Offline e-mail
Thread Starter
Offline e-mail
Since Pontius was a Pilot - or at least since the start of Internet World Domination - I've used Outlook Express, or latterly Windows Mail on Vista, as my e-mail programme. It's rigged to download mail from my ISP webserver - a local provider which snuggles up to Yahoo ! - and when travelling can find a suitable WiFi connection, then download the webmail into Windows Mail on the computer, and return to whatever abode we are residing in and consider our mail at our leisure, offline, and compose a reply to lurk in Outbox until the next Internet connection sometime later. You all know the story.
However ... to save lugging a large, heavy, laptop around I've just bought a small 'netbook' of the EeePC family, and this has come pre-loaded with Windows 7 Starter version, which unlike the Windows 7 Home Premium that I'm familar with, doesn't come with Outlook.
It has Windows Live Mail, but this is the point - it has to be Live, i.e. connected to the Internet, which defeats the whole point - or does it ?
Regardless, it is slaved to Hotmail, which means a new e-mail address etc.
Any advice on loading a free 3rd party e-mail programme that I can use ?
My "Man What Does" computer repairs says Outlook Express/Windows Mail can't be downloaded on to Windows 7 anyway, and that I will have to upgrade to W.7 Home Premium to get Outlook, that we have on our desktop - but do I ? To do that will cost almost as much as the netbook cost, and defeat one of the purposes of this exercise.
OK, I'm cheapskating, but I only need this gadget to read e-mail, and occasionally reach airline websites ( and read PPRuNe of course ! ) I'm not a slave to the Internet and can live without Music,Pictures, Videos quite happily, and can carry other stuff on a USB flash drive stick if I think I might need it. I'm using it as an (almost) necessary tool, not an addiction, but I would like the opportunity to read e-mail at leisure offline. Mrs. ExS. is threatening the carriage of the original laptop of proven experience. ( by me of course, 'tis my carry-on baggage which is under threat ! )
Just a thought. Thanks.
However ... to save lugging a large, heavy, laptop around I've just bought a small 'netbook' of the EeePC family, and this has come pre-loaded with Windows 7 Starter version, which unlike the Windows 7 Home Premium that I'm familar with, doesn't come with Outlook.
It has Windows Live Mail, but this is the point - it has to be Live, i.e. connected to the Internet, which defeats the whole point - or does it ?
Regardless, it is slaved to Hotmail, which means a new e-mail address etc.
Any advice on loading a free 3rd party e-mail programme that I can use ?
My "Man What Does" computer repairs says Outlook Express/Windows Mail can't be downloaded on to Windows 7 anyway, and that I will have to upgrade to W.7 Home Premium to get Outlook, that we have on our desktop - but do I ? To do that will cost almost as much as the netbook cost, and defeat one of the purposes of this exercise.
OK, I'm cheapskating, but I only need this gadget to read e-mail, and occasionally reach airline websites ( and read PPRuNe of course ! ) I'm not a slave to the Internet and can live without Music,Pictures, Videos quite happily, and can carry other stuff on a USB flash drive stick if I think I might need it. I'm using it as an (almost) necessary tool, not an addiction, but I would like the opportunity to read e-mail at leisure offline. Mrs. ExS. is threatening the carriage of the original laptop of proven experience. ( by me of course, 'tis my carry-on baggage which is under threat ! )
Just a thought. Thanks.
Last edited by ExSp33db1rd; 9th Jun 2012 at 01:24.
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First
No version of Windows 7 comes with an integral e-mail client, though some PC builders preload Windows Live Mail, or Windows Live Mail 2010.
Next
Neither Outlook Express or Windows Mail can be installed on Windows 7. The last version of Windows compatible with OE is XP. Windows Mail was an OE replacement for use on Vista only.
