Outlook vs Mail Windows 8 w/Office Home and Student

[jlockley]

Having a little trouble setting up a new Lenovo with Windows 8. Aside from the fact that Microsoft has determined that everything I do is on the web and offers a screen full of "apps" (What happened to programs) I can't use with the assumption that I will always be connected (I won't) I cannot get to Outlook (and I am sure other programs..Is Outlook still a program?) although Office Home and Student is pre installed (and I have the disk). Instead there is mail which wants me to have a Windows account (I don't, at least not for these purposes) and sign in.
Can anyone tell me how to get to Outlook? I can reload Outlook 10 onto a thumb drive and (re?) install it, but I have outlook 10, and the drive is only about 250 GB, so I need to avoid redundancy. Is there a way to find it in the programs? Is there a way to find the existing Office programs (apps?) on the drive and add them to the desktop?

I would appreciate input very much. I realize this is a little basic.

 

[guitarzan]

I think if you just start typing on the "tiled" (metro) screen, it brings up the search feature where you can find apps (programs), and then you can right-click on them and pin them to the taskbar, so you can get to them easily in Desktop mode.

Office Home and Student edition includes only Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and OneNote. Outlook is included in "Home & Business" and higher.

 

[goombawaho]

I would get a start menu replacement program for Windows 8 to avoid aggravation. StartIsBack is the one that I like.

Of course, it won't help you start programs that are NOT on your computer. Instead of paying for Outlook, what about Thunderbird. I use that.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[xwb]

If you just want a mail client and do not have any special VBA macros, Thunderbird is quite good.

 

[linney]

This is my standard guide to those new to Windows 8 or 8.1. Do with it whatever you wish.










Try using Windows 8 as near as possible to Windows 7 by using the Desktop App and running it like Windows 7 Desktop minus the Start Menu and Button. You can even get third party programs that will make it look and feel like Windows 7 but I don't bother with, or recommend, such programs.





The easiest thing to do is to place commonly used programs shortcuts on the Desktop via creating Shortcuts to those programs.






You can practice with the Apps later as you gain confidence. Right-click on the App's Tile to see various options available beside running the App.






I use my Windows 8 the same way I used Windows 7 and other earlier operating systems, the Apps are something I play with when I'm bored. I install all my own programs that I want to run in Windows 8, things like Office, Win Zip, Games, and other common programs etc. and launch from shortcuts on the Desktop.






It will help you to see this .pdf document too.






Virtually Every Windows 8 Shortcut Available (well so far...).pdf

http://blogs.technet.com/cfs-file.a...able-_2800_well-so-far_2E00__2E00_._2900_.pdf

Keyboard shortcuts

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/keyboard-shortcuts

When in any App, the Windows Key + i will give you all the options available to the opened App. Close any App by dragging (the top of it) down to the bottom of the screen, or try Alt + F4. Windows 8.1 has an X to cliick on.

 

[goombawaho]

I don't bother with, or recommend, such programs.

I'm an IT guy and I can't function in Windows 8 without one. I get a twitch from the stress.

What's

with

all

the

extra

spaces?

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[linney]

That is a pro forma post that I regularly use in the Microsoft Answers Forum. Without the spacing there is no spacing at all when posting in that Forum (using IE).


I have gone from XP, Vista, Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and now Windows 10, and have never really been inconvenienced by the changes between operating systems. I have even got used to having no Start Menu since Windows 7 and don't really miss it.

 

[goombawaho]

Well, good for you. My sanity depends on the START menu.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[AtlasRichard]

the search feature makes you not care about having a start menu, as long as you can remember the name of what you're looking for. My only issues with 8.1 is the Apps are useless, slow, and not very convenient for the user. I have the outlook app and program installed, I could never see a way i would use the app over the program.

Richard Pisarski
Web Specialist

http://www.AtlasPhones.com

 

[audiopro]

Beware of those who try to convince you that the problem with WIN8 is you!

I have seen Linney's guide to what you are doing wrong (and why are you so stupid) before and I am still not persuaded away from my initial thoughts that the Fisher Price GUI in WIN8 is simply Microsoft's arrogant attitude that they know how we should be working better than we do.

I have to disagree with the fact that the start menu is the basis of a good OS but please, Mr. Microsoft, don't think that you can change the GUI to that of a rather childish looking mobile phone screen and think that I won't be ragged off by the fact that your user friendly progress is working in reverse for desktop users.

