Computers

Outlook Express for Windows 10: Review

3 years ago
Read Time: 4 minutes
by Frank Mccarthy
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Outlook Express under Windows XP was definitely not the best email program. However, for many people, this is part of their “computer career” – the mere mention of it triggers feelings of nostalgia in one person or another. In Windows XP, you may have replaced Internet Explorer 6 with Firefox after reinstalling the system and installing Thunderbird (to replace Outlook Express). Outlook Express is now better able to take on Thunderbird than before: There is an unofficial successor to Microsoft’s mail program. In particular, in matters of design inclined OE Classic Strongly reminds us of the original. In this article you will find some operating instructions for the software and an assessment of what OE Classic considers useful.

Download OE Classic (Outlook Express)

Installing OE Classic is much safer and more resource efficient than installing Windows XP. Since the support will end in 2014, it will no longer receive updates – working here is also not very interesting due to operational shortcomings. Windows XP can run in a virtual machine, as in VirtualBox, but that costs a few hundred megabytes (MB) of RAM. On the other hand, the 32-bit OE Classic was satisfied with 11MB of RAM on our test PC.

Outlook Express vs. Windows (Live) Mail

The user interface of OE Classic is optional in German or English. The situation is similar to Windows XP: if the system is in German, then it is also Outlook Express. The icons in the icon bar at the top in OE Classic look modern — at least more modern than the menu bar above, which exudes classic charm. If you started in Windows XP OE, you already have mail: “Microsoft Outlook Express Team” sends you a message with the title “Hello”. What a click on it reveals is nostalgia. In addition to more email text below, you can read in a column to the right:

“Tired of sharing your email account with others? Get a free Hotmail account! Then you can read your email from anywhere in the world. Click here to register now! “

It looks similar to OE Classic: the app delivers a ready-made email welcoming you. “Welcome to OE Classic! This software is designed to meet all your email and newsgroup messaging needs (…)”. This script is also the same for the German OE Classic user interface. Translating it means something like “Welcome to OE Classic! This software was developed with the goal of meeting all your email and newsgroup needs.”

Free OE Classic brings Outlook Express back – in a polished version.

The manufacturer has a comparison table of functionality in OE Classic, Outlook Express, Windows Mail and Windows Live Mail on its project page
http://www.oeclassic.com/
chest. The provider there indicates the supported operating systems: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 (.1) and Windows 10. We tested the calling app under Windows 8.1 and Windows 10.

Best Free Alternatives to Microsoft Office

History of supplier email programs on board

The original Outlook Express can be found in Windows XP. OE has not been around since Windows Vista: Microsoft replaced it with Windows Mail. It is placed in a prominent place in the start menu: in the upper part there is the entry “Internet” (and under the weakest line “Internet Explorer”), under it is the entry “Email” (you can read below the weakest line “Windows Mail”). Windows 7 relies on the Vista source code, although its scope has been scaled back: the code diet should make the system faster than its predecessor, which was criticized as slow. Not only does Windows 7 have fewer lines of code and system services than Vista, but it also gets rid of Windows Movie Maker and email clients. However, users will find a download link in the start menu: if you enter “Mail” there, you will find the entry “Download Windows Live Essentials from the Internet” (the Essentials package includes Windows Live Mail, among other things). As announced on the “Windows Essentials” page, Microsoft is no longer offering the package for download. Windows 8 (.1) and Windows 10 are bringing an email app with them again: Application – Runs in full screen in Windows 8 (.1) and in window (and optionally full screen only) in Windows 10.

Windows 10 1709 (+) ohne Outlook Express Legacy

By the way, it seems that Outlook Express was not completely off the table under Windows 10: this is how Microsoft tops the list
“Features and functionality have been removed in Windows 10”.
There you will find the line “Outlook Express”. The provider describes the software as an outdated application (meaning something like “outdated”) and claims to have removed the client with Windows 10 1709 (Fall Creators Update). Accordingly, it is clear that in some versions of Windows 10 there was an Outlook Express icon left (and therefore in versions prior to 1709, i.e. 1507, 1511, 1607 and 1703). It was OE and can’t start in Windows 10. You can find more information in our Useless Windows Knowledge article and in our article with Tips for Legacy Apps for PC.

Download OE Classic (Outlook Express)

Conclusion to the OE Classic

OE Classic is a nice treat for fans of Outlook Express, but in terms of functionality and operation, it is a rather weak competitor to Microsoft Outlook and Mozilla Thunderbird. The latter program features several ready-made add-ons; The OE Classic can’t keep up with it here. In terms of handling, it’s worth criticizing that clicking New Email only indicates that you haven’t added an account yet – but it doesn’t help you create one. You can do this via “Tools > Accounts > Add > Next”. IMAP and POP protocols are available. In the test done under Windows 10, sending emails didn’t work at first, but then worked with the free mail address @web.de. Receiving emails didn’t work right away, but it did work later. Format options for new emails are a plus, and insertable smileys make more for the eye. In terms of visuals, the signature is a drawback: for example, OE Classic adds advertising on its own to emails sent below (“Replacing the new Outlook Express and Windows Live Mail – get it here: https://www.oeclassic.com/ “). Users of some free online mail services also suffer from this problem.

Frank Mccarthy

“Certified gamer. Problem solver. Internet enthusiast. Twitter scholar. Infuriatingly humble alcohol geek. Tv guru.”

Frank Mccarthy

<p class="sign">"Certified gamer. Problem solver. Internet enthusiast. Twitter scholar. Infuriatingly humble alcohol geek. Tv guru."</p>