Converting from Outlook to Mac

[Wingnut330]

Hey folks,

I would like to move my .pst file from Outlook (XP / Office 2003) to my new MBA. I have approximately 8 years of mail stored in this file and am not sure what I'm up against when it comes to moving it over.

Do you folks have any suggestions for a mail program? How does iMail work vs Entourage? Any suggestions about an application and the actual moving/switching process would be greatly appreciated.

 

[elgrecomac]

Can be done but....

I had a similar situation when I bought my MBP last month. First of all, if you like outlook or just want a familiar face, get MS Entourage. it is better than outlook and the look/feel is similar. And Entourage is MUCH better than the native email client. I got a copy when I bought the MS office home edition 2008 for the Mac.

To the best of my knowledge there is no direct conversion from a pst file to Entourage or the native email client on OSX 10.5.2. So.... you'll need to buy a $10 piece of software for the pc called O2M . Google it and you’ll find it.



Not hard to use but a bit cumbersome…

 

[MisterMe]

...

I would like to move my .pst file from Outlook (XP / Office 2003) to my new MBA. I have approximately 8 years of mail stored in this file and am not sure what I'm up against when it comes to moving it over.

Do you folks have any suggestions for a mail program? How does iMail work vs Entourage? Any suggestions about an application and the actual moving/switching process would be greatly appreciated.

The MacOS X email client is Mail. IMail is a Windows-based mail server from Ipswitch, Inc. That said, Entourage far and away the worst app in the Office:mac suite. You should use it only if you have to access an Exchange server.

As for transferring data from Outlook to the Mac, you may look into O2M. I see no mention of .pst files. I understand that Mozilla's Thunderbird can be used as an intermediary to transfer files from Outlook to the Mac.

 

[Wingnut330]

The MacOS X email client is Mail. IMail is a Windows-based mail server from Ipswitch, Inc

Sorry Mister Me - I'm new to the Mac world an just assumed that since everything else started with an "i" so did the Mail program that came with the the Mac.

 

[hhaeschen]

I know what you're talkin about...

I recently switched to Mac as well and had to make the same decision as you do now.

First, you can transfer all your emails using Thunderbird, it's pretty easy and you'll find a wiki if you google for it.

Second, after using Outlook for almost six years I thought I'd give Apple Mail a try. After a couple of days I realized that I didn't need all that stuff that Outlook could do and Mail can't. My mails are now much better organized because I got used to simplify everything.
Although I do have Entourage on my Mac (it comes with MS Office '08) I haver never used it. I love Apple Mail. Steve would say: It's simple yet powerful!

 

[numlock]

You can do it by importing files from outlook into thunderbird (on windows) and then taking the mail files from thunderbird and importing them into mail.

Also you could try uploading them to an imap server (gmail for instance) and retrieve mail from the imap account in mail

 

[monkeycorn]

also can't decide between Mail and Entourage

I used to use Entourage and tried Mail when I got my new MacBook. Yes, it is simple, but it does lack some features. Or, at least, I haven't found them.

I like the previous/next buttons and other functions of Entourage, but Mail has the ability to add info from emails into Address Book or Calendar. Is there something that does both?

I guess the first question I need answered is which synchs better with Palm--can a Palm user recommend one over the other?

 

[AppleFan360]

I had about 10 years of e-mails in Outlook on my Windows machine and used O2M to transfer them to my iMac. It worked well.

 

[kuwisdelu]

You have Mac's Mail program, Mozilla's Thunderbird, and Entourage in the MS Office:Mac suite to choose from. MS Office is the only one that costs money. Personally I use Mac's built-in Mail client because I don't need anything more than what it offers. It is, indeed, simple yet powerful. I tried Thunderbird, and it wasn't as simple as Mail, but looked a little more function-rich, and many people like it. You can download a Windows version if you want to look at it before switching, too.

 

[Wingnut330]

Will O2M convert it to Outlook on the Mac or Mail on the Mac?

 

[MisterMe]

Will O2M convert it to Outlook on the Mac or Mail on the Mac?

The last version of Outlook for the Mac is Outlook 2001. It is a free app whose sole purpose is to allow MacOS 9 users to access Exchange servers. Microsoft's communications client for MacOS X is Entourage which is not file-compatible with any version of Outlook on any platform.