[sf-lug] Suggestions for "traditional" *nix email client?

[RBV]

Howdy:

I currently use Thunderbird 2 under Ubuntu Linux (7.04 / Feisty) as my
primary email client.  T'bird enables me, inter alia, to handle multiple POP
and IMAP email accounts from a single program.

Having said that, I'm curious about more traditional *nix programs for
handling email such as elm (a.k.a. elmo?), mail (alias Mail), mutt, pine
(not available, by the way, in Ubuntu's standard repositories), and so on.

Does anyone have any suggestions for which of these programs might be the
most educational and enjoyable alternative to Thunderbird?  Note that I'd
really want to continue managing multiple POP and IMAP accounts from a
single program instance?

Note, too, that if respondents can please augment their suggestions with a
bit of "why" that will help me make a more informed decision.

Cheers & thanks,
Riley
SFO