Windows Mail vs live mail

[Magsmom]

I am a newbie to Vista and my computer came loaded with Windows Mail, which I
assume is the new "Outlook Express". What is the difference between Windows
Mail and Windows Live Mail?

 

[Dave]

Windows Live Mail is the newer program, and replaces Windows Mail which
comes with Vista.
Both are email programs and newsreaders.

WLM has an integrated calendar which synchs with your online Live/Hotmail
calendar.
WLM can access Hotmail/Live/MSN http email accounts, which WM cannot.
WLM can synch your contacts with the online Windows Live Hotmail, if you
sign in with a Live ID.
WLM can access RSS feeds.
WLM can auto-complete typed in email addresses from the Contacts, WM only
remembers 29 typed-in addresses.
WLM has separate Inbox, Drafts, Sent items, Junk email and Deleted items
folders for each email account. WM dumps all email into one Inbox.
WLM has 37 spell check languages, WM has 4.

WM can let you view the source code when composing a message, WLM cannot.
WM has not been updated since Vista was released.

WLM and WM can now both access Hotmail POP3 accounts, since MSFT has added
that service.

No one seems to like the pale colors, lack of highlighting, and lack of
toolbar icons in the current version of WLM.
Hopefully, MSFT makes some changes in the next release.

 

[Sam Hobbs]

The fact that WinMail has not been updated for years and probably will never
but updated in spite of bugs is a good reason to switch to Windows Live
Mail.

I just wish that Microsoft notified me when I installed Vista that I could
and should use Windows Live Mail. People say that it is possible to use both
in parallel, and it probably is, but I am reluctant to trust Microsoft about
that. If you are new, it is probably best to switch to Windows Live Mail.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

The best way to find out the differences is to try them both.
I have been running both programs simultaneously for the past
30 months.

To get Windows Live Mail:

http://download.live.com/wlmail

 

[PA Bear [MS MVP]]

Windows Mail replaces OE in Vista.

Windows Mail:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/mail.aspx?tabid=2&catid=4

Windows Live Mail: http://download.live.com/wlmail

 

[Magsmom]

Excellent info Dave. Thanks; I would prefer to use Office Outlook. Before
I retired, my company paid for my Outlook on my home computer because I did a
lot of work from home, but I had the older 97 version of Office Pro, and that
won't work on Vista, so when my old computer crashed and I bought this new
one with Vista OS, I was out of luck. Outlook was the only module of the
Office package that I care about. As for the rest of it, Open Office is just
as good, so I am not going to spend the money to buy a new version of Office,
just to get OUtlook. I really like Outlook because it includes my calendar,
tasks, reminders, contacts and e mail all in one and one glance at the
"Outlook Today" screen tells me everything I need to know. I haven't found
anything else that compares. If there is something, please let me know about
it.

 

[Dave]

You can buy Outlook 2007 separately from the Office suite.. $80 at Amazon
and Newegg...
http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-543...XKLC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1249178228&sr=8-1

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116086


I have Outlook 2003, which works fine, but I've replaced it with Thunderbird
(email) and the Lightning (calendar) add-on. I only used Outlook for the
calendar, which I think is the best out there, until Lightning became
available.
If you care to try them, they are both free...
http://www.mozillamessaging.com/en-US/thunderbird/
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/addon/2313

 

[Magsmom]

Thanks. Does the Thunderbird allow you to set up recurring task reminders?
That was the really great thing I liked about Outlook. Since I retired, I
don't have to check my calendar for appointments etc. everyday, but I always
check my e mail every morning. With Outlook, everytime I opened my email, my
task reminders would pop up. I set up all my recurring bill payments as
tasks so that I would not overlook paying a bill, even if it got lost in the
mail. My memory is still pretty good for an old broad but my database is
pretty full and defragmented, haha.

I'll check out the Thunderbird. Free is good!

 

[Dave]

Yes, the Lightning calendar add-on has Tasks in addition to repeating
appointments.
I use Tasks to remind me to take some medications.

 

[samirah]

what is this

Yes, the Lightning calendar add-on has Tasks in addition to repeating
appointments.
I use Tasks to remind me to take some medications.

 

[AWS]

It seems you praise WLM!
I and utter millions of other users hate the thing.
Have you ever tried to import mail or accounts from WM to WLM? It just
doesn't work. There is no provision for that at all! WLM is manure, nothing
else, and I'm sure Msft knows about it. If they don't include a proper email
client to W7 SP1, I'll never use it.
I went back to VISTA after I had installed W7, immediately.

 

[Dave]

WLM imports all your WM info automatically when you install it on Vista.
Why do you say it doesn't work?
What have you tried?


--
Dave N.
MS-MVP (Mail)
Windows 7 Ultimate
http://download.live.com/wlmail

 

[Gary VanderMolen [MVP]]

Strange! I've used Windows Live Mail since February 2006, and
have had very few problems with it.
You mention only one issue, importing mail accounts. I've done that
several times, and it has always worked properly.