Best email software for Windows 8?

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Chainsaw

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#138028 17-Dec-2013 12:12

My in-laws are buying their Mum a new laptop for Xmas, I will be expected to set it up. She currently has Windows XP and uses Outlook Express for email. What is the best program for me to install (I presume like Win7 it doesn't come with anything already installed) for her that is most similar to OE? She has very limited computer skills, so I'd like to make everything as similar to WinXP as possible as far as usage goes. Does Windows Live Mail run on it?

Thanks.

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#953649 17-Dec-2013 12:14

Actually it does come with a mail app installed and it's very good.

Edit: However it's a Modern app and doesn't look much like XP.

kinsten

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#953651 17-Dec-2013 12:15

Windows Live Mail is the replacement strategy for Outlook Express
Has all the same integration features as the old one, with a newer interface/look (kind of)
Basically theme tied to look like Outlook.com

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kinsten

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#953652 17-Dec-2013 12:16

ewww metro

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sidefx

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#953655 17-Dec-2013 12:20

IMO the built in one is pretty good for the average user.

Or just gmail\outlook.com in the browser.

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Chainsaw

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#953658 17-Dec-2013 12:25

MackinNZ: Actually it does come with a mail app installed and it's very good.

Edit: However it's a Modern app and doesn't look much like XP.

Yeah iu think we will try and avoid the whole Modern App stuff for her, I'm only there for a couple of weeks and I don't even know about them much myself, so teaching her might take a few months!

Chainsaw

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#953663 17-Dec-2013 12:25

kinsten: Windows Live Mail is the replacement strategy for Outlook Express
Has all the same integration features as the old one, with a newer interface/look (kind of)
Basically theme tied to look like Outlook.com

So LIve Mail works on 8 - great, that will do fine.

Is it a separate download?

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semigeek

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#953696 17-Dec-2013 13:08

If she doesn't want to use the inbuilt one, there is always Thunderbird as well.

Chainsaw

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#953703 17-Dec-2013 13:13

Thanks, I'll check it out.

Don't suppose there's an easy way to migrate all emails etc. from the XP/OE machine to a new machine?

surfisup1000

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#953715 17-Dec-2013 13:42

MackinNZ: Actually it does come with a mail app installed and it's very good.

Edit: However it's a Modern app and doesn't look much like XP.

I actually hate the mail app .

Firstly, if you try to use it, microsoft force you to sign into windows using a microsoft accoutn -- ie, you cannot use the mail app if you have a local account.

I like my local account and would like to keep it.

Also, the last time i used the mail app, you could not resize columns. From memory, this meant the subject line was cutoff.

I don't know what happened to the UI guy at MS, but he plainly no longer works there.

nathan

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#953740 17-Dec-2013 14:08

With the release of Windows 8.1, it is no longer required to have a Microsoft Account (aka Live ID) to run Windows Mail Client.

rphenix

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#953750 17-Dec-2013 14:21

semigeek: If she doesn't want to use the inbuilt one, there is always Thunderbird as well.

I tend to set people up with Thunderbird makes it fairly easy to move pc's as well just grab the thunderbird profile folder drag to the new machine install thunderbird and away it goes.

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qyiet

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#953753 17-Dec-2013 14:28

I just setup a new win8 user who had xtra mail with the win8 yahoo mail app. It means that their android phone, tablet and win8 PC all have a VERY similar mail interface.

Warning: reality may differ from above post

Regs

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Snowflake

#953757 17-Dec-2013 14:42

windows mail "modern app/metro app" on windows 8.1 is great and most people I've shown it too have no problems using it after coming from webmail, outlook/outlook express, or other places. i'd recommend giving it a go and not defaulting to the "old methods". fully touch enabled if you get a touch capable laptop, and it works fine with mouse/kb too.

the columns aren't resizeable, but there is more than enough room for a decent subject line preview on my machine with 11" 1366x768 screen:

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surfisup1000

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#953760 17-Dec-2013 14:50

Regs: windows mail "modern app/metro app" on windows 8.1 is great and most people I've shown it too have no problems using it after coming from webmail, outlook/outlook express, or other places. i'd recommend giving it a go and not defaulting to the "old methods". fully touch enabled if you get a touch capable laptop, and it works fine with mouse/kb too.

the columns aren't resizeable, but there is more than enough room for a decent subject line preview on my machine with 11" 1366x768 screen:

I had some problems with the column sizes when I first tried it out -- it was a problem, something was being obscured.

Why not allow resizeable columns anyway?

Another thing - the photo app -- it does not display photos in subfolders.

So , my neatly date arranged photo folders don't work in the photo app.

At least, last time i tried.

Chainsaw

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#953764 17-Dec-2013 14:57

As said, I think it best for her to keep teh same feel, well as close as possible anyway, to what she is used to. It's taken her about 10 years to get this far (she just emails, looks at photos and does a small bit of web surfing) so I don't want to start again with "apps", no matter how simple they are.

Thanks all for the input.

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