Outlook 2003 gets productivity boost.

The user interface changes in Microsoft Corp.'s Outlook 2003 consolidated view elements greatly simplify the overall user experience and eliminate a good deal of dead space. The biggest change in Outlook is that the Outlook Bar has been consolidated with the Folder List into a single Navigation Pane. This change simplifies the interface, saving space and, at least with managing e-mail, potentially saving a mouse click or two. The filter allows some user control via save and block lists, but a little more control over the rules determining how e-mail is filtered would be nice. Outlook also provides content filtering that blocks content from outside sources and can block Web beacons and links that verify e-mail addresses to spammers.