Your attempt at 1 OS fits all simply means that your GUI isn't ideal for anybody except perhaps gramps and grandma who want to play battleships and check on the weather occasionally.



Keith

http://www.studiosoft.co.uk

 

[goombawaho]

Excellent summary of my feelings on the matter. I think we hijacked this thread though.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[SkipVought]

Hey, here's a gramps, nearly to the second power, that totally eschews the Mr. Microsoft childish looking mobile phone screen (and oh yes, I carry an iPhone with lots of apps), but since getting my Dell with Windows 8, my favorite (and only) icon is the Desktop square in the lower left-hand corner of the startup mess. The rest of it is trash that I'druther b'gon!

Any pixie dust that'll make Sir William's incantations vanish?

 

[HughLerwill]

Skip - goom has already mentioned StartIsBack; I like Classic Start Menu. I haven't seen the startup mess since Xbox music ceased to be free!

 

[audiopro]

I don't have a need for the old start menu as the a right click on the bottom left of the taskbar gives me something similar.
I work via the desktop only have no use for any of the 'wonderful' installed apps or anything from the Microsoft Store.
If I need to find software to perform a specific task, I am intelligent enough to go and find what is available myself and evaluate it with regard to what is most suitable for my use. I have yet to find an App which is superior to any of the programs I use at the moment.
The only app I do use is the PDF reader which comes shipped with WIN8 but the only reason I use it is because it loads faster than the full acrobat suite when all I want to do is read a PDF file - horses for courses really.

We have hijacked this thread but the OP doesn't appear to have returned with any further queries.

Keith

http://www.studiosoft.co.uk

 

[Sympology]

I hate using XP / 7 now. Much of it makes now sense now.
Have a common used web page > Pin to start.
Want a run command / powershell? Right click on "start" button and there it is
Stick most used programs in the left hand side of start, hit windows key and bang there it is.
Need a little used program? just type the name. No more, now is it in Programmes, or accessories, ah, what was the vendor again....
It has it's flaws but I truly hate the old fashioned way of doing things.


Robert Wilensky:
We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.

http://alvechurchlounge.org.uk

 

[audiopro]

I have tried to use the Metro Screen on a day to day basis and find it just gets in the way.

I regularly use 6 or 7 different programs and regularly jump between them, the most efficient way of accessing them is via the taskbar on the desktop, IO have no use for the Metro screen or it's oversized links.

I don't have a problem with users who prefer the Metro screen as long as they stop telling me that my way of working is wrong.



Keith

http://www.studiosoft.co.uk

 

[goombawaho]

I would suppose there are two camps on Windows 8 - love it/hate it. And likely, nobody is going to convert. As I had said, if it had the regular start button/menu or a third party version installed, I would be perfectly happy with it.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[audiopro]

I could never say I hate WIN8 because there are some aspects of it which I like, I simply cannot be friends with the Metro Screen.
The idea that you have a page of links to all of your programs makes perfect sense and that was the thought process behind the original desktop.
To make this new launch screen incompatible with proper software, as opposed to gimmicky apps, makes no sense whatsoever.

Keith

http://www.studiosoft.co.uk

 

[Sympology]

I'd be interested to know if you use dual screens. The only reason I ask is I currently have 9 apps ops that I can flick between and to access the "start menu", I hit the windows key and not use the mouse. When you use dual screen of course you can pull up the "new" start while still having the "old" way open. I just wonder if people just work differently and that is the issue.
I do find the new layout annoying on a single screen, so I wonder if it is that.

Robert Wilensky:
We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.

http://alvechurchlounge.org.uk

 

[audiopro]

I have always worked on a single screen and up to WIN8 it hasn't been a problem.
From a pure design point of view, if you need 2 of something in order to do the work properly it is a poor design.
Imagine if you needed 2 different razors because the left hand one couldn't shave the right hand side of your face. I imagine that some designer would jump on this idea as a means of promoting the fact that you could shave twice as fast but of course, this would be offset by the amount of time that was spent mopping blood from the bathroom sink.

As I have said previously, the concept of the Metro Screen is great, where all your programs are accessible from a single screen, this would work if all we used were apps but unfortunately for many of us, we need to use programs with a lot more capability than basic apps.



Keith

http://www.studiosoft.co.uk