Well, as I've said in a couple other threads recently my machine was PMSing for the last several days, and all MS related programs crashed when trying to connect to the internet, including IE and Outlook. All repair attempts failed miserably so I resigned myself to the dreaded windows reinstall.
Since I didn't have the 6 hours I needed to properly backup everything and reinstall windows (and I had many mainstream business emails trapped in limbo) I tried some other browsers and email programs to see if anything could get the job done.
Opera and Eudora shit themselves, but Firefox and Thunderbird worked without a single hiccup.
I am now officially a Mozilla guy, and I feel like an ass for not switching over sooner. For anyone considering the move who hasn't yet, I'm here to tell you that the functionality and features of Firefox beat the living shit out of IE, and now that there's an SEO plugin that shows PR you have no excuses. Just do it and you'll thank yourself.

Mozilla Rocks