The Unofficial Guide to Outlook 2007 (Unofficial Guides) [Paperback]

Marc Orchant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0470045965 | ISBN-13: 978-0470045961 | Edition: 1

The inside scoop...for when you want more than the official line!

Microsoft Outlook 2007 is a major update and to use it with confidence you need to know its quirks and shortcuts. Find out what the manual doesn't always tell you in this insider's guide to using Outlook 2007 in the real world. What's the best way to use the new features? How can you avoid repetitive tasks? From setting up single-view calendaring to managing RSS feeds, first get the official way, then the best way from an expert.

Unbiased coverage of how to get the most out of Outlook, from the new user interface and To-Do bar to the improved Navigation Panel


Savvy, real-world advice from synchronizing Outlook with a PDA to using it with SharePoint(r) services and Business Contact Manager


Time-saving techniques and practical guidance on working around Outlook quirks, avoiding pitfalls, and increasing your productivity


Tips and hacks on turning e-mail messages into tasks, managing file attachments, and using Outlook to browse the Web


Sidebars and tables on keyboard shortcuts, why Outlook blocks certain file types, and working offline in Outlook

Watch for these graphic icons in every chapter to guide you to specific practicalinformation. Bright Ideas are smart innovations that will save you time or hassle. Hacks are insider tips and shortcuts that increase productivity. When you see Watch Out! heed the cautions or warnings to help you avoid commonpitfalls. And finally, check out Inside Scoops for practical insights from the author. It's like having your own expert at your side!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The inside scoop...for when you want more than the official line!

Microsoft Outlook 2007 is a major update and to use it with confidence you need to know its quirks and shortcuts. Find out what the manual doesn't always tell you in this insider's guide to using Outlook 2007 in the real world. What's the best way to use the new features? How can you avoid repetitive tasks? From setting up single-view calendaring to managing RSS feeds, first get the official way, then the best way from an expert.

Unbiased coverage of how to get the most out of Outlook, from the new user interface and To-Do bar to the improved Navigation Panel

Savvy, real-world advice from synchronizing Outlook with a PDA to using it with SharePoint® services and Business Contact Manager

Time-saving techniques and practical guidance on working around Outlook quirks, avoiding pitfalls, and increasing your productivity

Tips and hacks on turning e-mail messages into tasks, managing file attachments, and using Outlook to browse the Web

Sidebars and tables on keyboard shortcuts, why Outlook blocks certain file types, and working offline in Outlook

Watch for these graphic icons in every chapter to guide you to specific practicalinformation. Bright Ideas are smart innovations that will save you time or hassle. Hacks are insider tips and shortcuts that increase productivity. When you see Watch Out! heed the cautions or warnings to help you avoid commonpitfalls. And finally, check out Inside Scoops for practical insights from the author. It's like having your own expert at your side!

About the Author

Marc Orchant ( Albuquerque, NM) has been building, testing, and sometimes breaking hardware and software for 25 years. A recovering graphic designer, Marc is currently the Storyteller at VanDyke Software, a prolific blogger, co-host of The Tablet PC Show, a weekly podcast, and a self-admitted "productivity maven, gadget freak and software addict". Marc is the co-author (with Jeremy Wright) of two personal productivity training programs for Microsoft.

During the dot-com days Marc led the development and implementation of a web-based digital asset management system used by a number of major motion picture and television studios in Hollywood. He traveled the country as a Market Development Manager for Agfa Digital Printing Systems and has spoken at a number of conferences and seminars including Seybold San Francisco and XPlor International and contributed articles to a wide range of print and online outlets.

Product Details

• Paperback: 551 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (April 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470045965
• ISBN-13: 978-0470045961
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,097,998 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #80 in Books > Computers & Technology > Microsoft > Applications > Outlook

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No Contest: THE Best on OL2007, July 9, 2007

By 

P.Broadnax - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Unofficial Guide to Outlook 2007 (Unofficial Guides) (Paperback)

This text really is perfection, on so many levels. First, it's truly readable, from cover to cover: it's laid out well, and the text is presented in plain English, with explanations when tech terms can't be avoided. Second, unlike most books on the subject, you can tell that this one was written by an Outlokk user who's lived in the trenches, and is therefore quite familiar with the gotcha's lurking for the unwary. Makes sense, since Marc had been blogging about Outlook for years, simply as a hobby, prior to joining MS network of blogs. Third, while other texts present only a drive-by reference to add-ins, Marc not only informs as to the ones he's found most useful, he thoroughly explains the why. If you have Vista, he also tells you which add-ins were Vista-friendly at the time the book went to press, versus those which may be updated by the time you have the book in your hands. These are scattered throughout the text, appearing where most logical in the overall discussion. Fourth, Marc seems to be alone in taking concentrated time to explain the automation/transformation features of OL2007--- yes, most of us know we can drag and drop an email to the task bar to create a task. But, only Marc explains the different methods, and benefits of one method over another, in a friendly fashion I can quickly absorb/comprehend. Finally, when the day comes that you have a precise question about how to do something in OL2007, a quick flip through the back index will likely bring immediate relief.

In short, Marc's book remains, in my humble opinion, the best of the lot, simply because it tells me what I NEED to know, from a practical day-to-day basis of OL2007 usage, AND points me in the direction of good-to-know info, such as profoundly helpful and STABLE add-ins destined to make OL life soooo much more enjoyable.

Tip: Do yourself a huge favor: consider making two purchases, this text plus Michael Linenberger's "Total Workday Control Using Microsoft Outlook: The Eight Best Practices of Task and E-Mail Management". The latter, focusing on productivity, was written prior to Outlook 2007, but the author has updated the most critical chapter (set-up) on his website. Those details are provided in my review of Michael's book here at Amazon. (30 reviews, each 5 stars-- well earned!) Keep in mind: Amazon has a generous return policy. But, you'll likely reach my same conclusion: these two babies are the cream of the crop, without question, thus making them both sho 'nuff keepers!

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Everything but Tasks, June 2, 2008

By 

R. W. Meddles - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Unofficial Guide to Outlook 2007 (Unofficial Guides) (Paperback)

I got this book specifically to learn how to get the most out of the Tasks area of Outlook 2007.
While Calendar, Contacts and e-mail each are covered by their own chapter, not only is there no chapter for Tasks, but Tasks is not even listed in the index.
Had I been aware of this glaring omossion I never would have bothered with this book.