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Free Email TutorialsOutlook ExpressMeet Outlook Express

Meet Outlook Express

Outlook ExpressOutlook Express is a free email client made by Microsoft, and bundled with Internet Explorer. Light-weight and user-friendly, Outlook Express is one of the world's most popular email program for home users.

It is very close in functionality to its cousin's email capabilities, Microsoft Outlook. (Microsoft Outlook includes is more than an email program, and is better described as a personal information manager.)

In addition to email, Outlook Express can be used as a news reader, but for the purpose of this tutorial we will limit ourselves to its email functionality.

Outlook Express Fact Sheet
Made By Microsoft Corporation
Price Free (Bundled with Internet Explorer/Windows)
Software Type Freeware (What is Freeware?)
Product Home Page Microsoft.com/Windows/OE/ Outlook Express homepage opens in a new window

Differences between Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express

Microsoft offers two desktop email clients: Outlook 2003 and Outlook Express.

Microsoft Outlook 2003Outlook 2003, part of the Office productivity suite, includes meeting, calendaring and task management functionality. It retails at about US$100, or bundled in Office 2003 editions.

Purely from an email functionality perspective, Outlook 2003 and Outlook Express are very close.

In a business environment, where most people use Microsoft Office, Outlook clearly surpasses Outlook Express with its collaboration tools, (even without a SharePoint or Exchange server).

Outlook ExpressOutlook Express, on the other hand, is a (more) simple email client that ships free, included with Windows and Internet Explorer.

While a very decent email program itself, Outlook Express does not offer the array of features Outlook 2003, especially integration with Microsoft Office applications.

As an email client for your personal email accounts and home usage, Outlook Express has more features than most people will ever use.

Microsoft has realized the confusion that came from naming two similar products with the word "Outlook". In the next version of Windows, Windows Vista, a new email client is included with the operating system: Windows Mail. For all practical purposes, Windows Mail is the next version of Outlook Express, re-baptized to avoid confusion.

For more information about the successor of Outlook Express, please see our Windows Mail tutorial; and to learn more about the operating system, please see our Windows Vista tutorial!

Microsoft has published on its website a comparative table of features between Outlook 2003 and Outlook Express.

Comparing Outlook and Outlook Express Comparing Outlook and Outlook Express opens in a new window

Why Learn Outlook Express?

Outlook ExpressWindows MailOutlook Express is the free email program bundled with Internet Explorer for Windows. Knowing your way around Outlook Express means that you will be able to use email on virtually any computer on the planet.

Windows Mail, the successor of Outlook ExpressWindows Mail, Outlook Express' successor, will replace Outlook Express in early 2007. In true Microsoft tradition, most everything you know about Outlook Express will be applicable to its successor.

Aside from an interface overhaul, and the addition of support for RSS feeds (what's an RSS feed?), Windows Mail is essentially Outlook Express.

Outlook Express Tutorial Meet Outlook Express Setting Up OE Setup an Email Account Setup Hotmail in OE Setup Yahoo! Mail in OE Setup AOL Mail in OE Change email password Send & receive emails Check for new emails Open emails in own window Create new email message Forward email messages Reply to emails + “Reply to All” Outlook Express Auto Reply Download an email message Create a copy of an email Show or hide the Outlook Bar Email folders & subfolders Create folders and subfolders Folder size and message count Rename a folder Delete a folder View folder properties Move a folder Open, show, or hide folders Hide or show email folders list Address Book & Contacts Add contacts from emails New Address Book contacts Create a contact group Duplicate a contact Print contact list Import contacts into OE Export OE contacts Create a contact folder Sort your contacts Search and find contacts Edit contacts information Delete contacts Email Signatures Using email signatures HTML-Formatted Signatures Email Signature Settings Advanced Features Create email rules Manual Read Receipts Automatic Read Receipts Incoming Read Receipts Spam and Junk Mail Block email senders Backup & Restore OE Backup your emails Quick email backup Backup your contacts Outlook Express file location OE Address Book location Configure OE settings Set Default Email Program Turn off new mail sound Change how often OE checks for new email messages Mark emails as Unread or Read Send emails in plain text Prevent OE from suggesting recipients' email addresses Prevent OE from adding contacts to address book Change default email font Customize the spell checker Automatically delete emails Outlook Express Download
 
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