Will OL2003 offer these features I can't get in OL2K?

[pgtr]

Will OL2003 offer these features I can't get in OL2K? Currently am
still using OL2K SP3 (last i checked the XP version still didn't add
the important features I've been needing for years so never have
bothered to upgrade further)

1) Ability to manage multiple email accounts/ISPs and respond to each
email from it's account rather than a single default email account for
outgoing responses. Currently (OL2K) I can RECEIVE email on multiple
accounts but unless I MANUALLY remember to send using a specific
account it automatically sends using the default account - invariably
I forget something that should be automated in the 1st place).

Also an ability to have an email account specific signature for
new/outgoing email w/ each account in conjunction w/ the above...

2) Ability to display in preview pane 'From' field or column the
actual 'reply-to' or 'from' email address without automatically
resolving the 'name'. E.g. I've always wanted an email client that
would display in the preview panes (w/o clicking several times into
the email and opening it up...) simply something like this in panes:
"John Doe <[email protected]>"
rather than simply
"John Doe"
AFAIK this is impossible in OL2K.

3) Ability to pre-assign a default Contacts folder which may be a
sub-folder under 'Contacts' - again currently OL2K forces only
Contacts and I always have to click into one of my sub-folders.
Essentially no ability to define a different default (sub)folder when
I click on the 'TO' button to add a recipient.


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And finally if OL03 STILL does not offer a good ability to work with
multiple email accounts in an automated fashion as well as display
full email addresses in panes - can anybody recommend some good email
client(s) (doesn't have to be a full PIM) that can. (and perhaps even
work with say a 3rd party address book like Palm)

thanks!

 

[Roady [MVP]]

1a) Yes, this was in Outlook 2002 as well
1b) Yes, new in Outlook 2003 when you have Word as the e-mail editor

2) Yes, this was in Outlook 2002 as well (and the Preview Pane has improved
in Outlook 2003 and is called the Reading Pane now) The SMTP address of the
sender is shown in the Reading Pane

3) I'm not sure if I understand you correctly on this one. If you're using
contacts from a subfolder more often then why do you place them in a
subfolder and not in the main Contacts folder? Anyway, I believe this was in
Outlook 2000 and previous as well; you can add additional contact folders to
your address book and change the default address list by going to Tools->
Address Book and in Address Book choose Tools-> Options...

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
www.howto-outlook.com

Tips of the month:
-Backup and Restore
-Create an Office XP CD slipstreamed with Service Pack 3

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[pgtr]

1a) Yes, this was in Outlook 2002 as well
1b) Yes, new in Outlook 2003 when you have Word as the e-mail editor

Thanks - I know for sure if 02 and 03 added this.

Was the 'new' part in '03 just referring to the automated signature
'management'?

I prefer to keep applications as slim as possible so I may forgoe OL03
if OL02 does this - The added bloat of Word just to get proper
signature associations w/ accounts just doesn't seem worth it to me.
I'm disappointed they couldn't offer this conceptually simple
functionality while allowing the usage of the built in native editor.
My $0.02!

2) Yes, this was in Outlook 2002 as well (and the Preview Pane has improved
in Outlook 2003 and is called the Reading Pane now) The SMTP address of the
sender is shown in the Reading Pane

Thanks again! This is good to know. I'm not sure I'm using the correct
terminology but it sounds like the SMTP address is actually viewable
in the individual Reading Pane but not the 'inbox' or 'folder' pane
that lists columns like From|Subject|Received etc in a columnar
format. I'd prefer to see it there as well but I'll take it in any
case - beats nothing whcih is what I have now w/ OL2K!

3) I'm not sure if I understand you correctly on this one. If you're using
contacts from a subfolder more often then why do you place them in a
subfolder and not in the main Contacts folder? Anyway, I believe this was in
Outlook 2000 and previous as well; you can add additional contact folders to
your address book and change the default address list by going to Tools->
Address Book and in Address Book choose Tools-> Options...

I have always had several very specific reasons to use sub-folders to
sort my Contacts (Personal, Business, etc). MS elected to give us the
option of having sub-folders to provide heirarchical context to
contact data - however there appears to be no way (in OL2K) to modify
which folder is the default. When creating a new email and clicking on
say the 'To' button I always have to click into what I would like to
be my default contacts folder (a subfolder under contacts). There
isn't an Options menu under Tools from within Address Book in OL2K.
Sure I can further clutter my top level folder list all day long w/
additional Contacts folder but regardless of whether they are there or
a sub-folder under 'Contacts' I'm yet to find a way to modify the
default Contacts folder behavior in OL2K.

Sounds like sub-folders under 'Contacts' still canNOT be selected as
the default folder for contacts in OL02 or OL03? Or can they?

Thanks for the details and info! Very helpful on deciding if and to
what I'll upgrade to.

 

[Roady [MVP]]

"Was the 'new' part in '03 just referring to the automated signature
'management'?"
Yep

You can set your default address list by going to Tools-> Address Book and
in Address Book choose Tools-> Options. Works for me. I'm not sure if the
mode you are running in makes a difference. Switch to Corporate Workgroup
mode if you don't have the Address Book option.

Having Word as your e-mail editor isn't that bad really. Besides all the
extra options available the extra benefit is that you'll only have to learn
one interface (Word) instead of two (Word and Outlook) for creating
documents/e-mail

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
www.howto-outlook.com

Tips of the month:
-Backup and Restore
-Create an Office XP CD slipstreamed with Service Pack 3

-----

 

[pgtr]

"Was the 'new' part in '03 just referring to the automated signature
'management'?"
Yep

You can set your default address list by going to Tools-> Address Book and
in Address Book choose Tools-> Options. Works for me. I'm not sure if the
mode you are running in makes a difference. Switch to Corporate Workgroup
mode if you don't have the Address Book option.

W/ OL2K (SP3) in internet SMTP email (not corporate/Exchange) I of
course have the Tools->Address book option. This brings up the MS
Address Book (ver 6.00.2800.1409).

From there I have a Tools menu but NO 'Options' submenu entry. There
is only: "Accounts..." and "Action" from my Tools menu. (see attached
img)

There is an 'Options' button on the Address Book toolbar but that is
only for a specific entry and not for defining things like default
folders...

In fact I can't even access my contacts folder sub-folders from the
addr book ap unless they are checked for 'Show folder as an email
address book' option.

However by clicking 'Show this folder as an e-mail Address Book' it's
only 1 click away. (all they need to do is change teh "an" "default"
heh heh )

Any ideas why my OL2K/AddrBook 6 doesn't have the same menu options?
Different install option(s) or mode maybe?

Having Word as your e-mail editor isn't that bad really. Besides all the
extra options available the extra benefit is that you'll only have to learn
one interface (Word) instead of two (Word and Outlook) for creating
documents/e-mail

Thanks. - I'll keep that in mind and definately give it a shot w/
Word.

 

[Roady [MVP]]

This is the Windows Address Book for wab file not the Outlook Address Book.
You can add it by going to Tools-> E-mail Accounts...

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
www.howto-outlook.com

Tips of the month:
-Backup and Restore
-Create an Office XP CD slipstreamed with Service Pack 3