We Got Served

Recently, WGS had a bit of controversy in the blog and forums regarding a new add-in that integrates Microsoft’s Outlook inside the WHS console window.  The author of a competing add-in, WHS Outlook, felt it infringed upon his efforts.  It is time for me to take a look at this add-in to see what the fuss was all about.

According to the Outlook for WHS author, WGS member Nabeday:

The Outlook For WHS Add-in allows you to access your MS Outlook client  through the Window Home Server Console. This will allow you to send and receive email from any PC on your network or even via the Internet using the Window Home Server Remote Access.

In addition to that it works with common Outlook Add-ons such as Plaxo.

Before one can use Outlook for WHS, you must first install Microsoft’s Outlook  program, and configure your email account(s).

Once Outlook has been installed, it is time to install the add-in.  Copy the msi installer to your D:SoftwareAdd-ins folder, open the WHS Setting Window in the console and install the software from the Add-ins tab, as shown below.

Reopen the WHS console, scroll over and click on the Outlook for WHS tab.

Click on the folder for the account you have added.  Basically, what you have is the Outlook window relocated from the WHS desktop to the console window.  Nothing more and nothing less.

Minimizing the Outlook window provides you with the following screen

while closing Outlook will present you with this screen.

If so desired (if you are using a RDC), you can also open Outlook on the desktop.  Comparing the 2 Outlook screens, you should make note of the reduced real estate you have to work with when viewing programs inside the console window.  This is not a Outlook for WHS problem; this is a problem associated with putting any program inside the console window.

I did not try out any Outlook add-ins to check for compatibility.  I would not expect many (if any) problems doing so, simply because all Outlook for WHS does is relocate the Outlook UI inside the console.  This is quite evident when using a RDC.  When you first click on the Outlook for WHS tab and Outlook begins to open, you can briefly see Outlook opening on the desktop prior to being relocated in the Console window.

Finally, does this program provide the same functionality as the “other” program, WHS Outlook?  I honestly cannot answer this, as I only tried an early version of WHS Outlook during the initial Beta testing.  I will make this observation, however.  If you use Advanced Admin Console, you can get a similar result for Outlook as you do with Outlook for WHS.  I fired up the WHS Connector on my workstation and produced the following shots.

Accessing the Outlook program in Advanced Admin Console

Outlook in the Console window.

The Console window minimized with Outlook open on the WHS desktop inside the Console window.

And, if so desired, one can minimize Outlook and bring up the console.  This will take you back the first picture above.

In the end, I fail to see what the fuss was all about, but I will let you draw your own conclusions.

That is about all there is to this add-in.  So I ask the question: is this an add-in for you?  If you use the WHS Console exclusively, and you want to have Outlook installed on your WHS, you bet!  If you use a RDC, why bother with this add-in, as it is not necessary.  Please note that the same could be said of many add-ins for WHS.

Author: Nabeday

Version Reviewed: 1.0.1

Release: 06April2009

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