Is Office Outlook 2003 an improvement over Outlook Express for e-mail?

[DeepBlueC]

If so, how? I have just installed IE 8 which is a big thing because I was stuck in IE6 (which won't run some stuff soon) and I could not install IE7 without crashing Internet Explorer. I tried several times, with and without the help of Dell tech support (whom I hold responsible for creating the problem to begin with) which essentially left me unable to update my computer. And I had trouble installing IE8 before but this went smoothly. With luck, I am over that roadblock. Graphics are nice too.


But I have always used Outlook Express for mail and it's been okay. Should I move to Office Outlook?

[Sebastian Doyle]

1. Any version of Outlook should import all your mail & account settings from Outlook Express.

plus you would have all the calendar stuff that OE doesn't have. Or you could install Mozilla Thunderbird, if you wanted a non-M$ solution. It would also import everything from OE with no problems. And there is a plug-in called "lightning" available for Thunderbird that would do all the calendar stuff that Outlook does.

[Deja Q]

2. Be sure to make backups; outlook (name the version #) is prone to corrupting its own database

I've had to make a few repairs and restores at times.

Or disappearing calendars, amongst other issues, at work.

I miss Groupwise...

Outlook HAS some nice features, but the underlying structure must be made out of matchsticks held with dried pig poo because it's so freakin' fragile.

[RoyGBiv]

3. It's bigger, it costs more ...

... and it's a security trainwreck.

Other than that, it's fine.

More seriously, don't go upgrading to Outlook unless you're going to *use* at least a significant portion of the features it offers. Outlook is a major software package originally built for enterprise (big business) customers who rely on e-mail and networked workstations to perform their operations. As a private user, it has many, many things in it that you well never, not in a million years, use.

If you do want an upgrade from OE, try something like Thunderbird, which has many of the most commonly used features of Outlook, is extensible, and has none of the associated cost.

[DeepBlueC]

4. I already have Office Outlook...just never used it yet

Will I be able to access Office Outlook from a computer other than my own? I'm going away for about 6 months and my desktop will obviously stay here. But I think I'll pick up a laptop in the U.S. I may be able to get a surplus one from my mother's company...with all the people they have laid off they ought to have a warehouse full.

[RoyGBiv]

7. Short answer, no ...

You won't be able to access Outlook from a computer other than the one on which it is installed.

What you're talking about there is a different thing altogether. Outlook, by itself, is just essentially just a bloated e-mail client that grabs e-mail from an e-mail server and stores it on your computer for you to read/manipulate.

[ghostsofgiants]

5. I'll throw another vote toward using Thunderbird instead.

And dump IE for Firefox. :thumbsup:

[Rabrrrrrr]

6. In the sense that shit that doesn't smell as godawful is an improvement over godawful, yes.

Otherwise, stay the hell away from Outlook. Pile of shit.

Use it for your calendar, but not for email.

[darkstar3]

10. For the love of...

If all you're going to do is use email and calendar, Outlook is a waste of time. There are FAR better solutions out there for calendaring than Outlook.

I teach Outlook usage, and I tell people that it is flat-out not meant for home users. It's just TOO resource intensive to use for email and calendaring and nothing else.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

8. Live Mail is a direct OE upgrade, and it's free.

It automatically imports your OE data at the end of the install. It's fairly smooth- however, the import can take quite a while to complete.

http://download.live.com/wlmail

[DeepBlueC]

9. that's kind of an interesting option

But I couldn't help thinking "oh no, not more CHOICE!"

[darkstar3]

11. Short answer, no. It's NOT an upgrade.

If you're looking for something with a bit more friendly interface and more portable contact list setup, Thunderbird is the way to go.