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Microsoft Outlook

On Interact today, Greg Melvill-Smith talks to Kevin Milehan from Microsoft, about Microsoft Outlook.

Microsoft Outlook is an E-mail, message and collaboration package. It allows you to share information and send E-mail to one another. You can also manipulate your date and calendar. Microsoft Outlook 2000 is the latest version of the Outlook package, which is included in Microsoft Office 2000. Included in the Outlook shortcuts, is the Outlook Today, which allows you to see at a glance, what is on your calendar for the day, what tasks have to be done and how many messages are in the Inbox, Outbox and Drafts.

By just clicking on Inbox, you can see exactly how many messages you have in your Inbox, and it allows you to drag them down into whatever category or folder they need to be sorted into. There is also the Calendar, which is almost like a diary or a Filo-fax, which enables you to add appointments, and if you are connected to a Microsoft Exchange server, it will allow you to see other peoples calendars at the same time. If you are connected to Microsoft Exchange server, you are able to book a meeting in your own diary, and to check if someone else is available to meet with you at the same time.

There is also a Contacts List, which acts almost like a Rolodex, allowing you to see a persons name, their job title, what company they work for and their personal details. When you send an E-mail to a person on your contact list, it will automatically pick up the correct E-mail address that corresponds with the persons name and fill it in for you.

Continuing down the Shortcuts Bar, there is also the Tasks List which shows you the different tasks you have to do, and as the tasks are completed, you can just check them off.

Then there is also a Notes button, which is the electronic equivalent to your posted note, and when you need an important reminder, this little note will stay will stay on the screen, even if you close down.

Lastly, you have a Deleted Items box which is your trash can, which allows you to throw items away, as well as retreive them if you need them again, provided you do this before shutting down your computer. Your trash can is automatically emptied once you shut down your computer and everything in the trash can will be deleted.

Microsoft Outlook is designed for colaboration and messaging, and links in very tightly with Office Suite.