The following figure shows some ways you can connect to your e-mail account.

The following list offers more information about each method of connecting.

• Web browser   Use Outlook Web App and the light version of Outlook Web App with browsers like Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari.
  
• Internet e-mail programs   Use any program that supports IMAP4 or POP3, like Mozilla Thunderbird, Outlook Express, or Windows Live Mail.
  
• Outlook/Entourage   Use Microsoft Office through an Exchange account (Outlook 2007 or Entourage).
  
• Mobile phones with an Internet connection   You can connect using your Windows Mobile phone, Apple iPhone, or other Internet-capable mobile phone.
  
• Any phone   Use Outlook Voice Access with any phone to access your e-mail, calendar, and contacts.
  

The following table summarizes some differences you might want to consider before you choose the e-mail program you'll use to connect to your e-mail account.

E-mail program	Edit and view contacts, calendar items, tasks, and e-mail messages	Edit and view e-mail folders in addition to the Inbox	Listen to your voice mail	Access your information offline	Automatic setup	Accessibility for users who are blind or have low vision
Outlook Web App	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Not applicable	No
The light version of Outlook Web App	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Not applicable	Yes
Outlook 2007	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Entourage 2008, Web Services Edition	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Programs that use Exchange ActiveSync	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Some programs may support accessibility features.
Outlook Voice Access	Yes	Yes	Yes	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not available
Programs that use POP3	No	No	No	Yes	No	Some programs may support accessibility features.
Programs that use IMAP4	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	Some programs may support accessibility features.

You can access your e-mail account through a number of different Web browsers. You can use any computer that's connected to the Internet or to a local Intranet, whether you're at home, in the office, or on the road. You can view and edit e-mail messages, appointments and meetings, contacts, and tasks. You can also listen to your voice messages and read text messages. Some other things you can do with Outlook Web App include:

• Check your spelling
  
• Use a variety of fonts, colors, and sizes in your e-mail messages
  
• Group your e-mail messages in a variety of ways
  
• Be reminded of upcoming events
  

The light version of Outlook Web App contains some of the same features as Outlook Web App. The light version is designed to provide a blind and low vision experience and will run with any Web browser. Several features aren't available in the light version, including:

• Reminders
  
• Viewing your calendar one week at a time
  
• Changing your voice mail options
  
• Changing the color scheme
  

Browser versions to use with Outlook Web App

To use Outlook Web App, you'll need one of the following browsers:

• Internet Explorer 6 or a later version
  
• Firefox 3.0 or a later version
  
• Safari 1.2 or a later version
  

To use the light version of Outlook Web App, you can use a wider variety of browsers including:

• Internet Explorer 5.01 or a later version
  
• Netscape Navigator 7.1 or a later version
  

If you're using Outlook 2007, you can set up a connection to your e-mail account through an Exchange server, or you can set up a connection to your account by using IMAP4 or POP3. Connecting Outlook 2007 through an Exchange account provides more features than IMAP4 or POP3, including:

• Access to your e-mail, contacts, and calendar when you aren't connected to the Internet
  
• The ability to propose new times for meeting requests you receive
  
• The ability to import, export, and archive your contacts and other information stored in Outlook.
  

You can connect Microsoft Entourage 2008 for Mac OS X to your account using Entourage 2008, Web Services Edition. To do this, you first need to install Entourage 2008, Web Services Edition. This version of Entourage is available as an update to Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac.

To download this update and learn more about the Web Services Edition, see the Entourage. Meet Exchange Web Services Web page.

Although you can also connect Entourage for Mac OS X to your account (either Entourage 2004 or Entourage 2008) using POP3 or IMAP4, doing this doesn't provide all the features that are available when you use an Exchange account to connect. For example, if you connect using Entourage 2008, Web Services Edition, you'll be able to synchronize Notes, Tasks, Calendar items, and Categories between Outlook Web App and Entourage 2008.

Outlook Voice Access can be used from any telephone and can be used to listen to your voice mail, access information about a personal contact, and interact with your calendar. You can use your voice or the telephone keypad to navigate the Outlook Voice Access menus.

The Outlook Voice Access Quick Reference Guide includes information about all the menu options and how to move through the menus. To download a copy of the Quick Reference Guide, see the Microsoft Download Center.

Many mobile phones can be set up to access your e-mail account. If you have a mobile phone with Windows Mobile or an Apple iPhone, you can use Exchange ActiveSync to access e-mail messages, your calendar, contacts, and tasks on your phone. Other mobile phones support both the IMAP4 and POP3 protocols, which let you send and receive e-mail messages on your phone.

If you have an e-mail program that supports IMAP4 or POP3, you can set it up to send and receive your e-mail. You can't use IMAP4 or POP3 to access your contacts, tasks, or calendar. Some programs you can use to access your e-mail account with IMAP4 or POP3 include:

• Microsoft Outlook Express
  
• Windows Mail
  
• Microsoft Entourage
  
• Mozilla Thunderbird
  
• Mac Mail for Mac OS X
  

What else do I need to know?

• Using Outlook Web App on a mobile phone isn't supported.
  
• If you try to open Outlook Web App on a computer or Web browser that isn't supported, the light version of Outlook Web App will open instead.
  

What if I want to know more?

• Set Up Your E-Mail Account on Your Mobile Phone
  
• Access Your Account Using IMAP or POP E-Mail Programs
  
• Using POP3 and IMAP4 E-Mail Programs