Microsoft has finally promised to scrap its Mac-compatible email client Entourage in favour of a Mac-specific Outlook, due out next year.
Promised in late 2010, Outlook for Mac will be much more compatible with its Windows counterpart than Entourage is and will bring brand new features and functionality as the backend as well as the frontend are completely overhauled.
According to Computerworld.com, Eric Wilfred, general manager of Microsoft’s Mac Business Unit, said in a conference call: “Outlook for Mac will deliver the functionality that businesses have come to expect from Outlook on Windows.
“Outlook for Mac and Outlook for Windows will be different, for sure, and they will also be compatible, for sure.”
On the official Office for Mac Team Blog, Wilfred said: “Outlook for Mac is being built from the ground up as a Mac OS X application using Cocoa.
“It will have a new database that delivers a reliable, high performance, and integrated experience with Mac OS X.”
Here’s something else to look forward to: it will work with Time Machine and Spotlight will search all email, calendar and contacts.
Outlook for Mac and the rest of Office will also include Information Rights Management, in order to keep sensitive information for only audiences that you intend and IRM compatibility will make it possible for Mac users to share and receive sensitive information using Microsoft Office tools.
Additionally Office 2008 for Mac is being refreshed and the business edition will have the Entourage 2008 for Mac, Web Services Edition as well as Microsoft Document Connection for Mac and lynda.com training.
