Alternatives To Outlook Express For An Email Super User?

24 March 2007 Written By: Jim KukralComments: Comments

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I’m really getting tired of using Outlook Express. Every 100 times I use it I get the dreaded “compact messages” warning on shutdown, and half the time I do it, I lose my sent emails and tons of other email in my inbox. By the way, there’s no way to turn that feature off from what I read.

logo_outlook_express6.gifPlus, you know, it’s just… blah. I want something more robust and pleasant and just nicer, you know?

Email is HUGE to me. It’s 90% of my business-life communication. I get all my news via email from rss to email updates. I get all of my consulting work via email contact (mostly). I am an email super-user.

I love my email, but hate my email tool.

Anyone have any suggestions on what I should switch to? Obviously I’m on a PC, and you should know these things. I have 20+ emails setup, each checking their own account. I also need to be able to send individually from each one, so I can’t just receieve them all in one location and be forced to send from that one single email address.

Oh yeah, last thing, I don’t want a web browser client like Gmail. I prefer to have my email downloaded to my computer in the background while I work. I don’t want to have to be forced to go look for it (refresh), it should just come to me.

What’s an email super user to do? Am I stuck with Outlook Express? Calgon, take me away!

These guys say dump Outlook and go to Eudora. But I used that like 8 years ago, is it really something that I want to try again?

Is this sign #1 that I need to finally really concede I should switch to a Mac this year?

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  • Lee
    I use Thunderbird its great you can set individual setting for each of your acocunts and even read rss feeds within it aswell. you can set up each account to have its own inbox, sent box etc too
  • I second thunderbird, I manage about 6 email accounts with it.
  • Jim;

    boy can I relate to your frustration; and Windows Live Mail Desktop is no better and I don't like T-Bird. I have written a few times about my frustration.

    My solution which I am still testing; but gladly paid the 20.00 for the full version is InScribe (http://www.memecode.com/scribe.php). The author also has a Linux version and is working on a Mac port as well.

    P.S. I remembered your little rant email feeds and have put it in place via FeedBurner just incase you're interested
  • Jonathan (Trust)
    Testing Test
  • Adam
    Jim,

    Outlook Express is ... limited. You're right. You should switch to a MacBookPro and use Apple Mail; or if you insist on staying with a PC, use Thunderbird. If you use Thunderbird, be sure to try getting into IMAP. Really what you need to do is move away from the PC platform, embrace the new MacBookPros, and use a combination of Apple Mail and Gmail.
  • I use gmail for all my email addresses and haven't looked back. There is also gmail for domains...
  • I checked out Thunderbird, it seems ok. I guess what I'm really looking for is something more fun and nicer and not so utilitarian. Does that make sense?

    Sigh, I suppose I need to go get a Mac.
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