By default, Windows 7 does not have a built-in desktop email client. One of the biggest pains is having to login to your email account via browser, every time you need to check your email.
Looking for an easy way to get your email delivered straight to your desktop? Chances are, one of these applications will work great for you. There are also a variety of tips and advice for modifying your email to be more convenient.

Windows Live Mail

Windows Live Mail is an application of Microsoft’s Essentials pack, which comes with Messenger, Writer, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Family Safety, and Toolbar as well. When you download Windows Live, you will get an installer for all of these programs. However, you can choose just to install Windows Live Mail. Get Windows Live Mail here.

Microsoft Outlook

Okay, Microsoft Outlook is not a free email forwarder. However, Outlook comes with all major versions of Microsoft Office. Have Microsoft Word, Power Point, Excel, etc, installed on your computer? Chances are, you have Outlook as well. Outlook can seem confusing if you are new to it. Check out some of these posts to see if Outlook is the best solution for you.
- Easy Way to Remember Attachments in Outlook.
- Hot to Use Away Messages in Outlook
- Fix Common Microsoft Outlook Errors
- How to Export Contacts with Outlook
You can learn more about Outlook, and Microsoft Office here.

Thunderbird

Thunderbird is a free email app developed by Mozilla, the same company that makes Firefox. Thunderbird is full featured desktop client that uses a minimalistic, easy to navigate interface. You can learn more about Mozilla Thunderbird here.

Spiffy

Spiffy is not quite an email forwarder, but more of an email notification app. It works with Gmail and sends general messages to your desktop whenever there is mail activity within Gmail. Spiffy is a great lightweight application for anyone looking for the “instant notify” features of email clients, but prefer to compose and read messages within a browser. You can learn more about Spiffy here.
Looking for a way to check Gmail messages while offline within your browser?

Zimbra Desktop

Zimbra Desktop is a desktop email client from Yahoo. Thus, if you like the interface of Yahoo’s online mail, Zimbra is probably for you. Although it is distributed by Yahoo, it is compatible with Gmail and AOL as well.
If you use Y! Mail, Zimbra Desktop is most likely going to be your best choice, as setting up Yahoo mail accounts with many other email forwarders has not always worked the best. Learn more about Zimbra Desktop here.

Opera Mail

Opera Mail is a desktop client distributed by Opera Software. You may be already familiar with Opera through their popular web browser. Opera Mail is said to be one of the first email clients that is built directly into your browser. You can learn more about Opera Mail here.

Postbox

Postbox is a premium desktop email client developed by Postbox, Inc. Although it costs $40, it has received several great reviews and some people find it well worth the price. Want to try Postbox before you decide if it’s worth it? Get a free 30-day trial here.

GMX

Although GMX is not a desktop email client, it still brings several innovative features to traditional email services. Tired of using Yahoo mail? Give GMX a try. It has received some great reviews by consumers as well as tech gurus. Learn more about GMX here.