Jim Boyce - Microsoft Outlook 2013 Plain & Simple

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Your computer probably came with Outlook preinstalled, but if you have to install it yourself, the Setup Wizard makes installation so simple that you wont need my help anyway. So, unlike many computer books, this one doesnt start with installation instructions and a list of system requirements.

You dont have to read the sections of this book in any particular order. You can jump in, get the information you need, and then close the book and keep it near your computer until the next time you need to know how to get something done. But, that doesnt mean the information is scattered wildly about. The book is organized so that the tasks you want to accomplish are arranged in two levelsyoull find the overall type of task youre looking for under a main section title, such as , and so on. Then, in each of those sections, smaller tasks are arranged in a loose progression from the simplest to the more complex.

gives you a good idea of whats new.

, introduces you to Outlook functions; it explains how to start and exit the program, work with the Outlook program window, and use the standard set of folders in Outlook. You also learn how to set up email accounts, import data into Outlook from other programs, and work with items such as email messages, contacts, and appointments. Information about how to get help and troubleshoot problems rounds out the section.

covers several topics about receiving and reading email and helps you manage, filter, and follow up on messages.

Keeping track of your contacts addresses, phone numbers, and other information is one of the main uses for Outlook, and , acquaints you with this feature, which in previous versions of Outlook was referred to as the Contacts folder. You learn how to add social networking accounts such as Facebook and LinkedIn to Outlook. You also learn how to add new contacts, view and change contacts, and find a particular person. The section also explains how to organize contacts, schedule meetings for a contact, and communicate with people through the Contacts folder. The section finishes with a look at how to share contacts with others, keep track of phone calls, and associate contacts with items such as tasks.

, covers the Calendar folder and how to view your schedule, add appointments and meetings, associate files or other items with schedule items, and work with reminders. You also learn how to share your calendar, print calendars, and use the To-Do Bar to keep track of your tasks without leaving the Calendar folder.

s coverage of tasks and explains how to use the Tasks folder. You can assign tasks to yourself or to others, associate contacts and other items with tasks, and mark tasks as complete.

, covers the mobile features of Outlook 2013, such as setting up alerts to your mobile device for calendar events, messages, and voice mail.

also looks at the presence features in Outlook that help you see when others are online.

, explores the integration between Outlook and Microsoft Lync. Here you learn how to join a Lync meeting from Outlook, create new Lync (online) meetings, and set online meeting options. The section also explores other that ways you can communicate with colleagues through Outlook and Lync, including instant messaging and voice calls.

, helps you start to organize the data you keep in Outlook. Here you learn to create categories and organize Outlook items with categories, create and manage folders, delete items, and automatically move items out of your regular Outlook storage file and into an archive file. Archiving keeps your Outlook data file lean while still letting you hang on to important messages.

, helps you work with and manage the files in which Outlook stores your data. You learn to create new data files, import and export items in Outlook, and back up and restore your Outlook data file.

Outlook offers a wealth of options that you can use to change the way the program looks and works, and , shows you how to set options for each of the Outlook folders and item types. The section also explains how to customize the Outlook folder pane, ribbon, and Quick Access Toolbar.

I had to make a few educated guesses about youmy audiencewhen I started writing this book. Perhaps your computer is solely for personal useemail, surfing the Internet, playing games, and so on. Possibly your work makes it possible for you to telecommute. Or, maybe you run a small home-based business. Taking all these possibilities into account, I assumed that you either use a stand-alone home computer or have two or more computers connected so that you can share files, a printer, and so on. I also assumed that you have an Internet connection.

Another assumption is thatinitially, anywayyou use Outlook just as it came, meaning that you use the standard views and standard menus rather than custom ones, and that you use your little friend, the mouse, in the traditional way: that is, you point and click to select an item and then double-click to open it. If you prefer using the mouse as if you are working on a webpagepointing to an item to select it and then opening it with a single clickyou can easily do so. To switch between single-click and double-click, open the Folder Options applet from the Control Panel. Use the Click Items As Follows controls to choose the method you prefer. However, because my working style is somewhat traditional, and because Outlook is set up to work in the traditional style, thats the style followed in the procedures and graphics throughout this book.