Hello everyone, and before I start I'll say I am aware there are other threads similar to this, but I wanted to ask some specific questions in this one.

I've just finished getting Slack up and running on my new laptop, and it's time to start choosing/installing software I'll be using on a regular basis. I'd like to first start out by figuring out which web browser and email client will best fit my needs. Rather than asking a vague question like which one is the best, I'd like to know what the pros/cons/similarities/differences are between the various options.

Here are my thoughts on the issue so far: I'd like to stay open-source (although it doesn't really matter), and I want something that is fairly common, stable, and is likely to be continually developed in the future (so the entire project isn't just dropped with bugs or lacking features). It would be nice to have something like Mozilla where the browser and email client are linked in a way, but that's not really necessary. I've heard wonderful things about Firefox, but I'm afraid to jump in and use something as my primary browser that is still in heavy development. Finally, I'll be using wireless quite often so if the browser has anything to do with that (although I don't see how it could), I need to take that into account as well. As far as the email client is concerned, my one most important priority is that the client somehow be able to import Outlook Express emails. That's the only thing that I need. Other than that, a comfortable, customizable interface would be nice, I'd like it to have all the basic features (folders, filters, etc.), and it too should be something stable and updated. I'd also like it to be something fairly popular (although that isn't really the right word), so that I can always export the emails back to Outlook Express or into other programs if needed.

Which of the options fits my needs above best? Since there are obviously more than a couple that will, what separates them, and what makes one different than the others (e.g. Mozilla and I think Firefox have tabbed browsing).

Thanks,
Johnathan

I use Firefox as my main browser in Windows and Linux (Fedora). It's lightweight, fast and reliable. Don't get scared by the "beta" status... It has never crashed or anything (just a bit slow on opening PDF files within the browser but i think u could handle that). I also got used to the mouse gestures plug-in and it's great!

As for email, Ximian Evolution works perfect for my needs, it's the bundled one that comes with redhat /fedora. I really prefer to have them (browser/email) as separate programs, but that's a matter of taste.