From Outlook to Entourage to …. Outlook for MAC

I notice lots of folks keep on asking about a method to import their Data from Outlook to Entourage.

Knowing that entourage could only import .mbox files, and Outlook could only export .pst files.

The way i usually do it is:

I go to the windows machine, install Mozilla Thunderbird , and import everything from my outlook to Thunderbird.

That WILL NOT convert the .PST files, it will simply make MAPI calls to outlook to retrive the mailboxes.

And Thunderbird will store them in a .mbox format.

After that , i close thunderbird, and go to
%AppData%\Thunderbird\Profiles\xxxxxxxx.default\,

copy the mail folder which contact all the mbox files (although they will be shown as unknown files, because the .mbox extension won’t be there).
copy the MAIL folder,

go to Mac Mail , and import from Thunderbird, when the wizard ask for the path, locate the copied MAIL folder.

And taraaa

I would also like to note, that Microsoft will release Outlook for Mac in 2010 and that will replace entourage.

Key features about Outlook 2010 (information taken from http://www.downloadsquad.com):

• Built on Cocoa. The application is being constructed from the ground up on Cocoa to make integrating with Mac OS a lot easier.
• New Database. A high speed file-based database with support for backing up files with Time Machine and Spotlight searching.
• Information Rights Management. Helps prevent sensitive information from being distributed to or read by people who do not have permission.