[Tfug] Qwest/MSN Linux email?

[Bill M.]

My mother-in-law is a PC total noob. I installed a Dell system w/Win XP
Home for her with a Qwest DSL 1.5 Mb connection. The Qwest ISP, as many
of you know, is MSN which supports Outlook Express.
She recently received (and forwarded on to me) an email with some
animated GIF crap (might have been an eGreeting email) that has
apparently infected her PC (even with AVG, ZoneAlarm, Spybot,
SpywareBlaster installed) - I'm checking it today.

I'd really like to get her off of WinXP and on to a nice Linux distro
(probably KUbuntu.)
If any of you are using Qwest with Linux, how are you doing email?
Are you simply forgoing using any MSN email services and simply using
GMail or some such?
I believe MSN doesn't do POP3 email, could you share your email client
settings if using a Linux email client (Thunderbird, etc.)?
TIA!

-*-Bill