In this section:

The ability to communicate electronically is one of a computer’s most used and most valued features. In this section, we’ll discuss the tools that Windows Vista provides to enable you to reach out and connect with other people.

You can use Windows Mail to organize your e-mail and newsgroup messages, and to read and compose your e-mail even when you aren’t connected to the Internet. You can format your messages with fonts and colors, and you can choose or create your own e-mail stationery. If you often send one message to several people, you can combine all their addresses into a group so that you don’t have to enter each individual’s address. You can enclose files, or attachments, with your e-mail, and if an attached file exceeds the size that your mail system can handle, you can compress the file to make it smaller.

Using the Windows Calendar, you can keep track of your own appointments and meetings, as well as those of your family members. You can also list the tasks you have to accomplish, set the priority for each, and specify when you want Windows Calendar to remind you about the task. With access to your coworkers’ calendars, you can compare your schedule with your colleagues’ schedules to see whether there are any conflicts before you propose a date and time for a meeting.

Sending E-Mail

Most of us can’t imagine life without e-mail! You don’t have to address an envelope or trek to the mailbox on a cold, rainy day. All you do is type a name, create a message, and click a Send button. Windows Mail and your mail server do the rest. What could be quicker or more convenient?

Create a Message

1. Click the Start button, and choose Windows Mail from the menu. Click Create Mail. If you want to send a formatted message with a background and coordinated fonts and bullets, click the down arrow next to the button, and click the stationery you want to use.

2. Type the recipient’s name or enough of it to make it uniquely identifiable in your list of contacts. To add more names, type a semicolon (;), and then type all or part of another recipient’s name. The names and addresses will be completed when you move to another part of the message.

3. Press the Tab key to move to the CC field, and type the names of the people who are to receive a copy of the message.

4. Press Tab to move to the Subject line, type a subject, and press Tab again to move into the message area.

5. Type your message. Use any of the formatting tools to format your message.

6. Do either of the following:

   1. Click Send to send the message.

   2. Choose Send Later from the File menu to leave the message in the Outbox until you’re ready to send it.

7. When you’ve composed all the messages you want to send, click Send/Receive to send the messages in the Outbox to your mail server.

Tip

To send an e-mail to someone who isn’t in your Contacts list without adding that person to the list, simply type his or her e-mail address on the To line.

See Also

"Setting Up Windows Mail" for information about setting up e-mail accounts in Windows Mail.