If you don't like the idea of using web-based applications for your email, Zimbra is an open source, cross-platform free substitute for Microsoft Outlook from your friends at Yahoo! We've written here before about Microsoft Office alternatives. The truly missing piece in alternative applications has always been the all-in-one capabilities of Outlook -- email, contacts, calendars and "to do" lists all in place. Zimbra, available for Windows, Mac and Linux, answers that need. In tests at the Enquiring Mimes National Testing labs we found Zimbra to be easy and quick to configure with our Gmail and Yahoo email accounts. Zimbra can work with the standard email accounts of POP and IMAP. Somewhat more tediously we needed to import our contacts and calendar items ourselves with not much automated help from Zimbra. This is the first desktop version of Zimbra, so it will only get better. If you like the control of desktop applications and don't want to depend on always having an Internet connection, Zimbra is a fine email, contact and calendaring application and can be used in the office and at home. Also good for putting on a child's laptop when they're off to college -- make them write home! Give it a try. Download Zimbra