I'm looking for a mail client, because Thunderbird isn't playing nice (bizarre data loss issue).

Basically, I need a mail client that's happy to have a network drive "store root" for local mail. Outlook express ALMOST does the job with a registry hack, but not quite (if the wireless connection drops and the store can't be accessed, OE reverts to the default store root path on the local drive). All I need is for the mail client on BOTH of two computers to access the SAME email store/profile on a network drive, and maintain that setting even if the mail store can't be accessed. The mail server the account is on is IMAP. Hopefully, the client will be easy to use, because the people using it really are tecnophobic.

I don't understand your other post about disappearing Tbird email.
I have XP and 2x W2K on my PC. The way I set it up, all 3 access the same Tbird message-folders, whichever one I boot into!
I use Tbird 1.0.6 for all of them.

Anyway, have a look at Pegasus email (free from www.pmail.com).
I've used it for years before I changed to Tbird and never had any problems with it.
But it slowly shows its age, hence the transfer to a more modern one.
Pegasus does both POP and IMAP. They also have a good (free) mailserver on that website.

Yea, I know. I don't really understand it either, but it happened, I was told that what I was was exactly what happened, and now I have to change things (I'd sure as hell put more trust in Thunderbird than I would in OE!).

The really screwed up thing is that now some of them are complaining that they were just starting to get used to thunderbird. I just can't win! lol

I'll give Pegasus a go and see what happens. For that matter, they do have office 2003. Can Office Outlook fill the requirements? I ask because I know at least one of the people using the computers is confident with it.

Outlook is a glorified Outlook Express with a load of bells and whistles.
Should work fine as an email client, BUT it is still susceptible to all the threats that OE gets as well!

Tbird getting screwed up is almost certainly due to (stupid/ignorant) customer-behaviour.
No program can protect against that!