So what makes Outlook 2007 different from 2003 and earlier versions? A lot -- some of it impressive. Microsoft Outlook 2007 acts like one big integrated application instead of separating calendar, contacts, and email.
In 1997, Exchange Server 5.5 included Outlook as its e-mail application. Since then, Outlook gained more responsibilities when it received a calendar, contacts and tasks. Except in earlier days, each application acted alone rather than as part of a package.
Outlook graduated into an integrated personal information manager as mail, calendar, contacts and tasks work together. It retains the basic functions of sending and receiving e-mails, managing appointments and creating tasks. Outlook 2007 also introduces the following features:
- To-Do Bar: Provides an overview of your day complete with tasks due, e-mails flagged and upcoming appointments. Read more about the To-Do Bar in Outlook 2007.
- Instant Search: Find information in calendars, e-mails, contacts, tasks, and notes by keywords, date and other criteria.
- Color Categories: Improve organization and searching by assigning color categories.
- Preview Attachments: See the attachment in the reading pane without opening the file.
- Flag E-mails as Tasks: Create new tasks from e-mails in one step using this feature.
- Calendar Sharing: Share calendars with others including those not within your organization or Exchange server. You can also subscribe to static and dynamic Internet calendars.
- Calendar View: View more than one calendar side-by-side in one view.
- Text Messaging: Use e-mail to send text messages.
- RSS Feeds: Read RSS feeds within your inbox.
- Electronic Business Cards: Customize and share electronic business cards.
You can read and write e-mails, manage appointments, check tasks and find contacts all within one window. Outlook also makes it easier to find information. For example, rather than finding tasks in tasks or creating new tasks from scratch based on an e-mail -- you can flag an e-mail as a new task without creating a new one. You can also see tasks in the calendar.
Outlook 2007 is available for Windows XP and Vista. Outlook 2007 differs in these two operating systems mainly in appearance not functionality. For example, the folder icons appear in 3D in Vista instead of as a flat image in Windows XP. The Start button appears round with a Windows icon in Vista and rectangular with the word "Start" in Windows XP.
