Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Outlook.com…Is it the Best E-mail App?

Amidst all the flap over Windows 8, Microsoft quietly introduced Outlook.com, a new cloud-based e-mail program that replaces Hotmail and Live.com mail. It’s received rave reviews from just about everyone, and it’s not even completed yet. Is it that good? I’ve spent the last several days trying it out…and I am here to tell you it is excellent.

It is so good, in fact, that I’ve switched almost all my mail accounts over to it. Some time ago, I abandoned the Outlook software program (not to be confused with Outlook.com) that comes with Office. It was too difficult to use with multiple e-mail accounts. Instead, I forwarded all my e-mail from my Corkrum.com addresses to Gmail. Doing this allowed my to see all my mail on my iPad, my Droid X, and all of my computers. But, I must say I was not overly pleased with the Gmail interface, but it worked.

Shortly thereafter, I abandoned the Gmail Calendar and switched to Hotmail’s Calendar and to-do lists as it worked so much better for me. Now, after experimenting with Outlook.com, I have abandoned Gmail and moved all but one of e-mail accounts over to Outlook.com. Gmail is still used, but on a much more limited basis.

Outlook.com is so much easier to use and a more intuitive program. For instance, I can now use the delete key to get rid of mail…just like I used to do in Outlook…instead of having to click the mouse on a delete button on the screen. There are other reasons I like it better, but no need to go into it here.

I strongly recommend reading the first article here by noted tech writer David Pogue of the New York Times to get an in-depth look at all the features. I suggest you try it. If you have a Hotmail or Live e-mail account, the change is easy. If not, just go to Outlook.com and create an account. PS. You can also get up to five Outlook.com e-mail accounts and use at least one for giving out to sites where you don’t want to use your real account.

There is a lot more in this edition that you will find interesting, so let’s get started. - JRC

Outlook.com, an E-Mail Service With Lots of Smarts

David Pogue of the New York Times takes an in-depth look at the new Outlook.com. He is impressed.

Five ways to organize your e-mail in Outlook.com

Microsoft's new Outlook.com e-mail offers a number of ways to keep your inbox neat and tidy. CNET walks you through five ways to manage your e-mail.

Outlook.com Tip: Import Your Old Email

If you’re moving to Outlook.com from Gmail, Hotmail, or any other email service, you may want to copy or move all of your old email into the new account. There are probably a number of ways to do this, including at least one that is automated.

Microsoft's SkyDrive storage service gets a facelift

A new, updated, more 'modern' version of Microsoft's SkyDrive storage service is rolling out over the next 24 hours.

Patch Tuesday: Microsoft to fix five critical security flaws

Plug everything in and prepare the systems: Patch Tuesday is here. Microsoft will release patches for nine security vulnerabilities, five of them considered 'critical.'

Apps, Desktop Apps and Windows 8 Apps

A few days ago Microsoft announced that it was dropping the name Metro for it's interface … then they came up with the ingenious name, Windows 8, as the replacement. (Wow … that is so bold.) Now it turns out that Windows 8 apps aren't Windows 8 apps after all. At least some of them aren't. Confused yet? Read on.

Phone companies lose broadband subscribers for first time

The flow of subscribers from phone companies to cable providers could lead to a de facto monopoly on broadband in many areas of the U.S., say industry watchers. That could mean a lack of choice and higher prices.

How to Organize Evernote for Maximum Efficiency

It all begins by establishing a solid organizational structure. Evernote doesn’t require one, but, based on my personal experience you won’t realize the full power of this tool without one. You need to give some thought to how you want to structure your notebooks, “stacks,” and tags.

Test-driving ‘free scan’ tune-up suites

Even on well-maintained systems, free system scanners might find hundreds of “problems,” as I discovered from a test of three products from well-known companies. These suites typically offer to fix system problems — for a fee — but are these problems real or just scare tactics to drum up sales?

Apps For Book Lovers

Whether you want to read books, organize them, or stay up to date on the latest best sellers, there’s an app to meet your needs. We’ve gathered some of the best e-readers, audiobook players, and book-related apps so that you don’t have to become overwhelmed and lose your love of books.

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