Bill Gates’s dream of “a computer on every desktop” is becoming more and more of a reality—many people today work (and play) on computers both in the office and at home. But desktop computers are even becoming a thing of the past. Laptops, netbooks, and other portable computers, as well as Windows Mobile devices, smartphones, Windows Phones, BlackBerries, and iPhones are becoming standard communication platforms. Electronic messaging—whether by e-mail, instant messaging, or text messaging—keeps many of us in contact with colleagues, clients, friends, and family members for a dizzying portion of each day. For people who are dependent on electronic messages as a means of communicating, Microsoft Outlook 2010 offers an ideal solution. Outlook 2010 includes not only e-mail functionality, but also integrates with instant messaging programs and SMS text messaging service providers. Outlook enables you to manage messaging and information—address books, calendars, task lists, note pads, and more—in one attractive interface. More importantly, Outlook makes this information immediately available to you when and where you need it. From one place, you can quickly store, organize, manage, and retrieve many types of information. You can use Outlook to:

* Send, receive, organize, and archive e-mail messages.
* Create attractive business graphics and incorporate and edit external images in your communications.
* Send documents, spreadsheets, graphics, and other files as message attachments, and preview attachments you receive from other people.
* Schedule events, appointments, and meetings, invite attendees, and reserve conference rooms, projectors, and other managed resources.
* View upcoming appointments and tasks, and receive reminders for them.
* Store contact information in a transferable and easily accessible format.
* Track tasks for yourself or for someone else, and schedule time to complete your tasks.
* Store random bits of information as notes.