This is one you linux guys may be able to help me with.

Again, for my old man. He uses (actually, atm, it's more "used") Netscape Communicator 4.7 exclusively for email.

The reason being it supports multiple email accounts, and everything is so clear in the design of the profiles. You load up Netscape Messenger, it asks which profile you want to use. Each profile is stored in a seperate directory. And the format of email is standard unix mailbox (i think).

Now he really likes netscape comminucator for that reason, and doesn't want (or didn't want) to change. But, unfortunately, I cannot find a way of specifying ports for pop3 and imap mail servers. He needs to specify custom ports (not 25 and 110) so that his email can be scanned by AVG.

After much hassle and frustration, I decided to bite the bullet and "upgrade" to Netscape 7.1. My oh my, what a headache.

Sure it alloys you to use multiple profiles, but everything is "salted" and if you don't have netscape commmunicator still installed, you cannot import your mail settings (as far as I know). :(

So in order for me to migrate email from netscape communicator to netscape 7.1, I have to install an the old communicator, set up the profiles so that the newer netscape can "see" the profiles and import. What a frikkin pallava!!!

The crazy thing about all this netscape stuff is that he only needs it for email. He uses IE or any other browser for http stuff. It's only the ease of use of the good ol' communicator that kept him using it for so long - and he would still be using it of course if it wasn't for the apparent inability to define your mail server ports.

Now I would like to find a simple multi-profile capable email program that is compatible with netscape communicator (read "unix" type) mailboxes.

OE and Outlook can fook off. I'm not installing the most virus-friendly POS that doesn't support multiple users easily. I don't want to have several windows user profiles to change from one to another!

So, any ideas anyone?

Netscape Communicator would be the easiest option if someone knows how to define mail server ports

Netscape 7.1 (which he uses reluctantly now but I'm pi55ed off with it 'cos I now need to download and install the old communicator just to activate an old email profile so the new version can pick it up!). It's OK, but a pain with its salted directories. Why can't programs keep very simple directory structures? :(

I haven't tried Eudora or other programs lately. Any worth a play with which support easy multi-user profiles?

Please bear in mind it's all for an elderly person (me dad) so something nice'n'easy is essential

Sorry for the long rant - just needed to get it out of my system.

The BAT?

Try Mozilla

or Mozilla thunderbird.. which is a standalone mail client

Hmm. thunderbird looks good