Navigating Windows Mail and Windows Live Mail
by Judy Engel
Microsoft's Vista Operating System comes with Windows Mail which builds on the foundation of Outlook Express, adding a variety of new features designed to make your e-mail experience more productive and fun, while helping to reduce risks and annoyances such as phishing and junk e-mail.
Windows Live Mail is a Web-based e-mail service from Microsoft that is available free or paid based on message storage capacity. It was formerly Hotmail or MSN Hotmail.
Let's start with Windows Mail: If you're upgrading from Outlook Express, Windows Mail can import your existing account information and e-mail addresses. The first time you start Windows Mail, you will be prompted to set up an e-mail account. If you skip this step and want to set up a new account later, click the Tools menu, click Accounts, and then click Add. The layout of the opening window is similar to Outlook Express.
You can change the look of your opening window by left clicking View on the Menu Bar, then choosing Layout. Here you can show or hide parts of the Windows Mail to suit your needs.
Adding People to your Windows Contacts: Open "Create Mail", then left click on the button that says TO: The window that opens has basic controls and is easy to understand. Left click on New Contact and fill in the information for the person you want to add to your Contacts. Another option to view the list of your contacts is to left click on Tools in the Menu Bar and choose Windows Contacts. You may also add or delete contacts in this window. To remove a contact, right click on the name and choose delete from the dropdown menu.
Sending E-mails: Click on "Create Mail" and the New Message window will appear. Click on TO, click the name of the recipient chosen from your list of recipients, then indicate whether the recipient is to be placed in TO, CC, or BCC. After you are done, click OK. If you are sending the same e-mail to several people, place all addresses in the BCC line. This step will prevent everyone's e-mail address from showing in the text box when the e-mail is viewed.
To complete your email, fill in the Subject line. Place your cursor in the Text Box. This will activate the Formatting line enabling you to choose the font, etc. Apply stationery by left clicking on Format, then Apply Stationery. Inserting pictures is easy with Windows Mail. Left click on the Insert Picture icon on the formatting bar or left click on Insert in the Menu Bar. Follow the instructions.
When you receive an e-mail and wish to reply, you simply left click on Reply at the top of the message. The sender's address will automatically appear in the TO line. Type your reply in the text box and click on Send.
To forward a message to another person, left click on Forward at the top of the message. Put the recipient's e-mail address in the TO line. Use the same rule given above for multiple recipients. Eliminate unwanted addresses in the text by selecting (highlighting) them, releasing the mouse, and hitting the space bar. This will give you a nice clean-looking e-mail.
Now let's discuss Windows Live Mail:
The Inbox for Windows Live Mail is slightly different with more default folders including the Quick View of unread messages. To change the look of the Inbox you may left click on View in the Menu Bar. This will give you the option available.
Another difference is the availability of quick links to Contacts (your address book), RSS feeds, Newsgroups and Instant Messenger. These links are located in the left pane just below your folders.
Adding people to your Contacts is simple. Left click on Contacts in the left pane of the Inbox. This will bring up a window with a list of your contacts. You may now add, delete, edit or import contacts. To edit or delete a contact, left click on the name then left click Edit or Delete on the Tool Bar. You may also change the layout of your address book by left clicking on View on the Tool Bar.
Sending an e-mail with Windows Live Mail is done the same way as described above for Windows Mail. There are a few differences in the look of the New Message Window in that the Formatting Bar has simple icons to indicate tasks including adding stationery. The Add Photos icon is located on the left side of the formatting bar.
To forward or reply with Windows Live Mail, the steps will be the same as described above for Windows Mail. Remember to eliminate unwanted addresses in the text box before sending your message.
In closing, I would recommend that you experiment with the Menu Bar and the Tool Bar to see what options are available to you. Enjoy!
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