How to manage multiple e-mail accounts offline?

Question

• I have several email accounts that feed into GMail.
• I would like to have a local client that reads (POP3 probably. Yes, I know about IMAP) the GMail and permits replies using my "regular" accounts.
• I don't want the "enterprise" type apps that include IM, scheduling, etc; I'm looking for efficiency.

The goal is, on my laptop, to be able to suck in my day's email and then be able to write up replies, then when I'm at a hotspot, I can push out the replies.

Not very fancy; pretty much '96 email client functionality. :-)

Answer 1

With Thunderbird you can use multiple identities. That should do what you want.

Answer 2

I suggest you use google gears for GMail. You can setup all your other accounts within GMail so you can send as them, and with gears (watch the video), you get offline support to send/receive messages.

It works very well and seems to meet all your requirements.

Answer 3

You could d/l the Windows Live Mail client, which is free, and seems to do what you want. But then again, so does the Windows Mail client that came with your Vista system, so there must be another consideration.

I solved a similar problem by just using my Android phone with gmail, though it is a pain to type on.