Rookie needs help with Outlook or Live Mail

[DavidG]

I am waiting to receive my new Lenovo 710 desktop with Windows 10 installed. That will replace my current Dell desktop, also running Windows 10. I'm also going to switch from an old dumb cell phone to a Moto G4 smartphone.

I have mail accounts with both Gmail and Outlook, and have used MS Live Mail as my mail server for the past few years. The connectivity of Gmail and Live Mail has been problematic, either because those programs don't interact properly, or because I don't have them configured properly, or because my old Dell PC has issues. I've learned to live with the occasional problems because I really like the Live Mail look and feel.

When I put the new Lenovo into service I want to set up a simple and effective email system that incorporates my contact list and calendar. Connecting my new smartphone is also important - I want to be able to access and work with my email, contacts, and calendar from either the phone or PC. I understand that Live Mail is being terminated by Microsoft, so I'm guessing that my best bet is to switch to Outlook.com or the Windows 10 Mail feature.

What would be my best option for setting up a clean, effective mail service that plays well with an Android smartphone? What should I use for my contact list and calendar? Any tips on making the transition to the new PC?

Thanks for reading my long-winded explanation.

 

[Trouble]

I'm guessing that my best bet is to switch to Outlook.com or the Windows 10 Mail feature.

The two are not mutually exclusive you can use the "Mail" app or the browser based web version at (e-mail address removed)
Personally, I use the full desktop version of "Outlook" which is part of Microsoft's Office 365 software suite and have been for years.
There are some third party alternatives http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/five-apps/five-top-alternatives-to-microsoft-outlook/ and probably more if you search around. I've heard a lot of people say good things about Thunderbird.
As far as something that works with your Android phone, I can't help you out there.
As a Windows 10 Phone users, all my stuff syncs automagically, almost to the point of annoyance.

 

[DavidG]

Thanks for that info. Do you mean that I can use either the PC's "Mail" feature or the Outlook.com webite interchangeably without choosing one for exclusive email management? What is the advantage in using both?

At this point in my research, I think I want to use Outlook.com so that my email, contacts, and calendar are in the cloud and therefore accessible from both my PC and a properly configured Android smartphone.

I have more questions:

1) The W10 "Mail" feature seems to be stripped-down and bare-bones compared to the Outlook.com display. However, W10 "Mail" is immediately available on my PC (the PC I'm getting ready to replace) with a couple of clicks, while accessing Outlook.com requires opening the browser, waiting for the site to appear, then waiting for my data to load. Is there a way to set up a fast connection to Outlook.com? I really like the way that Windows Live Mail is immediately available on my PC, so that's the always-ready connectivity I'd like to get from Outlook.com.

2) From what I read on various websites, Outlook for PC won't connect directly to Android phones unless you add a third-party program (e.g. AkrutoSynch). However, I understand that both the version of Outlook included in Office 365 and the Outlook.com version can work with Android phones so that email, contacts, and calendar can be synchronized between phone and PC. Do I have that right?

Again, thanks for the help.

 

[Trouble]

What is the advantage in using both?

Outlook.com is a web access, browser interface function that you can use from any computer on the planet to log in to check your email. So....
IF you're away from your computer, maybe on vacation and want to check your email. Basically the same as gmail.com or yahoo or any of the multitude of web base email facilities.
As far as speed of access. The mail app is no faster than outlook.com as far as presenting you with current / immediate (sync'd) mail availability. They both depend on internet access for anything new to arrive locally on your computer (in the case of the "Mail" app) or for you to see the current contents of outlook.com in your browser window.
As far as the rest of the "Android" stuff.....
As I said above.... I'm a Windows Phone 10 user and cannot help, although I'm pretty sure that Google more or less owns the Android OS and Gmail is pretty much native to Android phones as I recall, so it seems to me that you might be able to aggregate your other email accounts under Gmail and have one stop shopping, if that is still an option with Gmail.