Third
Windows Live Mail can be used with ANY e-mail service. You are not forced to use it with a Hotmail account. It can be used as a simple POP/IMAP/SMTP system, with normal offline access. The Gotcha is that by default Live Mail 2010 tries to create a Windows Live account using the e-mail address as its credentials. This is an under-the-counter attempt by Microsoft to enroll you in the Live service and so get you using their cloud services. Examples of this are that by default if you try to send an attached image by e-mail, Live 2010 instead uploads the image to their servers (in your Live space account) and then sends a link. Theres a workround but its fiddly. Also you can get round it by setting the flag which tells Live 2010 not to "log in" on startup (all this does is stop it logging into a Live account - its does not stop e-mail)
The key thing to remember here is that a Windows Live account can use ANY e-mail address - it does not have to be a Hotmail/Live e-mail address
The original version of Windows Live Mail does not log you in in this way - the downside is that its less intuitive and Microsoft don't support it any more on Windows 7. The upgrade to 2010 is supposedly mandatory through Windows Update.
As for Outlook, if you want that you will have to purchase Microosft Office.
Alternatives?
Thunderbird https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/
The Bat! (you have to pay for it) RITLabs.
Zimbra desktopEmail, Calendar, Collaboration | Find Zimbra Products (free for the client software -intended as an Outlook replacement)
Claws Claws Mail for Windows (open source Linux program ported to windows - supposed to work well, I've never had any joy with it)
PS - before anyone suggests it, there have been a number of attempts at porting the succesful Ximian Evolution Linux program to windows I've never managed to get these working stabily. I just went looking to get the latest versions and I see the company which had them on its website has closed its download page - I think its worth giving that one a miss.
PPS - just thought I'd take another look at Zimbra as its been a while since I used it. Wow. Its come on a lot since VMware took it over from Yahoo. Looks a bit strange - the look is more Unix than Windows, but it seems really slick in the way it works.
No version of Windows 7 comes with an integral e-mail client, though some PC builders preload Windows Live Mail, or Windows Live Mail 2010.
Next
Neither Outlook Express or Windows Mail can be installed on Windows 7. The last version of Windows compatible with OE is XP. Windows Mail was an OE replacement for use on Vista only.
Third
Windows Live Mail can be used with ANY e-mail service. You are not forced to use it with a Hotmail account. It can be used as a simple POP/IMAP/SMTP system, with normal offline access. The Gotcha is that by default Live Mail 2010 tries to create a Windows Live account using the e-mail address as its credentials. This is an under-the-counter attempt by Microsoft to enroll you in the Live service and so get you using their cloud services. Examples of this are that by default if you try to send an attached image by e-mail, Live 2010 instead uploads the image to their servers (in your Live space account) and then sends a link. Theres a workround but its fiddly. Also you can get round it by setting the flag which tells Live 2010 not to "log in" on startup (all this does is stop it logging into a Live account - its does not stop e-mail)
The key thing to remember here is that a Windows Live account can use ANY e-mail address - it does not have to be a Hotmail/Live e-mail address
The original version of Windows Live Mail does not log you in in this way - the downside is that its less intuitive and Microsoft don't support it any more on Windows 7. The upgrade to 2010 is supposedly mandatory through Windows Update.
As for Outlook, if you want that you will have to purchase Microosft Office.
Alternatives?
Thunderbird https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird/
The Bat! (you have to pay for it) RITLabs.
Zimbra desktopEmail, Calendar, Collaboration | Find Zimbra Products (free for the client software -intended as an Outlook replacement)
Claws Claws Mail for Windows (open source Linux program ported to windows - supposed to work well, I've never had any joy with it)
PS - before anyone suggests it, there have been a number of attempts at porting the succesful Ximian Evolution Linux program to windows I've never managed to get these working stabily. I just went looking to get the latest versions and I see the company which had them on its website has closed its download page - I think its worth giving that one a miss.
PPS - just thought I'd take another look at Zimbra as its been a while since I used it. Wow. Its come on a lot since VMware took it over from Yahoo. Looks a bit strange - the look is more Unix than Windows, but it seems really slick in the way it works.
Last edited by Milo Minderbinder; 9th Jun 2012 at 08:59.
Thread Starter
Milo - thank you for that, I'll work on the Live Mail with my existing e-mail and see how I get on - 'they' don't tell you that, of course !!
Added later ... With help from the ISP now installed, don't find it too user-friendly but I guess it fills the bill. Thanks again for the info.
Added later ... With help from the ISP now installed, don't find it too user-friendly but I guess it fills the bill. Thanks again for the info.
Last edited by ExSp33db1rd; 10th Jun 2012 at 08:39.
