Monday, August 31, 2009

Warning - no bunny today

In a brilliant new marketing maneuver, Microsoft has decided to make its e-mail incompatible with some of its other products, such as the ones I use for e-mail (home and work) and my version of MS Money. This has improved Money's performance since the solution provided by Microsoft was to just stop logging in to their network and use the program offline, which I would have preferred all along as the one time I attempted to use Money's online features resulted in a complete disaster (while trying to balance an account, it data-bombed my PC with every transaction I had ever made instead of just the last statement), but they insisted that logging in with them made my data more secure than having it completely offline. I'm only an I/T professional and know nothing of such things, so don't ask me to explain that one.

Anyway, their brilliant latest idea requires me to modify my account in Outlook and Outlook Express, which I tried but didn't work - their own site said their instructions had a 50% success rate. Since that failed, I can download new tools from them, log-in via IE (their online access has the crappiest e-mail interface I've seen since I got away from HP's pre-Windows e-mail), or find a new e-mail provider. I have my backup ID with my ISP / cable company / Nazi morons, but I quit using it originally because their server was too unreliable and their online interface is the 2nd crappiest I've seen. It looks like cutting edge technology via the 1930's, back when we had to send e-mail via rotary phone by shouting the 1's and 0's into the handset.

So, I'm in the market for a new e-mail provider. I'm looking for something simple that is free and will love me long time, preferably by working with old versions of Outlook and Outlook Express that already have all of my address information in them. Any suggestions?

7 comments:

Jay said...

I haven't used Outlook in forever. I gave up on it a long time ago. I just stick with gmail now.

Unknown said...

My main is yahoo, but it is not compatible with Outlook (but you can import/export contacts).
I find Internet based e-mail more functional than Outlook.
There are many I have not tried, I usually get my best info from Network World or infoworld (lot of duplication in the info.

Kerry said...

Gawd they are a pain in the arse.

I mean Microsoft

Grant said...

Jay - I may be going with gmail for the whole Googley package.

Whitemist - I have a Yahoo ID, but they've irritated me in the past.

Kerry - blog more.

Unknown said...

Try Thunderbird the free opensource replacement for Outlook you are an IT professional you have no business using Microsoft.

Grant said...

SJ - around here, Thunderbird is a cheap wine. I prefer Cisco or Mad Dog for that sort of thing.

paul said...

I'd move to Thunderbird and Gmail. Thunderbird should import all of your Outlook info, and you can POP your mail, or imap to GMail so any changes are reflected in both places. Not to mention free.

(Not sure if you can import address from Outlook into GMail, but I'd be surprised if someone hasn't created an addon.)