As a mail app the current version of outlook (2007) fails. But I think the calendar and contact management surpass the alternatives I personally have tried.

Compare Mail-Apps (filter+store+sync) .............Outlook .... ThundBd ... Live Mail ... web-GMail + Google Cal
E-Mail filter can search in IMAP-Mail-Text (Body) ..........5 Yes ........ 0 No ............. 0 Pop3 ..... 5 Yes
E-mail filters also for IMAP accounts ..............................5 Yes ....... 5 Yes ........... 0 Pop3 ..... 5 Yes
E-Mail Filter without bugs .............................................. 5 Yes ........ 5 Yes ........... 5 Yes ...... 0 No (Bug: Labels deleted)
E-Mail filter can be sorted .............................................. 5 Yes ........ 5 Yes .......... 5 Yes ...... 0 No
E-Mails can be stored as txt-File ....................................5 Yes ........ 5 Yes ............0 No.......... 0 No
Application can open/store msg-Files ............................5 Yes ........ 0 No ............. 0 No.......... 0 No
Application can open/store eml-Files ..............................0 Yes ....... 5 Yes ........... 5 Yes ....... 0 No
Application can convert eml to msg/msg to eml-Files .... 0 No .......... 0 No ............. 0 No.......... 0 No
E-Mails can be copied to ClipBoard inkl. Header ............ 0 No ...........0 No ............. 0 No ......... 0 No
Synchronize yearly event Windows Mobile + 2nd PC ... 0 Bug..........0 No ............. 0 No ......... 5 Yes: Google Cal
Sum assessment pts. ( only filter+store+sync) .. 30 .............. 25 .................15 ............15 points

Comparison of Mail-Applications ........................Outlook ... ThundBd . Live Mail ... web-GMail + Google Calendar
Mail-Application is free of charge ................................0 No ..........5 Yes .......... 5 Yes ....... 5 Yes
Space demand on the hard disk ..................................1 150? ...... 4 33 MB....... 4 39 MB ....5 Only Online
Mail-Text of received Mails afterwards changeable: ..5 Yes ....... 0 No ............. 0 No ........ 0 No
User can add an additional column (from / to) in list ....5 Yes ....... 5 Yes .......... 0 No ........ 0 No
Subject of received Mails afterwards changeable: .... 5 Yes ........0 No .............0 No ........ 0 No
Paste picture in a new Mail directly from ClipBoard.... 5 Yes ........ 5 Yes .......... 0 No .........0 No
E-Mail text formatting .................................................. 5 perfect ... 4 good ........ 5 OK ........ 1 not enough
Send and signatures with more EMail-addresses....... 3 Yes ........2 difficult ..... 3 Yes ...... 4 Yes, but for send only 1 address
E-Mail filters: Search in body, sorting, with IMAP........ 20 ..............15 .................10 .......... 10
E-mail storing: eml, msg, txt, clipboard, sync mobile.....10 .............10 ..................5 .............. 5
Sum assessment points (all features)................59 ..............50 .................32 ............24

Outook is the best looking PIM. Not cheap but worth every buck. Disturbing: No native PGP support and no working PGP add-ins for Outlook 2010 and Outlook 2013. Also Outlook is not portable.

This is silly. I want a lightweight alternative to the Outlook Client so I don't have to choose between running that piece of crap or the piece of crap exchange site. Gmail an alternative mail server, and a great one, but it is not an alternative to the outlook client.

This needs subcategories.