IncrediMail Xe 5.8.6.4332

With its straightforward interface and whimsical attitude, IncrediMail appeals to the casual e-mailer, but actually offers enough features--like Exchange server support--to be functional for more serious endeavors. You can personalize your messages with background stationery from a variety of categories, including animals, art, technology, and moods. The program installs with about 50 backgrounds, most with a cartoony feel, and you can download more online or create your own with Letter Creator (a 10-use trial comes with this download). It supports recorded voice attachments, and the premium version supports skins.

There are a few drawbacks. The overall interface lacks pizazz and looks like it was last overhauled back when emoticons were new. There's a questionnaire that must be filled out when installing the program, annoying even at three questions long. More significantly, IncrediMail turns into quite the resource pig when playing around with graphics-heavy backgrounds.

The features are solid, though. The program offers basic e-mail client functions, including sending, receiving, and organizing messages; managing your address book; and creating rules for how to handle certain messages. Among its other included features are an integrated JunkFilter that lets you assign permission for senders or domains, IMAP support via a POP3 emulator, and Message Rules functions that work in concert with JunkFilter. IncrediMail makes standard e-mail a bit more fun for home users, especially for kids and kids at heart.