Windows Live Mail vs Outlook

Discussion in 'Software' started by LauraR, Oct 20, 2009.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    I'm looking for opinions.

    I just bought a new laptop (it's not here yet, but I can't wait).

    Apparantly, MS is not bundling some of the applications into Windows 7 that it did in Vista. Windows Mail is one of them. It is now going to be called Window Live Mail and is available here for Download.


    Anyway, my question. I've always used Outlook and really like it. I've never used Windows Mail and am wondering if it's worth buying Outlook if I can just use free Windows Live Mail.


    Any input is much appreciated.
     
    Last edited: Oct 21, 2009
  2. TeeCee

    TeeCee MajorGeek

    Re: Windows Mail vs Outlook

    Hi Laura, if it is anything like Windows Mail in Vista, I think you will like it just fine. My neighbor has Vista, and Windows Mail, and it isn't bad at all... Do you have to buy the mail separate?

    I have OE on my XP, and I help her with her Vista... I wouldn't buy OE if you are getting anything like Windows Mail.. There isn't a whole lot of difference, that I have seen, other than shadow people faces in the contacts ...... :-D
     
  3. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    Re: Windows Mail vs Outlook

    I didn't like OE at all when I used it. A bit quirky. Windows Mail would be free. I'd have to buy MS Outlook.
     
  4. TeeCee

    TeeCee MajorGeek

    Re: Windows Mail vs Outlook

    OK, take the Windows Mail then. ;) I like OE, but then I have always used it too.. Ever since Windows '95 :-D Yup, go with the Windows Mail!;)
     
  5. Earthling

    Earthling Interplanetary Geek

    Re: Windows Mail vs Outlook

    Windows Live Mail and Windows Mail are two completely different programs, Windows Mail really being just OE v2. Windows Live Mail, part of Windows Live and therefore requiring you to create and use a Windows Live ID, is a very competent mail client with a built-in online calendar, and you should certainly try it before buying Outlook. In fact I wasn't aware you could buy Outlook on its own. Thought you had to buy a version of Office that has Outlook, and they are pretty expensive!

    I used WLM for quite a while, and loved it, but had to move to Thunderbird after adopting IMAP rather than POP. IMAP didn't work well at all for me with WLM.
     
  6. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    Re: Windows Mail vs Outlook

    Thanks Earthling. I wasn't aware there was a difference between the two. I haven't used either of them and thought MS had just upgraded and changed the name. The calendar is huge for me. I also hadn't considered that WLM might not come with it. I'm glad it does. As far as that goes, can you still do meeting maker with it?

    I'm on gmail so I'm ok with POP.

    You can buy Outlook 2007 for $79 from Amazon (new), so that's not an issue. I'm also not adverse to paying for it since I've always been very happy with it. But if Windows live mail is just as good, that would be stupid.
     
  7. Earthling

    Earthling Interplanetary Geek

    WLM is just email and calendar and is designed for personal rather than corporate use, so doesn't have meeting requests, distribution lists and so on. If these things are important then you will need Outlook. :)
     
  8. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    How about contacts and Blackberrys? Do you know anything about whether contacts from Outlook transfer over? Also, is it compatible with a Blackberry. I'd need to sync my Blackberry with the calendar. I tried to find something, but couldn't really find any good info.
     
  9. Earthling

    Earthling Interplanetary Geek

    WLM will pick up your contacts, but now I'm retired blackberries are something you make jam with ;) Don't know, but a google might answer it.
     
  10. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    k. Thanks. Yeah, I tried google. Wasn't much help, but then I didn't do too extensive of a search.


    I think I'm going to go with Outlook. There isn't any info I'm finding that's making me think this will work for me.
     
    Last edited: Oct 21, 2009
  11. Earthling

    Earthling Interplanetary Geek

    Much as I like WLM, and dislike Outlook, from your questions I reckon that will be best for you.
     
  12. theefool

    theefool Geekified

  13. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

  14. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Outlook is your best best for syncronisation, especially with mobiles and Outlook 2007 is very good, much better IMHO than previous versions.

    I do though at home use a combination of WLM and Outlook 2007 and sync most email addresses I have with both, however I do use WLM more at home as it have compatability with Newsgroups built in which I use alot.

