Outlook 2011 review: Beyond Entourage, not quite Outlook for Windows

TUAW dives into Microsoft Office 2011 with reviews of the apps that make up the suite.

The legend lives on, in somewhat different form. The last time there was a version of Outlook for the Mac, it was Outlook 2001, it ran on Mac OS 9, and it only spoke MAPI (the legacy Exchange mail protocol). It lived alongside Office 2001, which already included Entourage for POP mail and contact/calendar management, so the writing was on the wall.

Once Mac OS X came along, Microsoft settled on Entourage as the new Mac personal information management app, and Outlook was long thought to be dead on the platform — until now. Is it a worthwhile part of the 2011 package, or does Apple’s Exchange 2007 support in Snow Leopard’s built-in apps match up well? Let’s discuss.

First things first: Outlook 2011 is not actually Outlook as you know, “love,” and use it on various flavors of Windows. It is essentially an upgraded and revamped version of Entourage 2008, but it’s polished up with some changes that will make some workflows smoother. I have been using it as my primary email client at my day job, and so far it hasn’t had the random fits Entourage was known for. Another thing to note is the difference in editions — if you buy the Home & Student Edition of Office 2011, you won’t even get Outlook. You have to buy Home & Business or the Enterprise corporate edition of Office to get Outlook at all, so if your focus is a shiny new email client, it will cost you (or your employer).

Click “Read More” to see the new features in this resurrected app for the Macintosh.

Gallery: Outlook 2011 Gallery