I've been using Microsoft Outlook XP since leaving IBM in 2001, for both personal as well as "work" email. Generally I have had no complaints, but I do run it in absolute paranoia mode (turning off most "helpful" features that have turned into security holes).

Oddly, my primary reason for using had been the integrated calendar, though really these days that's not that necessary since I'm the one scheduling meetings, if any, and don't really need to integrate with anyone else's calendar.

Anyway, in an end of year cleanup, I went and moved all of my "work" email into an IMAP setup on artific.com, figuring that 1) I'd be able to access all of the mail remotely through Pair’s webmail setup, and 2) Outlook allows allowed you to keep IMAP folders offline.

Past tense. Outlook 2000 allowed you to keep a copy of IMAP folders offline. Outlook XP has been enhanced to only support this for users of Microsoft Exchange.

Embraced and extended out of use.

So, now I really have no reason to use Outlook since the one feature I'd used and relied on in the past has been enhanced out of the product.

When I have decent connectivity again I'm going to look at Evolution (I think that's the name).