Microsoft Entourage

Last updated
Microsoft Entourage
Developer(s) Microsoft
Final release
2008 (12.3.6) (March 12, 2013;11 years ago (2013-03-12)) [±] [1]
Operating system Mac OS 8.5 and later
Type Email client
License Commercial proprietary software
Website www.microsoft.com/france/mac/entourage2004/   OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg

Microsoft Entourage is a discontinued e-mail client and personal information manager that was developed by Microsoft for Mac OS 8.5 and later. Microsoft first released Entourage in October 2000 as part of the Microsoft Office 2001 office suite; Office 98, the previous version of Microsoft Office for the classic Mac OS included Outlook Express 5. The last version was Entourage: Mac 2008, part of Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac, released on January 15, 2008. Entourage was replaced by Outlook for Macintosh in Microsoft Office for Mac 2011, released on October 26, 2010. [2]

Contents

Overview

My Day, a mini schedule My Day.png
My Day, a mini schedule

Entourage provided email, calendar, address book, task list, note list, and project manager functionality. With Entourage 2004, Microsoft began offering a Project Center, which allowed the user to create and organize projects. Information may come from within Entourage or outside the program. Entourage supported retrieving email using POP, IMAP, [3] and (for Microsoft Exchange servers) WebDAV. [4]

Entourage 2008 featured a new "My Day" utility, which assists in organizing one's day, and cites (in the welcome message) improvements to search speed, "to do" flags, improved junk mail and phishing protection, as well as quick navigation via favorites and customizable toolbars.

Features

Entourage supported some Mac OS technologies, like the Spotlight search engine and AppleScript; however, the use of a monolithic database made it difficult to back up incrementally with Time Machine. Entourage also maintained a separate address book, but allowed synchronization of contacts and calendar events through Sync Services. [5]

Comparison to Outlook

Unlike the other applications in the Mac version of the Microsoft Office suite, Entourage did not share a name with its Microsoft Windows counterpart. Microsoft claimed that Entourage was intended "to address an entirely different audience". [6] Entourage had its origins in Outlook Express 5 on the Mac, as well as Claris Emailer [7] and contained "no ported code, and no Office code". [8] Nevertheless, Microsoft has positioned Entourage as a "similar" product for Macintosh customers on Exchange servers. [9]

As a client for Microsoft Exchange

Entourage had included support for Microsoft Exchange servers since August 4, 2003, when the Exchange Update for Entourage X was released. This early release required the use of IMAP for mail connectivity and WebDAV for address and calendar functionality. (Subsequent versions have dropped the requirement for IMAP and rely solely on WebDAV.) Users complained of the lack of a variety of functions present in Outlook for Windows and Outlook 2001. [10]

Subsequent versions of Entourage added some of the missing functionality. However, full parity with Outlook as an Exchange client was never available in Entourage 2008. [11] Synchronization of tasks and notes with an Exchange server was not available. Many Exchange users have been vocal [12] in denouncing Microsoft's omission of these features. [13] Microsoft claimed to have prioritized "reliability" over expanded Exchange support in Entourage 2008. [14]

One major shortcoming of Entourage was its inability to handle complex HTML. While messages could be received and viewed correctly, they could not be forwarded without all formatting being stripped out. As an example, an airline confirmation received from, say, Imaginary Airlines, could not be forwarded without all of the pictorial information being reduced to links, rendering the e-mail unreadable. A workaround for this was to choose "Forward as attachment" which forwarded the message as a message/rfc822 file, and preserved complex HTML formatting.

An additional limitation was the inability to attach what is referred to as an "Item" in Outlook to a message while it was being composed since there was no menu choice to allow this. Instead, a user needed to find the item to be forwarded, i.e., a Contact, select it, then choose Forward as vCard from the menu.

It was also not possible to create or manage server side rules on the Exchange server, so filtering only worked when the Entourage application was running.

Limitations

Entourage could not natively read Outlook Personal Folder files and could not read Outlook archived emails without first re-importing them back into the main Windows Outlook database. [15] As a result, it was impossible to directly transfer email data from Outlook (Windows) into Entourage (Mac).

Although Microsoft had released a PST Import Tool for Entourage, [16] this did not directly solve the problem of exporting data from Windows to Mac, because this utility could only import PST files from Outlook 2001 for the Mac.

One could import a Windows Outlook 2000 compatible PST to Mac Outlook 2001, and then use the utility to import into Entourage. To address this, Microsoft made Mac Outlook 2001 available for free download.

This wasn't a solution for all Mac users, because Outlook 2001 only runs in the Classic Environment, which cannot run in OS 10.5 or on any Intel Macs. Outlook for Office 2011 for Intel Macs, is able to import Outlook .pst files from Windows; [17] [18] however, data will be stored as many individual files, rather than in a single database such as .pst or the Entourage database.

