Mac E-mail Applications: Apple Mail or Microsoft’s Entourage?

Mac video tutorial    Microsoft Entourage 2008 for Mac

Almost 10 years ago, I used to use Connectix‘s Virtual PC with Windows 98 to send a message with a PDF attachment to my dissertation adviser on my iMac 333 MHz. For many years, I used Mac version of Outlook and Mac-only Entourage. Nowadays, I use Apple‘s Mail more often than Entourage. As a matter of fact, I didn’t use Mail probably till 14 months ago. Oh, wait… Several years ago, I used it for a very short time. It was a horrible e-mail application. It consistently failed to send out messages. And Windows users couldn’t open my attachments. Inevitably, I had to use Microsoft Entourage.

Then comes the following question: Is Apple’s Mail still inferior to Microsoft’s Entourage? Let me ask another question. Are there any unique functions on Entourage that Apple’s Mail doesn’t have?

I had three reasons why I had to use Entourage to check and send e-mail messages. No. 1, Mail didn’t support a global search function. I sometimes wanted to find a particular old message with a key phrase. Mail didn’t let me. And Entourage did. No. 2, I sometimes had to send a message with an attachment to a PC user. PC users couldn’t open Mac attachments sent from Mail. No. 3, I had a couple of Hotmail accounts. And Entourage accesses POP as well as Hotmail accounts.   Continue reading

Windows Live POP3: Checking Hotmail Messages with Apple Mail

Mac video tutorial

Back in 2002, Microsoft had Outlook Express even for Mac users. It was a useful free application for those who use Hotmail accounts. Outlook Express never made it to OS X. If they want to check their Hotmail messages, Mac OS X users are obliged to use Microsoft Entourage, a commercial application.

Apple Mail check Hotmail Windows Live POP3
Screenshot 01 – Source:
MacHouse
  Apple Mail check Hotmail Windows Live POP3
Screenshot 02 – Source:
MacHouse
  Apple Mail check Hotmail Windows Live POP3
Screenshot 03 – Source:
Microsoft Corp.

Things have changed over years even for Entourage users. They can still check Hotmail messages if accounts are old. But the POP function is no longer free for new Hotmail accounts. For example, if I try to add an account whose e-mail address is junk5278@live.jp… I get an error message that says ‘A Windows Live Hotmail Plus subscription is required.’ (See Screenshot 01-2.) Hotmail Plus? Microsoft says you can get additional Hotmail features including POP access for $19.95 (£14.99, ¥2,510…) a year. (See Screenshot 03.)

In the meantime, Microsoft made an important announcement for Hotmail users as of January 14, 2009. The company says POP access is available to Hotmail users in nine countries including Australia, Canada, German, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, the U.K. and the U.S. (See Screenshot 04.) Hmm… Does that mean POP access is available for Hotmail Plus only? How about e-mail accounts with live.com (live.jp, live.co.uk…) as opposed to hotmail.com? Well, let me find out if I can check Hotmail messages through a live.jp account (without Hotmail Plus) that I created several days ago, using Apple’s Mail (v. 3.5). If I can, then I should be able to do the same with Mozilla’s Thunderbird, Eudura and other e-mail applications.   Continue reading