Outlook for Mac vs. Mail

We switched to an Exchange mail server at work a couple of years ago. Initially, Mac Mail was supported by the IT folks, but now it’s no longer on the list of supported e-mail clients, and I have started having issues with Mail and the server. It has been suggested that I switch to Outlook for Mac.

There are certain features in Mail that I wonder if I will still have if I make the switch.

Can I configure Outlook to fetch mail from multiple accounts?

it looks Outlook has some integration with Calendar. In Mail, I love the ability to hover over a meeting date/time referenced in a message and add that to my calendar with a click. Does Outlook allow you to do that?

Does Outlook allow you to redirect messages? I used that function all the time before we switched to the Exchange server, after which I couldn’t do that in Mail.

Will Outlook integrate with Mac Contacts?

Is there anything else I should know about making the switch?

Outlook for Mac will fetch mail from multiple accounts.

I think “Sync Services” (which connects Outlook with Apple Contacts and Calendar) is deprecated. It might still work, but there’s no guarantee of future support and/or bug fixes.

Redirect messages? You mean like mail rules? Yup, and they’re compatible with your PC version, too.

I keep my Mac Outlook isolated from my Apple Mail. Outlook for work, and Apple Mail for everything else (and increasingly, using only the web front ends for personal mail).

By redirect, I mean the ability to send the message on to someone else without forwarding it, so the recipient gets it as though the message were sent directly to him/her. It cuts down tremendously on the number of times I have to say, “Dude, you just replied to me, not the person who sent the message.”

Using Outlook for Mac just for work mail is an excellent suggestion!