Macworld indicates that Windows Outlook messages can be transferred to Apple Mail or Entourage by using Mozilla Thunderbird as an intermediate agent. Thunderbird on Windows is used to import the mail from Outlook. Then the converted mail file is moved from the Windows Thunderbird directory to the Mac and the import feature is used on Mac Mail or Entourage. [19] However, message attachments will be lost in the conversion to Thunderbird.[ citation needed ]

Commercial third-party software (e.g. Emailchemy) [20] is available to facilitate the transfer of Outlook data to Entourage. But those using the mbox format will not be able to respect any subfolder hierarchy since the mbox format doesn't support it.

Other alternative solutions include synchronizing: to an iPod Touch or iPhone through iTunes; using Apple MobileMe service; using an IMAP-enabled email provider; using a Microsoft Exchange server. [21]

Version history

See also

Related Research Articles

In computing, the Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP) is an Internet standard protocol used by email clients to retrieve email messages from a mail server over a TCP/IP connection. IMAP is defined by RFC 9051.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GNOME Evolution</span> Personal information manager software and workgroup information management tool for GNOME

GNOME Evolution is the official personal information manager for GNOME. It has been an official part of GNOME since Evolution 2.0 was included with the GNOME 2.8 release in September 2004. It combines e-mail, address book, calendar, task list and note-taking features. Its user interface and functionality is similar to Microsoft Outlook. Evolution is free software licensed under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microsoft Outlook</span> Email and calendaring software

Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager software system from Microsoft, available as a part of the Microsoft 365 software suites. Though primarily being popular as an email client for businesses, Outlook also includes functions such as calendaring, task managing, contact managing, note-taking, journal logging, web browsing, and RSS news aggregation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outlook Express</span> Microsoft e-mail client software

Outlook Express, formerly known as Microsoft Internet Mail and News, is a discontinued email and news client included with Internet Explorer versions 3.0 through 6.0. As such, it was bundled with several versions of Microsoft Windows, from Windows 98 to Windows Server 2003, and was available for Windows 3.x, Windows NT 3.51, Windows 95, Mac System 7, Mac OS 8, and Mac OS 9. In Windows Vista, Outlook Express was superseded by Windows Mail.

Microsoft Exchange Server is a mail server and calendaring server developed by Microsoft. It runs exclusively on Windows Server operating systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pegasus Mail</span> Proprietary email client

Pegasus Mail is a proprietary email client for Microsoft Windows. It was originally released in 1990 on NetWare networks with MS-DOS and later Apple Macintosh clients, before being ported to Windows which is now the only platform actively supported. Since its inception it has been developed by David Harris and is donationware after having previously been freeware.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SquirrelMail</span> Software project

SquirrelMail is a project that aims to provide both a web-based email client and a proxy server for the IMAP protocol.

In computing, a Personal Storage Table (.pst) is an open proprietary file format used to store copies of messages, calendar events, and other items within Microsoft software such as Microsoft Exchange Client, Windows Messaging, and Microsoft Outlook. The open format is controlled by Microsoft who provide free specifications and free irrevocable technology licensing.

The following tables compare general and technical features of notable email client programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microsoft Mail</span> Several Microsoft email products

Microsoft Mail was the name given to several early Microsoft e-mail products for local area networks, primarily two architectures: one for Macintosh networks, and one for PC architecture-based LANs. All were eventually replaced by the Exchange and Outlook product lines.

Push email is an email system that provides an always-on capability, in which when new email arrives at the mail delivery agent (MDA), it is immediately, actively transferred (pushed) by the MDA to the mail user agent (MUA), also called the email client, so that the end-user can see incoming email immediately. This is in contrast with systems that check for new incoming mail every so often, on a schedule. Email clients include smartphones and, less strictly, IMAP personal computer mail applications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windows Address Book</span> Address book application used in Windows XP and before.

Windows Address Book was a component of Microsoft Windows that lets users keep a single list of contacts that can be shared by multiple programs. It is most commonly used by Outlook Express. It was introduced with Internet Explorer 3 in 1996 and improved in subsequent versions. The Windows Address Book API can query LDAP servers or read/write data to a local .wab file. In Windows Vista, Windows Address Book was replaced with Windows Contacts.

Microsoft Schedule+ is a discontinued time management app developed by Microsoft. It was included by Microsoft in the Microsoft Office productivity suite since the Office 95 version. Since the Office 97 version, most of its functionality was incorporated into the Outlook 97 program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windows Messaging</span> Windows email client

Windows Messaging, initially called Microsoft Exchange Client, is an email client that was included with Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windows Live Mail</span> Email client, electronic calendar and newsreader, developed by Microsoft

Windows Live Mail is a discontinued freeware email client from Microsoft. It was the successor to Windows Mail in Windows Vista, which was the successor to Outlook Express in Windows XP and Windows 98. Windows Live Mail is designed to run on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, but is also compatible with Windows 8 and Windows 10, even though Microsoft bundles a new email client, named Windows Mail, with the latter. In addition to email, Windows Live Mail also features a calendar, an RSS feed reader, and a Usenet newsreader.

