Microsoft Outlook 2007

I have tried them all and keep coming back to Outlook.
Microsoft got it right with this product.
The spell checker is even better now, recognizing such things by context as form when it should be from.
It also does a much better job of checking only the newly added text instead of trying to check the entire thing including previous included text.
The Office 2007 Ribbon interface is a bit of a learning experience but is well worth the effort.

You are allowed to activate 2 copies , one for the laptop and one for the desktop is my setup. I would not have bought it if not for that and suspect many others feel the same way.

Well, they've done it again. Microsoft has introduced a "new" product that does the exact same thing as the "old" product (Outlook from Office XP Professional Edition). But with the introduction of the Vista Operating System, the "old" version no longer works properly. So, Microsoft has again forced my hand into buying a new product that I don't really need because I already own a version, but I am forced to buy a new version in order to get it to work properly on my machine.

Thanks, Microsoft, for continuing to take my money for things that I already have and am forced to buy again.

I bought Outlook 2007 after a trial installation. It works and it works well. As part of my work I send and receive a ton of email. I use the task manager and calendar features a lot. My wife and I synchronize appointments weekly and Outlook 2007 manages it all well.

The look has changed slightly from previous versions. Microsoft seems to favor what I'd call a little more "cartoonish" look, probably more familiar to a Mac user than Windows. Setting up Outlook is straightforward - once you figured out how to open the box. I still have to marvel at the complexity of this task. I suppose the warning label "if you can't open this box you probably shouldn't be using this software" should have told me (that was a poor a joke - but the box is a pain to open).

Outlook allows you to presents an "all you need to know" view with mail, tasks and upcoming appointments conveniently displayed on one screen. You can color tasks and appointments to reflect priorities or individuals which makes it convenient for people who like to "glance".

For email, I use the traditional folder view on the left with the contents at the top and the preview pane at the bottom. Processing rules are simple. Right-click a message and "create rule". You can also flag junk mail, a convenient addition to any anti-spam software you may have, though you'll probably end up with two different "junk" folders.

Like previous versions, Outlook gets very processor-intensive when sending/receiving or archiving. I use a fairly high-end four-processor system stuff with RAM and I still feel Windows hesitate when I see the little "flying envelope" in the task bar. I archive manually because the system becomes almost unusable when Outlook archives.

I love the new calendar. It feels more "friendly" and arranges multiple appointments side-by-side. Add a color for each type of appointment and it's very easy to manage. Ditto the tasks. As with other MS products, there's a lot of customization available, tool bars and buttons to add and little bells and whistles that you've come to expect from them.

There's an "instant search" feature which can be enabled. It speeds up searches through vast numbers of folders and archives. However, I find it easier to use the search without it. I don't do that much searching and I think the indexing process slows me down.

Adding and managing email accounts is much nicer than previous versions. Signature management is also very nicely implemented and I like the fact that while signatures are tied to email accounts, you can mix and match them on the fly as needed.

Okay - here's the reason for "just" four stars and the cons. Outlook 2007 is almost right, but it wouldn't be a Microsoft product without some drawbacks...

When saving attachments to the computer / network, Outlook feels it necessary to recreate its browsing index, usually at the most inconvenient time and it can take several minutes to run.

There are periodic crashes. Outlook shuts down, you get the "did you want to let Microsoft know" message and then it restarts and runs along okay for a few weeks. Never been able to figure out the crashes. Nothing seems to be damaged or disabled as a result.

It should have been part of Office - especially at the price.

So, if you're a heavy email user, this is a product worth trying. The 90-day download gives you all the features and enough time to get a good feel for it. Despite the couple of annoying features, I wouldn't switch back to a previous version. It's the best version to date.

Dave

Well, i had high hopes for this product, but once again Microsoft can't program themselves out of a paper bag. Same problems as with older versions, use this program to sync to my Verizon Pocket PC for the Calendar feature, but it takes 4-5 tries to get Outlook and Vista to work together to even see my phone, let alone the 4-5 times it takes to get everything to sync into my phone... Went back to Mozilla (from Firefox) as my workhorse e-mail gatherer... I just wish Microsoft would get off their "high-horse," admit they have messed up since the first incursion of Windows and re-write the OS so that it can run correctly. If the door is broken and doesn't open right or can't locked, painting it a bright color and putting a new doorbell on won't help!!!!

And Microsoft still wonders why you need virus/ security suite protection, when Apple's stuff does not need it.... oh well, "if it's broke don't fix it" is a big neon sign in Seattle, WA inside Microsoft headquarters....

I updated from Outlook XP, and it has made my life easier. It is very user friendly and has many extras that XP didn't have. Also, I have no problems while sync my blackberry and Windows Mobile divice.