Chapter 1. First Impressions (The Client Interface)

First impressions always count and, when you start Lotus Notes, there is no exception. You might notice that Lotus Notes is much more than just e-mail! There are many feature-rich tools available—for example, there is a free office suite application called Lotus Symphony that can be used as an alternative to Microsoft Office for those who just need the basics with an office suite. You will see the ability to create documents, spreadsheets, and presentations if Symphony is selected while installing Lotus Notes. You can also export each of those documents to PDF, HTML, or JPEG format if required.

Lotus Notes also has a Notebook application. This application allows you to create notes that can include pictures, attachments, ideas, and so on. It is a great place to store information that is just for you. It also has an inbuilt chat and presence capability called Sametime, along with an inbuilt RSS feed reader, a Widget panel, calendaring and scheduling capabilities, and applications if your organization has developed any or purchased them.

In this chapter we will focus on the client and will explore the following:

• Starting and shutting down Lotus Notes

• Open List

• Thumbnails

• Home Page

• Shortcuts

• Window tabs

• Toolbars

• Sidebar

• Lotus Notes Browser

• Preferences