March 29, 2005 12:00 AM

Paul's Picks

Paul Thurrott

Windows IT Pro

InstantDoc ID #45606

Rating:

(0)

Microsoft Office Outlook Live

Contact: Microsoft * 800-426-9400
Web: http://www.microsoft.com
Price: $59.95 a year; $44.95 if ordered before April 19
Summary
Pros: Relatively inexpensive way to acquire Microsoft Office Outlook 2003; good way to access both work-based Microsoft Exchange Server email and home-based MSN Hotmail through one application
Cons: Calendar-sharing features are consumer oriented; no subscription access to a true Exchange account
Rating: 4 out of 5
Recommendation:
If you don't own Office or Outlook and want to access your work-based Exchange email from home, this subscription-based offering from Microsoft and MSN is a decent solution that provides a full version of Outlook for a reasonable price.
Full Review: http://www.winsupersite.com/article/reviews/microsoft-office-outlook-live-review.aspx

MSN Search

Contact: Microsoft * 800-426-9400
Web: http://www.microsoft.com
Price: Free
Summary
Pros: Provides unique features that Google doesn't offer, such as Near Me and Encarta-based answers to direct questions
Cons: Still a work in progress that will improve over time; search results aren't quite on par with Google
Rating: 4 out of 5
Recommendation:
Displacing Google's dominance in the Web search market will likely take years but the initial version of MSN Search, with its sophisticated and unique features, shows promise. Key among these features is an Encarta-based engine that answers direct questions and solves complex algebraic equations and a Near Me feature that delivers search results based on geographic proximity to your location. In the future, when it's tied to Global Positioning System (GPS) devices in computers, PDAs, and cars, this feature will become even more useful.
Full Review: http://www.winsupersite.com/article/reviews/msn-search.aspx

Paul's Picks

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