I'll start by saying that I'm an Outlook-lover... at work. When it comes to using Outlook on a non-Exchange environment, I've learned how to be very, very frustrated. Between constantly corrupted PST files and a mass of other issues, I finally ditched Outlook at home for good and move to something else - Windows Live Mail.
Before I took that leap, I looked at a number of other options and, actually, have used a few other products in the past. However, these past forays into Outlook alternatives never lasted that long and I always found myself moving back to Outlook, mainly due to its versatility and ease of use. One product that I used for quite a while was Thunderbird. I gave it a fair shake and, frankly, ended up not liking it that much; no good, concrete reasons except that the interface seemed clunky at the time. A lot of people do like it, but it just didn't work for me.
When the time came to replace Outlook for good, I didn't look too far from the Microsoft tree, although I would have had I found something that I liked. Ideally, I wanted to find a client that could:
- Handle multiple email accounts with ease, including my Gmail account. I have a large number of accounts that I need to check regularly.
- Double as a newsgroup reader. I also subscribe to a ton of newsgroups and I like having them all in one place.
- Be able to handle RSS feeds and integrate with my Internet Explorer-bases RSS feed.
- Work with full-text search. I can't get along without being able to search my email!
I also wanted something that was reasonably easy to use and that didn't frustrate me at every turn a la Outlook in non-Exchange mode. There are probably a whole lot of products out there that would fit the bill, but once I found Windows Live Mail, the search was over.
Sign up for ITworld's Daily newsletter
Follow ITworld on Twitter @IT_world
Esther Schindler
If the comments are ugly, the code is ugly
claird
SVG a graphics format for 21st century
pasmith
Take Chrome OS for a test spin
Sandra Henry-Stocker
Solaris Tip: Have Your Files Changed Since Installation?
jfruh
Android fragments vs. the iPhone monolith
mikelgan
What Gizmodo missed about the Pro WX Wireless USB disk drive
Where Google Chrome security fails: the password
I heard mention that the Chrome OS will have some sort of encryption available a la bitlocker. If it's possible to encrypt personal data using another password or key, then it may have potential for very secure data.... And Ubuntu has an 'encrypt home directory' option, perhaps google should follow suit.
- Dann
Join the conversation here
Quick, practical advice for IT pros. Made fresh daily.
Want to cash in on your IT savvy? Send your tip to tips@itworld.com. If we post it, we'll send you a $25 Amazon e-gift card.
What's your client of choice?
What do you use to manage your digital communications? What do you like and not like about it?Corrupt PST
To funny about this article. I also am making the move from the corrupt PST's of outlook 07 to Windows Live mail. Takes a bit to get use to having to synch mail... but I am sure I will get use to that soon enough.Every day at work though I am foreced to deal with a corrupt PST. Thanks Microsoft, my 3+ year archive of mail worked fine before Office 2007. Thanks for taking three years of my work life and putting it in jeopardy every time I fire up Outlook.
Appreciate it!
If not Outlook, what then? A free program?
I've have used Outlook for a long time and have my calendar loaded, notes, mailbox, etc. Like every warm blooded person with outlook, it has become my electronic file cabinet. The thought about moving to a different platform is not a fun idea and especially when the free products are a moving target. Outlook Express didn't have a spell check by default and is no longer secure, windows mail replaces it but now we have windows live mail. I've not had problems with .pst issues and when Microsoft decided to forget supporting my Microsoft live mail account in my Microsoft outlook mail program I'm beginning to have second thoughts about using live as my base e-mail account.