Yahoo or Gmail and Thunderbird?

I have a lot of email address, mostly on Yahoo. I've decided to create a new email address as my primary, but I'm torn between Yahoo and Gmail. I like Yahoo because I've used it and because most of my accounts are with them. I already have an account with Yahoo that I am thinking of making my primary.

However, Yahoo doesn't offer free POP access. I like Mozilla Thunderbird and I'd like to use it but I can't unless I pay for a Yahoo account (which I don't plan on doing). I recently found out that Gmail has free POP access, but I've never used Gmail before. I've read the reviews but I still can't decide.

This is where you guys come in. Should I stick with Yahoo or should I go with Gmail and Thunderbird? What have your experiences been with these two email services? Thanks.

I had a few older e-mail addresses, A CompuServe and aim, 1 yahoo, but then a friend hooked me up on Gmail, And i have never looked back. Gmail is user friendly, Has wonderful ways to keep everything organized, Plus it has a built in chat with other Gmail members. When i was in high school i was one of the few who could check my email online because Google, Was not blocked. I have had no problems with Gmail ever, I personally recommend Gmail to everything as often as i can

Yahoo has a lot of services I like to use like Yahoo Chat or Groups or Yahoo Games. Google has a lot of services I use too like Google Docs, Calendar, and News Reader. I also like my Google Notebook, but it looks like they're phasing that out. I think Yahoo is phasing out RSS feeds in the inbox too. That goes both ways I guess.

Anyway, the point is, to use all the services I like I have to have both accounts because Google doesn't have a replacement service for everything I do on Yahoo and Yahoo doesn't have a replacement service for everything I do on Google. It sucks, but Google tends to be more professionally aimed in my opinion where Yahoo tends to be aimed more towards the social scene. So, for my work I have a Gmail account and I use my Yahoo account for fun and games.

Keeping my work email seperate from my personal email is a plus anyway for me. If you just want one though, it's a tough call. Either way you're giving up lots of cool features that the other service has. But if I had to go with just one I personally would pick my Gmail because Yahoo seems real messed up right now. They keep starting on projects and not finishing. Like the new Yahoo mail is only half done and it's been that way for months. You click on certain options and it tells you it has to take you back to classic mail because they haven't finished what they started. I used to love Yahoo, but they've really went off the deep end on certain things. Their new email isn't finished, their search page has become totally bloated and their shutting off features left and right. I guess they're going broke, but I don't know really.

Yahoo has a lot of services I like to use like Yahoo Chat or Groups or Yahoo Games. Google has a lot of services I use too like Google Docs, Calendar, and News Reader. I also like my Google Notebook, but it looks like they're phasing that out. I think Yahoo is phasing out RSS feeds in the inbox too. That goes both ways I guess.

Anyway, the point is, to use all the services I like I have to have both accounts because Google doesn't have a replacement service for everything I do on Yahoo and Yahoo doesn't have a replacement service for everything I do on Google. It sucks, but Google tends to be more professionally aimed in my opinion where Yahoo tends to be aimed more towards the social scene. So, for my work I have a Gmail account and I use my Yahoo account for fun and games.

Keeping my work email seperate from my personal email is a plus anyway for me. If you just want one though, it's a tough call. Either way you're giving up lots of cool features that the other service has. But if I had to go with just one I personally would pick my Gmail because Yahoo seems real messed up right now. They keep starting on projects and not finishing. Like the new Yahoo mail is only half done and it's been that way for months. You click on certain options and it tells you it has to take you back to classic mail because they haven't finished what they started. I used to love Yahoo, but they've really went off the deep end on certain things. Their new email isn't finished, their search page has become totally bloated and their shutting off features left and right. I guess they're going broke, but I don't know really.

I think I just double posted this anonymously, but I swear I thought I was logged in.