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Microsoft Office Outlook Connector 12.1 - Windows Live Hotmail for Outlook

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By Heinz Tschabitscher, About.com Guide

Microsoft Office Outlook Connector - Windows Live Hotmail for Outlook Add-On

Microsoft Office Outlook Connector - Windows Live Hotmail for Outlook Add-On

Heinz Tschabitscher
The Bottom Line
Office Outlook Connector plugs Windows Live Hotmail and Office Live Mail accounts so well into Outlook that they behave much like local mail — and you can use them offline, too. As a subscription service, Office Outlook Connector synchronizes calendars, notes and to-do items in addition to the free mail and contact access.
Pros
  • Office Outlook Connector lets you access Windows Live Hotmail and Office Live Mail in Outlook
  • Changes made to contacts, emails or folders automatically synchronize when you connect
  • With a subscription, Office Outlook Connector synchronizes calendars, tasks and notes as well
Cons
  • Office Outlook Connector notifies of connection errors in a somewhat crude log-file manner
  • You cannot change per folder whether Outlook Connector should download full items or only headers
  • Outlook Connector does not make Windows Live Hotmail and Office Live available for other programs
Description
  • Microsoft Office Outlook Connector lets you access Windows Live Hotmail and Office Live Mail accounts in Outlook.
  • Office Outlook Connector accounts behave much like local PST files, integrating fully into Outlook.
  • Email and contact access is free, and Windows Live Hotmal Premium affords you calendar, tasks and notes.
  • All items fully downloaded are available offline, and changes you make are uploaded automatically when you log on.
  • You can choose for Office Outlook Connector to download complete emails or just headers automatically.
  • Microsoft Office Outlook Connector supports Windows XP/Vista and Outlook 2003/7.
Guide Review - Microsoft Office Outlook Connector 12.1 - Windows Live Hotmail for Outlook
Nothing is for everyone, but there should be something for everybody.

If you don't like the Windows Live Hotmail web interface so much and don't care for Windows Live Mail, maybe you'd like to access your Windows Live Hotmail account in Outlook?

With Office Outlook Connector, this is a breeze. The plug-in works with Windows Live Hotmail and Office Live Mail accounts, and plug them in it does!

After a few somewhat arcane steps in an ancient interface got you past the setup (Office Outlook Connector can also detect if you set up a Windows Live Hotmail using the "old" HTTP interface and might offer to take over), your accounts will behave as if they were local.

Mail and contacts appear just where and how they should. If you have a Windows Live Hotmail Premium subscription, the same goes for online calendars, notes and to-do items as well.

Even when you are offline, you can read mail already downloaded, move items, edit contacts and calendars or compose mail. Once you go online, Office Outlook Connector uploads your changes. Do make sure you don't forget to make Outlook deliver mail you sent. While you can change whether Office Outlook Connector should download complete emails or just headers, this is a global setting and cannot be modified per folder.

If something is not quite right, Office Outlook Connector lets you know via its toolbar and a log file, which is crude but, it seems, reasonably helpful.

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