The Bat!

Everybody uses or has used emails at least once. Most email accounts have a web interface but there are some, especially the email addresses of website companies, which require using an email client for sending and receiving emails. The Windows operating system includes an email client called Outlook Express, but this program lacks a lot of features, some of them required by companies. An alternative would be Microsoft Outlook, included in the Office pack, but again, this has its downsides, as it takes up a lot of system resources and it's also pricey. A good alternative would be The Bat!. It's a free email client that includes all the features a user may ask for.

The program can be installed without problems in almost any version of the Windows operating system and requires only a few clicks for completing the installation process. Besides that, it takes up about 15 MB of hard disk space, which is not much considering the software's functions and features.

Running the software for the first time will display a simple wizard that guides the user through the process of configuring his email account. The Bat! supports virtually any type of email account, including POP, IMAP and so on. After having entered all the required information, the software is ready to be used.

By using the simple and intuitive interface of The Bat!, one can easily check for new emails or create a new message. For making it easier to add recipients to a new message, The Bat! includes an address book feature, for storing all the user's contacts. The address book also allows importing contacts from other similar email clients, like Thunderbird or MS Outlook.

For not allowing unauthorized users to temper with the software's settings and options, one can protect it with a password. Besides checking or sending emails, The Bat! also features a built-in notepad, for writing anything. Notes can then be saved as a plain text file.

The Preferences section of The Bat! features a lot of options, for configuring the program's functionality and also the look and feel. Thus, the user can customize the interface as his heart desires. Besides that, it can customize the way he will be informed of new messages, either by displaying a transparent window on the desktop or by playing a certain sound.

The number of email accounts that can be added to The Bat! is not limited. For filtering emails, there is an advanced SPAM filter available, that manages to detect and move to a special folder all unsolicited messages.