My original response was so verbose, I copied the text
Word to check my spelling and grammer and it seems to have
added an '=20' after almost every line. In an effort to
make the response more readable, I've attempted to remove
the '=20' by copying the text to Notepad and pasting it
back into Microsoft's web-version of the newsgroup. I hope
it works. Of course, if I had been accessing the
newsgroups using Outlook 97 with Microsoft Word as the
editor in the first place, I probably wouldn't have to
even try this!
Thanks for the information about the book, that might be
available on eBay. I'll check it out.
The reason I kept using the Outlook Express was due to the
fact I couldn't import the address book into Outlook 97;
with nearly a thousand addresses to manually re-enter,
because Microsoft lacked a complete data migration plan
for their own software i.e. Outlook Express, Outlook 97's
added features just didn't seem worth the effort. After,
recently ridding my computer of the OEM version of Win98
and installing Win98 SE2, which added both stability and
speed to my tired old computer, I lost ready access to
some of the OEM software, that came with the machine,
which now makes using Outlook 97 a preferable choice, if I
can get the Outlook 98 upgrade.
I purchased/registered the Microsoft Office 97 upgrade in
1998 and was never informed by Microsoft, that their data
migration oversight with respect to Outlook Express was
corrected with the release of Office 98 and, that I was
entitled to a free upgrade. I guess it was just another
oversight on Microsoft's part.
Considering, that I bought/registered the product in 1998
and you have stated, "Outlook 97 which is no longer
supported, it was withdrawn with the release of Office
2000 in 1999", a one year product support life for a $300
dollar upgrade product seems quite unreasonable.
Not everyone buys a new computer every other year that is
fast enough to run the ever increasingly bloated versions
of Windows. Try running Windows 2000 coupled with Office
2000 on a Machine less than with a PIII 1GHz and you'll
see something akin in speed to an old Apple Lisa.
It wouldn't kill Microsoft to catalogue and warehouse
their software, upgrades & patches long past their store
shelf-lives, it might just put a caring and benevolent
face on a corporation, that is currently viewed as a
monstrous uncaring monopolistic behemoth.
Microsoft's software on the correct piece of hardware is
still a very viable computing option. Microsoft could
still sell their outdated software "as-is", while
continuing to provide their oldest customers with support
they deserve by providing access to the various upgrades
and patches they might need. And heavens forbid, they just
might make some more money in the process! Microsoft could
give the venture a noble title, something like "The Third
World Computing Project - Everybody Deserves a Chance".
That may sound far-fetched, but extending the shelf life
of both hardware and software, could make computing
affordable even to some of the poorest people in the
world. As a Third World traveler, that sees the ever-
expanding telecommunication networks, the philanthropic
potential for such a computing project would easily dwarf
Mr. Gate's current generosity to AIDS research by raising
the boats of all.
As a licensed user of Microsoft Windows V1.0, the software
and company I touted to colleagues at the time "as the
computing wave of the future", to snickers I might add,
can still manage to dispel the image of a 1984 Orwellian
nightmare, which Apple Computer with foreshadowing, aptly
bestowed upon Microsoft way back when, if Microsoft
actually becomes in fact, the friendly face of the
computing world, that Apple Computer once tried to
project, but failed to achieve.
-----Original Message-----
As the upgrade was free for users of Outlook 97 which is no longer
supported, it was withdrawn with the release of Office 2000 in 1999.
You may be able to find a copy with a book (running microsoft outlook 98 had
it) or you may be able to find a copy on eBay. You really should have taken
advantage of the download when it was available or ordered the CD from
Microsoft when it was available for S&H (appx $10 if I recall correctly.)
As for why it is no longer free, Outlook has moved on to 2 new versions and
a third is in beta right now. Nothing is free forever - and, remember the
saying, "you snooze, you lose."
--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]
Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact.
Having searched the archives and finding no answer, Tom Higgins
<
[email protected]> asked:
| I need to upgrade my Outlook 97 to Outlook 98, so I can
| directly import my Outlook Express address book.
|
| Apparently, the free upgrade offer for "Outlook 98, which
| was provided free-of-charge to Outlook 97 customers" found
| on the Microsoft's 'New Support Lifecycle' information
| page is no longer valid.
|
| Also, today when registering for 'Passport' and attempting
| to get support directly from Microsoft, I received the
| following erroneous error message, "The Product ID number
| you entered has already used the maximum number of support
| incidents available for this product. You may go back and
| choose another support option or enter another Product ID
| number.": I have never requesting any help from Microsoft
| either, by phone or online.
|
| After originally paying $299.99 for the MS Office 97
| Professional Edition upgrade and registered the product,
| am I not entitled to the "free upgrade", even at this late
| date?
|
| Any your help tracking down this upgrade will be
| appreciated.
.
