12-04-2011, 08:37 AM

Hi all, I'm thinking of switching from PC to a new 2011 Mac laptop (will install Bootcamp on it only as a last resort; firstly interested in trying the Mac OS). I'm a heavy user of Outlook 2003; much of my work is done on it, since it functions both as an integrated email client and calendar. I have many gigabytes in my outlook PST archives and thousands of contacts and events.

I sync w/Nokia E72 for contacts, calendar.

Questions: Is it a good idea to move to Mac under these circumstances? i.e. does anyone have experience in importing very large outlook archives over to Outlook 2011?

Should I use Outlook 2011 for Mac, or iCal etc.?

Is syncing an issue for Nokia E72? I saw on Nokia's website that there is only partial software support for synching the phone on the mac.

Nokia Europe - Mac software - Support
Many Thanks

12-04-2011, 05:39 PM

I ported over my Outlook pst file when I switched last spring, but be careful to back up the file in several places first and work on a copy. I had to resort to the backup version a few times before I got it right. And study Internet tips first before starting.

I got it working then realized I no longer needed Outlook and just went with the Apple software. Much simpler life and I don't miss Outlook at all. Everything syncs automatically between my iMac, iPhone and iPad. I have all my contacts and calendar data from my prior Outlook life, but not the email archives which I did not bother trying to import to Mail, if that's even possible. Interestingly I don't miss them either. I could get at them with Outlook if I really needed to.

12-05-2011, 03:07 PM

Use a Mac for everything it does well - safe web browsing & email, adobe apps in particular. Keep your PC, offline, for everything else - it's far more adaptable. I've got several dozen programs/systems that have no equivalent in the Mac world; you probably do too. A few things run with DOSBox, which is clean, but most of mine don't with any of the Windows-on-Mac systems available - I spent a lot of time trying them before I gave up, hard-formatted my disc and reinstalled OSX from scratch to get rid of all the overhead they piled in.

12-06-2011, 07:53 AM

I to have been a avid PC user for many years and made the swap to Mac. I had a few issues swapping files over and getting Mac OS to read external HD's but after that (very small issue) I have to say I wish I had swapped sooner! I am very pleased with the change. So my opiniion is DO IT you will be very happy.

12-11-2011, 09:43 AM

I made the switch a couple of weeks ago and, while I think I can learn to love the Mac, I sure don't love Office:Mac 2011. In particular, if you're sharing calendars, you can no longer see them in separate views. They all morph together with nothing to distinguish whose are whose. You can't see (at least, I haven't figured it out) appointment properties to know when a meeting was added to a Public Folder calendar. Those are just two of many similar issues involved with administrative-type use of Outlook for Mac.

As for Outlook Mail, many of the features that were formerly available, such as being able to schedule emails to be sent later from Outbox, or use Voting Buttons, or send a flagged email with a reminder that will pop up in the recipients' Reminders...those are just a few of the Outlook Mail for Mac deficits I've found.