OE Classic is an email and Usenet reader designed to look and feel like the classic Outlook Express.

We were huge fans of Outlook Express because it had plenty of features and was simple to use. Over the years, we have moved on to Thunderbird, but that took some time, so this is nice to see.

Once started, you immediately notice a familiar feel. You have big, colorful buttons across the top with access to the most commonly used features including create, reply, reply all, forward, print, delete, send receive, address book, and find.

The left side has access to your folders as well as contacts. It was here that we noticed a lack of a spam folder. Checking all the options and settings confirmed there is no spam filter built-in. While we appreciate the attention to detail in OE Classic, some things about the classic Outlook are not missed, and lack of a decent spam filter is a big one.

To the right, you have a list of emails, and the message can be displayed below those.

A brief look at File, Edit, Tools, View, Message, and Help shows you the same options you remember.

OE Classic appears to be fully functional in this version. The only thing we did notice is the Pro version is always one version ahead giving paid users first access to changes and new features. The pro version is $24.95.

OE Classic nails the classic Outlook Express look and feel as intended. All that's missing now is the "You've Got Mail" sound clip!

Oh, and a spam filter.