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Get Outlook replacement Hiri for free

Normally $39 for a one-year license, this productivity-oriented email client is available for Windows and Mac. Plus: Battlefield 4 for under three bucks!

Rick Broida Senior Editor
Rick Broida is the author of numerous books and thousands of reviews, features and blog posts. He writes CNET's popular Cheapskate blog and co-hosts Protocol 1: A Travelers Podcast (about the TV show Travelers). He lives in Michigan, where he previously owned two escape rooms (chronicled in the ebook "I Was a Middle-Aged Zombie").
Rick Broida
2 min read

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Productivity-minded Hiri lets you turn any email into a to-do-list item.

Hiri

If you're a regular around here, you know very well that there are some great free replacements for Microsoft Office. LibreOffice, WPS Office... shall I go on?

Alas, none of these suites offer a replacement for Microsoft Outlook -- you merely get substitutes for Word, Excel and PowerPoint. That may be fine for some people, but anyone accustomed to using a desktop mail client may have a negative, well, outlook.

Thankfully, there are freebie options, two of the best being Em Client and Thunderbird. But the former limits you to two email accounts, while the latter has an interface only a developer could love.

Ready to try something different? For a limited time, SharewareOnSale has desktop mail client Hiri (for Windows and Mac) for free. That nets you a one-year license, updates and tech support included. Regular price: $39.

I must admit I don't know much about the product. Haven't used it, hadn't actually heard of it prior to today. But I definitely like some of the features, including the omnipresent task list and the ease of dragging emails to that list. I'm a big believer in using my inbox as a to-do manager.

Cooler still, the program aims to improve your productivity by sorting mail into two main groups: Those you need to read, and those that require action.

I wasn't able to find any hands-on reviews of Hiri, but it definitely seems to be designed more for business users and managers than everyday consumers -- though I see no reason why shouldn't try it if you fall into the latter category.

If you've used Hiri before or you decide to give it a try today, hit the comments and share your thoughts!

Bonus deal: Game time! If you love yourself some first-person battlefield action, and you've got a PC with a DVD-ROM drive, here's an old-school deal: Gamestop has Battlefield 4 (physical copy) for just $2.97. There's sales tax, of course, and shipping will run you $5.99 unless there's a store near you that has them in stock. Either way, it's a killer deal on one of the most popular titles in the Battlefield franchise.