I'll take my best shot with those questions (bear in mind that I've used OE maybe 2 times in my life):

Multiple Accounts:  I'm a little confused what you're trying to accomplish here.  If multiple people need (restricted) access to different email accounts, then your best bet is to create multiple windows user accounts (control panel, users).  Outlook will have a completely seperate profile for each windows user that logs on -- and the profiles of others windows users will not appear.

If you simply want multiple email accounts (sources) to be checked by Outlook, then this is relatively simple to accomplish.  You just add all the accounts in and then click their associated folders to check them.  Anyone who opens Outlooks like this can have access to all such accounts (and it sounds like you may not want this).

Installing Outlook on Laptop:  I can't think of any problems that might occur off hand.  Obviously you will need a valid license for Outlook or it won't activate.  Make sure you meet the minimum system requirements.  I am unsure if you still need Word to get advanced editting features enabled in Outlook 2007 or not -- but it's worth checking if you plan on only installing Outlook and not the entire Office suite.  You can import mail from most programs.

Conflicts with OE:  Outlook won't conflict with OE.  You could potentially keep and run both.  If you don't use OE, it won't hurt to leave it installed, or alternatively, to uninstall it.  I never use OE, but I've also never uninstalled it (I pretty much use Outlook 2007 exclusively these days).

Lastly, if you use Outlook 2007, I strongly encourage you to download Windows Desktop Search 4 (and uninstall any other desktop indexing programs like google desktop, Nero search, etc).  WDS will enable instant searching within Outlook 2007.  It will index emails and allow for instant searching of Outlook2003 mail as well -- but it's not integrated into the program.

Hope this helps somewhat :)

Thank you NemesisDB for your detailed response to my muddled question. 

Again I apologize for being so confusing.  Part of the problem is that I'm not sure yet what I want to do.  Most likely it will be to have two email accounts --two addresses -- on the desktop using Microsoft Outlook 2007, then on the laptop, only one of those addresses, also using Microsoft Outlook 2007.

There is no need to restrict access to either of the two email addresses I want to have on the desktop.  My concern is finding out exactly how you switch from one account to the other in Outlook 2007.  If it is exactly the same way you switch in Outlook 2003, I'm going to have to use two different programs on the desktop.  The second user would get very frustrated with having to choose which account he wants to look at every time he opens Outlook.  This is why I wanted to know exactly what steps are required to switch users in Outlook 2007.

I understand there is no conflict between OE and Outlook 2003.  I'm currently running both on the desktop.  I want to upgrade to Outlook 2007.

As for Windows Desktop Search 4, I have no idea what this is or whether or not I have other indexing programs.  Yes, I've read your brief explanation about "instant searching, but I have never to my knowledge done any searching in an email program, nor do I know how to do that, so I'm a bit confused.

If it isn't too much trouble, could you explain what a desktop indexing program is in a bit more detail, or tell me where I could find a thorough explanation "For Dummies" on the web?  And how I go about finding out what I am running on our desktop and on my laptop?

Thank you, again NemesisDB.  I always get such helpful answers on this forum !!!

Squirrelly

My concern is finding out exactly how you switch from one account to the other in Outlook 2007.  If it is exactly the same way you switch in Outlook 2003, I'm going to have to use two different programs on the desktop.  The second user would get very frustrated with having to choose which account he wants to look at every time he opens Outlook.  This is why I wanted to know exactly what steps are required to switch users in Outlook 2007.

When you setup an email account in Outlook 2007 (IMAP or POP), it creates a folder group in the left pane for it.  You can set the name of the root folder.  For instance, I have three seperate email accounts going to Outlook, represented by folders called Gmail, School, and Work.  You can name the folders whatever you want.  Naming the folder after the user might simplify which folder they should click on.

Outlook 2007 also has a default "personal folder" list up top.  This includes contacts as well as a generic inbox and sent messages folder.  Outlook will normally default to this.  I actually don't use these defaults at all -- as all my email accounts are represented by seperate folders.  I am unsure if this folder is typical used to connect to an Exchange server or if I have simply not discovered how to make better use of it.  My experiance is somewhat limited because all my email accounts are IMAP where the mail is stored on the mail server.

I understand there is no conflict between OE and Outlook 2003.  I'm currently running both on the desktop.  I want to upgrade to Outlook 2007.

There is no conflict between Outlook 2007 and OE either.

Yes, I've read your brief explanation about "instant searching, but I have never to my knowledge done any searching in an email program, nor do I know how to do that, so I'm a bit confused.If it isn't too much trouble, could you explain what a desktop indexing program is in a bit more detail, or tell me where I could find a thorough explanation "For Dummies" on the web?  And how I go about finding out what I am running on our desktop and on my laptop?

Outlook 2007 has a search box built into the program.  In its basic form, if you type in something, say firefox, then any emails containing firefox will instantly be listed.  In its advanced form you can make more advanced queries (different fields, multiple words, etc).

This search in Outlook 2007 is powered by Windows Desktop Search (a stand alone program by microsoft).  Windows Desktop Search allows for these instant searches by pre-indexing the files in the background.  This will take a deal of time initially, but then updates are only made as needed.

Windows Desktop search also integrates onto the windows taskbar and provides a box to search from (much the same as exists in Vista by default).  It can index any files you wish on your system, not just email.

Microsoft's page is here:  http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/default.mspx

Thank you, NemesisDB. 

You have made everything muddled in my head quite clear now.  Much appreciated.

Squirrelly