Transition from Outlook/Office 2007

ljf1958 · 18 Jan 2021

Hello!

I use an old Dell PC with Windows 7 Professional and Outlook 2007/Office 2007.

I also have a current Apple laptop and use gmail and Outlook 365 for work (two different jobs - two different email systems). I am familiar with all three. I also use Office 365.

I prefer my locally-based Outlook 2007 to browser-based gmail and Outlook 365. I like the way the 2007 platform is organized, the search capabilities and the functionality. I like the fact the email is local and not browser-based. I do not care about auto-internet synching on different devices for this particular email. I also like the Outlook 2007 calendar and contacts. My Outlook 2007 preference is not driven by privacy concerns (although i try to avoid gmail because I don't appreciate their scanning of our emails to serve up ads), I just appreciate the reliability and searchability of all emails locally on my PC.

My PC is getting old and I will need to upgrade to a machine with Windows 10. Can anyone recommend an email client that might give me the feel of Outlook 2007? I think I would prefer a non-browser based email system, but I would be open to a browser-based system too.

Or does anyone know if I could continue to use Outlook 2007 on the new Windows 10 machine?

Frankly, i also like working locally on Office 2007 (instead of in Office 365 and the cloud).

I know I sound like an old dog refusing to learn the new tricks but I feel I have used Gmail and 365 (for at least 5 years) and I just don't like either one as well.

Thanks in advance!

Lisa

Plankton · 18 Jan 2021

eM Client or Thunderbird are just two off the top of my head.

bro67 · 18 Jan 2021

Outlook. Even the built in email app for MacOS is better than Outlook 2k7 or thunderbird.

sygnus21 · 18 Jan 2021

I've been using Outlook since my days in the military and still use it today. Currently using Outlook 365's desktop app. No issues or problems here. And I get all my emails locally, so there's no need to log into the web app. Also like the fact that it syncs with my Android phone when using the Outlook app for the phone.

As to Outlook 2007, yes, you can still use it under Windows 10 if that's what you prefer.

Good luck.

idgat · 18 Jan 2021

Another vote for emClient or Thunderbird. Absolutely!

You should also consider (if you don't already have) moving to an IMAP email service. That way, you won't have to worry about exporting/importing emails between email clients (like Outlook/emClient/Thunderbird)

Try3 · 19 Jan 2021

Lisa,

I also still use Office 2007 [including Outlook 2007] because I dislike several of the changes in later versions.

Mozilla Thunderbird was mentioned. It has email, calendar, tasks, messaging. I am so used to Outlook that I would not change to it but if you look at the link [do not use IE for that link, the website is not fully IE-compatible], you'll probably be able to make up your own mind.

By the way, what you call 'local email' is actually the email retrieval method 'POP'. When you set up email to use Pop, it downloads the entire email to your Outlook.
- Outlook [even Outlook 2007] can also use the email retrieval method 'IMAP'. If you use this you will see the emails using Outlook but they actually remain on the server unless you then choose them individually for full download [which would mean they were both in Outlook & still on the server unless you also ran the procedure for deleting them from the server]. Some people prefer IMAP because of the online 'syncing' inherent in everything staying on the server.
- Outlook [even Outlook 2007] can also use the retrieval method 'EAS' but don't be surprised if somebody else corrects my terminology as I think 'Exchange' might be the new name for this. EAS is, in essence, an extension of IMAP to cover your other items such as Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Notes as well as the email covered by IMAP.
- EAS is supposed to be more secure than IMAP. IMAP is supposed to be more secure than POP. If you use POP, assume that anybody can intercept & read all email during send & receive.

I spent a year trying Office 2016 including Outlook 2016.
- I think they wrecked several parts of Office including the Outlook navigation pane & date selector pane.
- There were also awkward changes in Access & to all the Office application 'Quick access toolbars'.
- That's why I am sticking with Office 2007.

You will have no problems using any part of Office 2007 in Windows 10.
- Because Office 2007 is out of support, it is not taken into account when Windows updates are written so, for all any of us know, there will be a Windows update tomorrow that stops parts of Office 2007 working.
- Because Office 2007 is out of support, newly-discovered security vulnerabilities are not patched. So Office 2007 is not as secure as later versions.
- You will be able to download & install all the Office 2007 updates. I copied them all manually just in case they stop being available in the future but there is currently no sign of that.

All the best,
Denis

ljf1958 · 20 Jan 2021

I can't thank you all enough for taking the time to weigh in on this. I learned a lot through this post and will check out the options. I will keep this open and update once I make the transition, in the event the post is helpful to someone in the future. gain, I can't thank you all enough!

sygnus21 · 20 Jan 2021

Thanks. Glad we're able to help :)