The *only* feature of MS Outlook Express affected by the June 30, 2008
change at Windows Live Hotmail is HTTPMail access. MSOE uses WebDAV, and
that is going away in favor of DeltaSync. MSOE will not be updated to
include DeltaSync support.

Thunderbird does not have native support for either WebDAV, or DeltaSync, so
whatever changes MSFT makes will have no affect on Thunderbird.

It is confusing because of the way Microsoft named and then renamed
various products.

Windows Mail (WM) comes with Vista and was intended as the replacement
there for Outlook Express (OE) which is not available on Vista.

Neither WM nor OE are being further developed by Microsoft.  There will
continue to be security fixes for both as long as the Windows they are
on is still supported.  There may be some minor fixes/enhancements for
WM, but don't expect much.

Windows Live Mail (WLM) is the free mail client for Windows XP SP2 and
Vista that Microsoft is developing and promoting and encouraging OE and
WM users to migrate to,

WLM does not come with Vista.  WM does and will continue to come with
Vista.  WLM must be downloaded, if desired.

Part of the confusion was that initially in the new Live group, what
Microsoft called Windows Live Mail is now called Windows Live Hotmail,
and what is now called Windows Live Mail was originally called Windows
Live Mail Desktop.

Typo, brain ahead of fingers.  s/b Windows Live Hotmail
The mail client that comes with Vista is Windows Mail (note: no "Live").
Windows Love mail still has to be downloaded.  I was going to say
intentionally, but the download link will download the whole Windows Live
package if you don't watch out.

AFAICT, Microsoft is no longer supporting Outlook Express or Windows Mail,
even though they're still shipping both.

[Here we go...]

Vista (aka - useless) doesn't have Outlook Express, unless you have an Office
package, you won't even have Outlook, just a lot of fancy looking bells &
whistles which take up so much hard drive space, processor capacity & are so
complex & complicated that you'll end up doing what a majority of users have
done & either switch back to XP, or change Vista to the "Classic" layout...
Ever wonder why there is a "Classic" layout... it's coz MS KNOW that people
don't like change... Yet they continue to change things, spoiling good
programs by either making them rubbish or removing them all together!...
Typical of a big company!...

If all you have is POP(receive) SMTP(send) email, then you shouldn't be
affected & you're Outlook Express will continue to function as it always has,
that is until some monkey decides to pull the plug completely.

Personally if MS continue this path of WLM, it's so insecure & so not user
friendly, they've not listened to user feedback, then feck it, I'll close my
hotmail account down & just use it for MSM'ing...

I've always loved OE & even IE we've all pretty much grown up with OE... but
there comes a time when politics & money superseed customer care, & with MSOE
vs WML, that time has come... For me, MSOE & MSIE are clinging on my less
then a finger nail...

Anyway, thanks for reading Melelina... (and everyone else)...