    Office 2010 will be possible Q2/3 of 2010 as at present its only a pre-beta preview and pretty rough around the edges, works ok and has some really superb touches (I use it on my main laptop for even work stuff).
     
  15. hankyknot

    hankyknot Corporal

    Just my 2c but,

    I recently had to migrate a client for Server 2003 to Server 2008 and along the way ran into what is essentially the replacement for Outlook Express. In short give me outlook express, outlook or even paper and pen over their new mail client.

    We ended up switching everyone to Mozilla's Thunderbird with the Lightning plug in which imho matched Outlook for functionality with ease and is a free solution which is always nice.
     
  16. Oooops!

    Oooops! MajorGeek

  17. frybo30

    frybo30 Master Sergeant

    One of the funniest things I've ever read on the Web! (I fit into the same category.)
     
  18. raquijada

    raquijada Private E-2

    how do i migrate my old outlook express to wlm
     
  19. rmbrad

    rmbrad Private E-2

    First off, I need to say that I am old and agree that blackberries are for jam. I have a new computer that I have been trying to get up and running since Christmas. I guess I am also hardheaded since I want this new computer to work the way I want it to when I want it to. The new machine is running Windows 7 and Internet explorer 8. The old machine is running Windows XP, Internet Explorer 8 and Outlook Express. The old machine works the way I want it to, and when I want it to most of the time. The new machine came with a trial version of Outlook 2010. I did the "easy transfer cable" download from the old computer to the new one. Went to Outlook 2010, and discovered that it had stripped out all of the 20 folders I had 3,000 contacts sorted into, and dumped all of these contacts into one huge address book. I then tried Thunderbird, and it did the same thing. On to Windows live mail. Once again a huge address book without folders. I spent a week sorting and deleting contacts, and learned that even though I sorted the contacts into catagories, the contact had to remain on the main address book. Today I downloaded the emails and 50 some odd folders into Windows Live Mail. I finally located the old emails in a file, and tried to incorperate the old folders into the new. No such luck. I was told that I would have to manually move and sort the new emails in the current inbox into the old inbox and various folders. I finally called Microsoft, and someone who spoke English as a 7th language told me that Outlook 2010 would work with Contact folders, and folders in my stored emails. Can someone please tell me if this is true? I do not want to spend over $100 dollars to buy Outlook 2010, and then learn it works the same way Windows Live Mail does.
     
  20. plodr

    plodr Major Geek Super Extraordinaire

    rmbrad, welcome to MajorGeeks.
    Please start here: http://forums.majorgeeks.com/forumdisplay.php?f=21
    click the New Thread button and paste your post into its own thread. The Major prefers everyone to have his own problem-splving thread and not inject problems into someone else's thread, even if you think it is exactly the same problem.
     
  21. rmbrad

    rmbrad Private E-2

    plodr:

    Thanks. I will post in new thread. Now if I could just figure out how to remove the post I put in this thread.
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2011
  22. plodr

    plodr Major Geek Super Extraordinaire

    Don't worry about it. You can't remove it and after maybe 10 minutes, you can't edit a previous post.

    That comes back to bite me when I notice I either said something incorrect or did some creative spelling and I can't go back in and fix it up.
     
  23. dan man

    dan man Private E-2

    I recently had to migrate a client for Server 2003 to Server 2008 and along the way ran into what is essentially the replacement for Outlook Express. In short give me outlook express, outlook or even paper and pen over their new mail client.

    We ended up switching everyone to Mozilla's Thunderbird with the Lightning plug in which imho matched Outlook for functionality with ease and is a free solution which is always nice.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

MajorGeeks.Com Menu

Downloads All In One Tweaks \ Android \ Anti-Malware \ Anti-Virus \ Appearance \ Backup \ Browsers \ CD\DVD\Blu-Ray \ Covert Ops \ Drive Utilities \ Drivers \ Graphics \ Internet Tools \ Multimedia \ Networking \ Office Tools \ PC Games \ System Tools \ Mac/Apple/Ipad Downloads

Other News: Top Downloads \ News (Tech) \ Off Base (Other Websites News) \ Way Off Base (Offbeat Stories and Pics)

Social: Facebook \ YouTube \ Twitter \ Tumblr \ Pintrest \ RSS Feeds