Fed Up With Laptop

[gardenmad]

Help!! Can anyone help, more than they have already done, I mean - I have a new Samsung windows 8 laptop - far more specialised than I need, obviously - but I cannot get windows mail on it and when I told my service provider, he said, yes they have not got that on, but they are working on it!!!! Well bully for them - what am I going to do meantime? Also I am incensed to find that I have to buy microsoft office, when I've managed with what I've got for many many years - is there an alternative, and free? I have to pay in euros, it says. What is going in? Is this really progress? I am off now to make a cup of tea and calm down - of course I am typing this on my old desktop, if it were not at the top of the house and cold! I would stick with it - may well have to yet....any helpful suggestions gratefully received....

[Buenchico]

Windows 8 has its own email client, with the uninspiring name of Windows 8 Mail, so you can simply use that.

Alternatively, if you'd prefer something with a more familiar feel to it, download and install Thunderbird:
https://www.mozilla.org/EN/thunderbird/

Chris

[gardenmad]

Thanks Chris you have answered this question before as I forgot I had asked it - I am so fed up with the thing, and have asked so many people for help - put it away for a week and forgot what and who I had asked - I shall have to get someone to come and stand over me, I can't believe I am this stupid - worked with the damn things for years!!!

[chrisgel]

Free alternatives for Office here.
http://www.reviewsaurus.com/online-office/offline-online-microsoft-word-alternatives/

[VHG]

>>>Also I am incensed to find that I have to buy microsoft office,
>>>when I've managed with what I've got for many many years

INCENSED - why ?

You have ALWAYS had to buy Microsoft Office, it has never been free.

What have you been using in the past?

Microsoft did give away Microsoft Office Starter 2010 for "free" with Windows 7 (if the PC seller wanted to install it), which had cut down versions of Word and Excel, but apart from that you have always had to buy Microsoft Office.

[Buenchico]

By far the most popular free alternative to Microsoft Office:
http://www.openoffice.org/
It's at least as good as Microsoft Office and many public bodies (such as local councils and police forces) have switched to it precisely to avoid paying money to Microsoft. (I use it on my netbook).