Identifying new features of Outlook 2013

Outlook 2013 builds on previous versions to provide powerful information-management and communication tools. If you’re upgrading to Outlook 2013 from a previous version, you’re probably most interested in the differences between the old and new versions and how they will affect you, and want to find out about them in the quickest possible way. In this section, we discuss features that are new in Outlook 2013 or have been removed from this version of Outlook.

Significant changes have been made from previous versions of Outlook. If you’re upgrading from Outlook 2007 or Outlook 2003, you might find that some of the changes take a bit of getting used to — particularly the global incorporation of user interface elements such as the ribbon and the Quick Access Toolbar, and the movement of program-management functionality to the Backstage view. These elements have been carefully designed to provide intuitive access to tools and commands; however, you do have many options for personalizing your Outlook 2013 working environment to suit your preferences.

If you are upgrading from Outlook 2010, you will encounter the following new features in Outlook 2013:

• Simplified user interface. Outlook 2013 has a sleek new look with subtle coloring and simplified iconography.
• Folder Pane. The Folder Pane (formerly called the Navigation Pane) is now dedicated to the display of account folder structures, and no longer contains the module navigation links.
• Navigation Bar. Outlook module links have moved from the former Navigation Pane to a separate Navigation Bar in the lower-left corner of the program window. The standard Navigation Bar contains text links and the compact Navigation Bar, which is on by default, contains only module buttons.
• Message list functionality. It’s now easier to manage messages directly from the message list. The default view displays the message subject, sender, and first line of content of each message. Many message status and content indicators and response options are available from the message list and from the Reading Pane. You can easily display only new messages by clicking the Unread button at the top of the message list.
• Inline replies. By default, message responses are drafted directly in the Reading Pane so you don’t have to manage an extra message window. If you prefer to work in a separate window, you can “pop out” the response draft.
• Module preview. You can quickly peek at current information in the Calendar, People, or Tasks module by pointing to the module link or button on the Navigation Bar. You can pin these module “peeks” to the To-Do Bar.
• Multiple-source contact information. In the new People Card view, a single contact record can display contact information about a person from multiple sources, including Outlook, Microsoft Lync, and social networks such as LinkedIn. You can initiate many types of interactions with a person directly from the contact card.
• Site mailbox connections. If your organization uses shared site mailboxes on a SharePoint 2013 site, you can access messages and documents in site mailboxes of which you are a member directly from the Outlook Folder Pane.
• Exchange ActiveSync support. You can connect to email accounts that support ActiveSync, such as a Windows Live Hotmail or Outlook.com account, without installing additional software. Then you can synchronize information such as Hotmail tasks with Outlook so that you can easily work with your business and personal accounts from one location.
• Weather Bar. With this fun new addition to Outlook, you can display current weather conditions in the Calendar module. You can add multiple locations to the Weather Bar and easily display the current conditions for a location by selecting it from a list.

As is always the case with developing technologies, some features that were available in previous versions of Outlook are now redundant due to technological or procedural changes. Of these, features that we have discussed in earlier editions of this book and that have been modified include the Notes and Journal features. If you used these features in previous versions of Outlook, here’s what you need to know:

• The Notes and Journal folders are still available in the Folder List, and the Notes module is available from the Navigation Bar.
• Notes and Journal options are not available in the Outlook Options dialog box.
• The automatic journaling functionality has been disabled. You can create Journal entries, but only manually.
• You can create new notes, but only with the default color and font settings.

The following table describes other features that have been discontinued or modified in Outlook 2013.

Feature	Description
Data files	Outlook 2013 does not support the creation of Outlook 97-2002 Data Files (.pst files). If you upgrade to Outlook 2013, existing .pst files are available from the Folder Pane. New Exchange Server account items are delivered to an offline Outlook Data File (.ost file). Cached Exchange Mode is on by default.
Importing and exporting	Options for importing Internet email account settings, messages, and addresses are discontinued. Options for exporting Outlook data as tab-separated values and directly to Microsoft Access and Excel are no longer supported.
Dial-up networking support	Outlook 2013 uses the network connections configured in Windows; it is not necessary to separately configure a dial-up connection in Outlook.
Exchange Server classic offline mode	This feature is discontinued. Exchange Server accounts can be used online or in Cached Exchange Mode.
Exchange Server Download Headers And Then Full Items mode	This feature has been discontinued. After you upgrade to Outlook 2013, if you had this option selected, it is automatically changed to Download Full Items