Expert: Scottgem - 9/22/2005

Question
I have Microsoft Outlook 2003 SP1 and Microsoft Outlook Express 6.

I am confused about all of the options in Outlook re: Personal Address Book / Outlook Address Book / Address Book / and Contacts. And how do they coincide with the Address Book in Outlook Express?

I generally use Outlook Express for emailing, just because it is all that I know. Is Outlook better to use for emailing? I am interested in doing mass mailings using Mail Merges, as well, and I don't think that Outlook Express offers these options...(?)

I currently have an empty Personal Address Book in Outlook, an empty Outlook Address Book and a full Contacts list in Outlook. Plus, I have an empty Address Book in Outlook Express. I would like to have a copy of my Outlook Contacts list in the Personal Address Book in Outlook and the Address Book in Outlook Express. I would also like to know what to do with the Outlook Address Book option.

Furthermore, can I synchronize all of the above? E.G: can I add to the Outlook Contact list and have it automatically show in the Personal Address Book of Outlook as well as the Address Book of Outlook Express? AND can I add to the Address Book in Outlook Express and have it automatically show in the Outlook Contact list and the Outlook Personal Address Book? ETC.  

Answer
Outlook is more of a personal information manager, whil Outlook Express is basically an e-mail client. Outlook is WAY more powerful the OE.

In Oulook your contacts are maintained in the Contact folder, forget the Address books. The Contacts folder has more to it. You can import your OE address book into the Contacts folder, then use that exclusively.

Outlook 2003 also has much better spam protection for e-mail.

I'm not sure if you can automatically sync the OE address book and the contacts folder, but I'm not sure why you would want to. I use Outlook rather than OE on my systems.

HTH
Scott<>