Ipswitch IMail Server is an email server application with groupware functionality that runs on Microsoft Windows OS. It was developed in 1994 by Ipswitch, Inc., a software company based in Lexington, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microsoft Office for Mac 2011</span> Version of Microsoft Office for Mac released in 2011

Microsoft Office for Mac 2011 is a version of the Microsoft Office productivity suite for macOS. It is the successor to Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac and is comparable to Office 2010 for Windows. Office 2011 was followed by Microsoft Office 2016 for Mac released on July 9, 2015, requiring a Mac with an x64 Intel processor and OS X Yosemite or later. Office for Mac 2011 is no longer supported as of October 10, 2017. Support for Lync for Mac 2011 ended on October 9, 2018.

eM Client Desktop email client for Windows and Mac

eM Client is a desktop email client for Windows and macOS. Its functions include sending and receiving email, managing calendars, tasks, contacts, notes, and chat. It was originally released in 2007 and still receives regular updates as of May 2024. Versions for Android and iOS were released in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mail (Windows)</span> Conflation of two applications developed by Microsoft

Mail is an email client developed by Microsoft and included in Windows Vista and later versions of Windows. It is available as the successor to Outlook Express, which was either included with, or released for Internet Explorer 3.0 and later versions of Internet Explorer. It is set to be replaced by Outlook for Windows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hiri (email client)</span>

Hiri was a business focused desktop e-mail client for sending and receiving e-mails, managing calendars, contacts, and tasks. It was developed as an alternative to existing e-mail clients and calendar applications such as Microsoft Outlook and Mozilla Thunderbird.

References

  1. ↑ "Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Service Pack 1 (12.1.0)". Microsoft.com. 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  2. ↑ Fried, Ina (2009-08-13). "Next Mac Office, due by 2010's end, gets Outlook". CNet News.
  3. ↑ "Accounts". Microsoft MVPs: The Entourage Help Page. 2008-08-21. Archived from the original on 2005-12-18. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  4. ↑ "FAQs for Exchange 2004". Microsoft: The Entourage Help Page. 2008-08-17. Archived from the original on 2005-12-19. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  5. ↑ Negrino, Tom (2008-01-21). "Microsoft Entourage 2008 - Superior depth of features bests Apple competitor". Macworld . Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  6. ↑ Bintener, Michel (2008-08-17). "Entourage is not Outlook". Microsoft: The Entourage Help Page. Archived from the original on 2008-11-07. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  7. ↑ Ross, Dianne (2007-05-20). "In the Beginning". Microsoft: The Entourage help Page. Archived from the original on 2008-06-24. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  8. ↑ Shahine, Omar (2004-04-04). "Entourage: A journey to becoming an Office application". MSDN Blogs. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  9. ↑ "Working with Exchange Server". Microsoft. 2004-08-04. Archived from the original on 2005-02-07. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  10. ↑ "Using Entourage with Exchange Server Special Report". MacWindows.com. 2003-08-06. Archived from the original on 2008-10-11. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  11. ↑ Welch, John C. (2008-01-21). "How Entourage 2008 fares with Exchange - Update improves Mac-Exchange relationship, though some features still undone". Macworld . Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  12. ↑ Smith, William M. (2008-01-17). "Prioritize your Exchange Needs!". Archived from the original on 2010-09-23. Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  13. ↑ Flynn, David (2008-01-17). "Office 2008 for Mac fails to deliver full Exchange support". APC Magazine . Retrieved 2008-08-26.[ permanent dead link ]
  14. ↑ Keizer, Gregg (2008-01-14). "In Mac Office 2008, reliability trumps Exchange support". Computerworld UK . Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  15. ↑ "Microsoft Office Help & How-To's | Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook Help". Microsoft.com. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
  16. ↑ "Download PST Import Tool for Entourage from Official Microsoft Download Center". microsoft.com. Microsoft.
  17. ↑ "Introducing Office for Mac 2011: The Quintessential Teammate". Microsoft.com. Archived from the original on 2010-07-22. Retrieved 2010-07-09. Alt URL
  18. ↑ Kyle, Peter. "temp mail" . Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  19. ↑ Breen, Christopher (2008-04-30). "Evade E-mail Exasperation - You've got e-mail problems. We've got answers". Macworld . Retrieved 2008-08-26.
  20. ↑ Weird Kid Software LLC. "Emailchemy - Convert, Export, Import, Migrate, Manage and Archive all your Email". weirdkid.com.
  21. ↑ "Convert Mail from Windows to Mac". Entourage.mvps.org. 2013-04-16. Archived from the original on 2010-02-08. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
  22. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-03-04. Retrieved 2009-02-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  23. ↑ "Microsoft Office for Mac | Office For Mac". Microsoft.com. Retrieved 2013-06-15.
  24. ↑ "Download Microsoft Entourage 2008 for Mac, Web Services Edition from Official Microsoft Download Center". microsoft.com. Microsoft. Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2011-07-22.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.