linux from another operating system, or from one Linux e-mail client to another, you'll want to take your contacts and, maybe, your existing messages with you. Make sure that the e-mail client you choose can import contacts using one of the standard formats.

Your Changing Needs

Finally, look to the future. Your e-mail needs may change in the next year or two. You might have multiple e-mail accounts, or you might need to be able to send HTML e-mails. As your needs change, your e-mail client should.