Macworld Expo: Microsoft Outlook Express and Internet Explorer 5.0

Microsoft announced Outlook Express and Internet Explorer 5.0. They won't be shipping until the fall, but they are worth the wait. Especially Outlook Express. Obviously, it's too early to know what bugs it may have when it ships, but based on its feature improvements, Outlook Express delivers a slam dunk. It will finally replace Emailer as my main email program. It now allows for the creation of folders and mail actions, comparable to what Emailer can do. You can export files much easier than with Emailer. Want to convert a folder of messages (stored in the new Express Emailer-like database) to separate text files? Just drag the folder to the desktop. It also has new features designed to make sure that attachments sent to PC users can be correctly opened and sports a new cool Junk Mail Filter. The contact database has been expanded to handle much more data, including up to 14 email addresses per person - but it only shows the fields that are not empty. There's much more that is new and great here. This has the potential to be a true killer app - and it's free.

Internet Explorer will have some new features as well - including an Auction Manager that allows you to track auction bidding (e.g., it can notify you every time some one has topped your last bid on an item) and improved Java support.

Finally, Microsoft announced Microsoft Word 98 Special Edition. It includes greeting card templates, clip art and Explorer/Outlook Express 4.5 in one package targeted for the home user. This product left me a bit flat; I'd still recommend AppleWorks for most home users. But with Outlook Express 5.0 coming, I was in a forgiving mood.