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Greetings! Welcome to Vol. 2, No. 12 of Exchange Messaging Outlook, an occasional newsletter about Microsoft Exchange, Windows Messaging and Microsoft Outlook, both for users of Windows 95 and NT 4.0 and for organizations using Microsoft Exchange Server. Today's highlights:
Regular features: The Microsoft Outlook E-mail and Fax Guide My New Year began with excitement -- the release of my new book, The Microsoft Outlook E-mail and Fax Guide, published by Duke Press. This volume covers all the features through Outlook 8.03, the latest released version, shipping with Exchange Server 5.5. If you've wanted help in understanding profiles, RTF, Rules Wizard, IMEP, Exchange Server security and other topics not covered in detail in the starter Outlook books, this belongs on your shelf. It's also a key reference for any help desk supporting Outlook users. You can order The Microsoft Outlook E-mail and Fax Guide through our online bookstore at http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/exchbstr-ol.htm or get it your local bookstore to stock it (ISBN 1-882419-82-0). Check out the dozens of other Outlook and Exchange books while you're there; the first of the MSCE study guides for Exchange is now available with more to come. For the rest of this month, you can get a $10 rebate on most computer titles from Macmillan imprints such as Que, SAMS and New Riders. This includes many of the best Microsoft Exchange and Outlook books. Eligible titles are marked in the Exchange Center Bookstore pages, beginning at http://www.slipstick.com/exchbstr.htm. This is a bargain opportunity you don't want to miss! Easy custom templates for Exchange and Outlook As many add-ons as I test, very few actually make it into daily use on my system. Deming Preview was one; Chilton Preview another. Now I'm adding Exchange Templates from http://www.nsoftware.com/et.htm. This is one application I wanted so badly that I almost wrote something myself to do the job. ET adds commands to the Compose menu that allow you to launch new messages, replies and forwards using not just boilerplate text, but "template elements." For example, this text from the Phone Message template: I just received a call for you from &input.Caller_Name; (¤t_time;) creates a new message, pops up an input box where you can type the name of the caller, then stamps the current date and time. The & fields are the template elements. There are 20 you can use to build your own templates or adapt those included with the program. Beta 1 of this new add-on is free for use with a single profile. Buried on Microsoft's web site is crucial information if you're trying to evaluate Outlook 98. The Outlook 98 Design Goals document (http://www.microsoft.com/outlook/documents/out98dg/default.htm) explains some of the thinking behind OL98. The Features and Configuration Guide (http://www.microsoft.com/outlook/documents/out98fg/default.htm) includes a chart to show the two faces of OL98 -- Internet Mail Only and Corporate/Workgroup modes. If you're wondering why certain features don't work in one mode or another, this chart should help explain why. Prompted by several recent messages on the newsgroups, I cracked open the Office 97 Resource Kit to investigate how autosignatures in WordMail work. It's really pretty simple. The autosignature is an AutoText entry named "SIGNATURE" normally stored in the Normal.dot template. At least that's where it goes if you use the Tools | AutoSignature command that appears on Word 97. That command actually launches a macro to create the SIGNATURE AutoText entry. However, if you open a new WordMail message, then create the AutoText entry by hand, going through the Insert | AutoText | AutoText dialog to add it, you can choose to store it in your current WordMail template (for example, Email.dot). This AutoSignature will be used instead of the one in Normal.dot. In essence, you can use a different SIGNATURE AutoText entry in each e-mail template you have. Back in November, we wrote about the Microsoft Network's migration to new POP3/SMTP servers. Now it's CompuServe's turn. You'll find complete instructions at http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/csipop3.htm. The good news is that you'll be able to use any Exchange or Outlook version, unlike MSN, which requires members with MSN 2.5 to use either Outlook 97/IMEP or Outlook Express. IMPORTANT: If you have upgraded and are now using the new POP3 server for your CompuServe mail, please send your new and old addresses to emo@slipstick.com so we can update your subscription informationg. New Exchange Administrator newsletter Duke Communications (publisher of my Outlook and Exchange books and of Windows NT Magazine) is launching the Windows NT Magazine Exchange Administrator Newsletter in March. Each monthly issue will include tips and essentials for taking care of Exchange Server and its users. I'll be writing a regular Q&A column on Microsoft Outlook. For more information and to subscribe, see http://www.winntmag.com/Exchange/. Sometimes you hear about a cool utility or site, but it moves before you can catch up with it. We're happy to report on the new whereabouts of several much-requested items:
Search the Slipstick Systems Exchange Center at http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/search.htm. Get the answers from the Microsoft Exchange, Windows Messaging and Microsoft Outlook FAQs at http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/faqs.htm. The Microsoft Outlook FAQ has a Table of Contents at http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/outlfaq.htm to help you find answers faster. New and updated items are at the bottom of the page. Ask new questions and provide other feedback for the Slipstick Systems Exchange Center FAQs at http://www.slipstick.com/exchange/faqfdbk.htm.
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