Using Outlook for eMail

Lately I have been getting a lot of questions about using Outlook, especially on a Mac. Below are some of the questions and my response.

I use two different email addresses.  How can I set them up to both send to my same Outlook account?

There are two ways to do this.

1. If you want to have two separate mail boxes which you open separately and that keep one account separate from the other you need to set up a second profile.  Here are the instructions for setting up a second profile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KbzzVjjn
   
   In this scenario your set up is almost like having two different email accounts. You read and send mail with one account and then switch and read and reply with the other account. You will always have the correct account in the from: area where people reply.
2. Another option is to have two email addresses that both send to the same mailbox. Here are the instructions for setting that up.
   
   Go to Tools>Account Settings in Outlook.  Click "new" and then add your second mail account. Now you have two different accounts that both have the same mailbox.

I have two different email addresses that both feed into my Outlook account. How can I reply to someone with the account I want to use with them?

When you send mail you will notice that below the send button is the word Account with an arrow. If you click the arrow it will give you a list of the accounts that are set up in your system. Choose the account you want to use for your reply and then click send.

You can change the default address for replying if you find that you are having to switch too often.  To do this look under the Tools menu for Account Settings or Email Accounts. You should see a list of which email accounts you have set up. Highlight the one you use most often and click "set as default".

How do I get my Outlook calendar to sync with my phone?

The main thing to realize is that your calendar is a part of your email set up and so when you set up your email you are also setting up your calendar. 

Windows Phone - Flick left to the app list, tap settings, tap email and accounts, tap Add an Account, Depending on your Version of Windows Phone choose Outlook or or Windows Live. Enter your Outlook. com address and password. Tap sign in. 

iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch - Go to Settings-Mail, Contacts, Calendar and choose HOTMAIL. Fill in your Outlook email and passwords. Choose what you want to sync and tap SAVE.

Other Phones - You will need to download an Android app. Go to this link and follow the directions. 

http://tinyurl.com/cobm3rq

Unfortunately this app has fairly poor reviews. Maybe it will be improved in the future. 

What is the difference between an Outlook Exchange account and Outlook that I have at home? 

Outlook Exchange is a set up of Outlook that is run from a server (a server is just a computer that can share everything through a network). The reason that employers like it is that it is a closed system that allows workers from the same company to interact and share among other workers in the same company easily and safely. As a user you do not see a lot of difference between Outlook Exchange and regular Outlook, which is what people use on a home computer.

 If you are using Outlook Exchange at work and you want to access information on a home computer you will need to talk with the System Administrator to get information about how to connect.

Can you explain Outlook Express and Outlook 365?

Outlook Express was a free version of Outlook which came with some versions of Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office. It was meant for personal use rather than the more robust Outlook that was designed for offices. Right now you are encouraged to download Windows Live Mail instead if you want a free email client (program that works on your computer). 

Outlook 365 is a service with a monthly or annual fee. It uses Windows Sky Drive as an online server which saves all of your mail. Signing up gives you 20 Gigabytes of Sky Drive storage. It does allow you to install it on five machines, so it can be cost effective even though it is a subscription rather than a one time purchase.

If you have a Mac and want a shortcut to get to your Outlook mail the MailTab app for Outlook will do that. Here is a link to the app on iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mailtab-for-outlook/id582581625?mt=12  

Here are links to some of the sites where I found the best information:
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Outlook

YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTSn_z3OrpM

Microsoft
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/what-is-a-microsoft-exchange-server-account-HA001230171.aspx

PC World
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2026710/why-office-365-is-a-better-deal-than-office-2013.html

DISCLAIMER: I learned these things from looking them up on the Internet and have not experienced them. I use Gmail and the mail app on my iPhone and iPad. They work well and easily for me.