Outlook 2003 on my laptop is predominantly blue. It isn't on my desktop. How
would I change the desktop to match?

I know this is subjective, but as hard as I try, I cannot find Outlook to be
anything other than cluttered and congested. Does everything have to have
shading and thick awkward borders around thin unattractive borders? I
digress. Is the program skinnable?

Just switching to Windows Mail or OE is a breath of fresh air. I actually
find that it's negatively affecting my work in terms of accuracy and simple
comfort.

TIA for any help.

I've never owned a Mac, but looking at their interfaces I sometimes wish MS
would hire Apple's designers.

Outlook was not designed to be skinnable except by changing the windows
theme. Windows blinds and other skinning utilities may work with it- I've
never cared enough to try.

Which borders are thick? You can change the message list somewhat (customize
views, other settings) but not other windows.

FWIW, I don't think Entourage is much better.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/
Outlook 2007: http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2007/

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"John Ciccone" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:9D6278DA-4C2B-498B-988A-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Outlook 2003 on my laptop is predominantly blue. It isn't on my desktop.
> How
> would I change the desktop to match?
>
> I know this is subjective, but as hard as I try, I cannot find Outlook to
> be
> anything other than cluttered and congested. Does everything have to have
> shading and thick awkward borders around thin unattractive borders? I
> digress. Is the program skinnable?
>
> Just switching to Windows Mail or OE is a breath of fresh air. I actually
> find that it's negatively affecting my work in terms of accuracy and
> simple
> comfort.
>
> TIA for any help.
>
> I've never owned a Mac, but looking at their interfaces I sometimes wish
> MS
> would hire Apple's designers.

Thank you, Diane.

"Diane Poremsky" wrote:

> Which borders are thick? You can change the message list somewhat (customize
> views, other settings) but not other windows.

I thought I remembered an option like that but can't for the life of me find
it anymore. If you have OE or Windows Mail handy, I'd be pleased to recreate
that interface. It's clean, uncluttered, and fast to get around in.

I'd be satisfied to get rid of:
- Outlook's large "MAIL" and "INBOX" headers;
- the big grey border around the Reading Pane;
- horizontal grid lines between the messages (usually top right pane);
- the "Favorites" folder top left (BTW only has the Inbox in it... lost
Unread Mail, etc.). I can lose this by clicking on the Folder List icon, but
switching away from and back to mail seems to lose this setting, and that
left pane is split again with Favorites at the top;

I'll learn to live with the rest. That's the subjective stuff that adds to
the clutter for me like shading so that every single thing looks like rounded
aluminum; border around every pane instead of one that separates them; etc.

Thanks again.

.... just found the grid line switch. I didn't know you had to right click on
the column name to get the Customize Current View option (do you happen to
know if it exists anywhere else?)

In the list of email, is there a way of moving the Flag Status column over to
the left side (seems to be the only column that's not movable).

Holy smokes. Do I really have to set this grid line option for every one of
my folders?

John Ciccone <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Holy smokes. Do I really have to set this grid line option for every
> one of my folders?

No. You can reset all folders to use the default view and then modify the
default view.
--
Brian Tillman