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The email client Thunderbird is a popular choice among users who install a desktop email client. The email software was recently updated by its developers to version 3 which brought many changes and new features like a global search option or better email account integration and configuration options.

Thunderbird 3.1 will be the next release of Thunderbird and the first alpha release marks a new milestone towards that goal. The Thunderbird developers ask interested users to test the new email client but also warn anyone from installing the email client in a productive environment as it is an alpha version that can contain bugs.

The most notable changes in Thunderbird 3.1 alpha are:

• upgrade of the layout engine to Gecko 1.9.2.
• Several improvements to IMAP.
• Several fixes for Smart Folders, message filters, and attachment handling.
• Several design improvements and corrections to the interface.
• Download Manager is now accessible as a menu item (Tools > Saved Files).
• Stability and memory improvements.

Bugzilla lists a total of 147 bug fixes and changes in Thunderbird 3.1 alpha of which 2 have been rated as blockers (highest rating) and 14 as critical. Several of the critical bugs fix issues when updating from Thunderbird 2 to Thunderbird 3. Others fix crashes and fix other issues.

Users who are interested in trying out Thunderbird 3.1 alpha can download the email client from the Mozilla Messaging website.