<p>For many business users, Microsoft Outlook is the go-to client for email. That includes a good part of the more than 1 billion Office users worldwide. This update to Outlook 2013 sports a clean new look, more social integration, and a few nifty new gadgets, but it's not a revolutionary upgrade. Rather, it's a refinement that reinforces the Microsoft business communication client's position as the most powerful email, contact, and calendar software around.Setup</p><p>Outlook 2013 is available either as part of the Office 365 subscription (80 a year for up to 5 PCs), or the Office Home and Business or Office Professional suite (175 and 320 respectively). Or you can buy Outlook 2013 standalone for 110, which doesn't seem like the best value for money, to say the least. Is Microsoft aware that one of its top competitors, Mozilla Thunderbird, is completely free, as are purely web-based services like Gmail and Microsoft's own Outlook.com?</p><p>All of the Office 2013 apps install on Windows 7 and Windows 8 only, so XP and Vista users will have to upgrade their OS if they want the new productivity suite. If you install from a disc, I highly recommend you run Windows Update; my installation of Office Professional Plus required several immediately. On first run, Outlook starts a setup wizard that gets your mailbox hooked up. It automatically figures out settings for the most common setups.</p><p>Though the upgrade to 2013 kept my Google Apps mail add-in along for the ride, it didn't work, requiring reinstallation. In fact the Google Apps connector software doesn't address compatibility with Outlook 2013, so if you're an Apps user, you might want to hold off upgrading to 2013 until it does. Hotmail users, however, will be happy to learn that using their email in Microsoft's program no longer requires a plugin.Interface</p><p><a href="http://www.itproportal.com/reviews/software/microsoft-outlook-2013-review/">Keep reading...</a></p><p>Read also:</p><p><a href="http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/feb/18/tp-making-sense-of-email-software-programs/">MAKING SENSE OF EMAIL SOFTWARE PROGRAMS</a> (U-T San Diego)</p><p>Explore: <a href="http://news.google.com/news/more?ncl=dPiAOfsZ8tddDdMHeletknKwVvLTM&ned=us">3 additional articles.</a></p>