Xobni (inbox spelled backward) is a free add-on, currently in public beta, for Microsoft Outlook. The reason behind the name: This useful tool allows you to look at your e-mail inbox from a whole new perspective. The add-on improves management of messages and contacts, one of Outlook's biggest shortcomings. It provides functionality that Outlook should deliver natively, and does so without affecting the e-mail client's performance.
Xobni requires Outlook 2003 or 2007, and runs on Windows XP or Vista. It adds a pane to the right side of the Outlook interface that slides open when you need it and back when you don't. When you install Xobni, it indexes your mail, so you can search for contacts and text. The add-on uses the indexed information to create contact profiles, as well. If you're reading a message from John Smith, for example, it shows the number of e-mail messages John has sent you, broken down by the time of day they were sent. From this information, you can tell if John tends not to respond until a certain time of day, so you can anticipate when he might reply to future e-mail.
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