The portable version of Firefox makes it easy to connect to web-based email services such as Google Mail, but if you download messages from your internet service provider (ISP), then a portable email program can be useful. We recommend Thunderbird, which can be downloaded from /news/ 2008-05-02_ -_thunderbirdJ)ortable_2.0.0.14 and requires around 30MB of space on the memory key.

Install it in the same way as Firefox, making sure to select your USB memory key when asked for the destination folder. Once up and running, the process for setting up accounts and sending and receiving emails is exactly the same as the deskbound version of Thunderbird.



Like Firefox, it works happily on PCs running Windows XP or Vista.
It's important to remember, though, that any emails downloaded using the portable version of Thunderbird will be stored on the memory key. This makes them easy to access from almost any computer, but anyone who receives a lot of email could soon find their memory key filling up. We'd recommend using the portable Thunderbird to check for email messages when on holiday, but not for everyday use.