Manage updates with the Download AppCNET Editors' review
The free Outlook add-on Xobni beats the pants off Outlook's built-in e-mail search. While Xobni's core talent lays in rapidly finding e-mails and contacts based on any keyword search, it also excels at surfacing meetings and file attachments, hyperlinks, and even personal information extracted from social networks, like photos and phone numbers.
Visually, Xobni displays a sidebar that slides in an out from the right and over the reading pane. From there, you'll be able to search for contacts and messages, and interact with the profile, message, or files from there. When at rest, Xobni displays the profile it's collected on the contact in question--from a hyperlinked e-mail address and phone number to a Skype plug-in, Facebook picture, and LinkedIn profile, assuming the contact has enabled third-party sharing in his or her social network settings. You'll likewise be able to get at the contact's network, and past conversations from here.
Xobni also makes an appearance in the navigation ribbon of Outlook 2010, with a search bar and a shortcut key for hiding and revealing the side bar.
Activate the premium version, Xobni Plus, for $30 (and a free, 14-day trial) and you'll open the door to broader search data (appointments and tasks), more powerful search terms (phrases and Boolean), and an advanced search builder. Xobni Plus also includes full text and direct e-mail filters. Best yet, Xobni Plus adds its index of e-mail addresses to the "To" field of every message you compose, sometimes replicating, but nevertheless vastly expanding, your address book.
Unlike many other Outlook add-ons, both free and upgraded versions of Xobni add functionality without greatly dragging down Outlook's performance. The interface doesn't get in the way, and, in fact, makes communication easier. We recommend Xobni for any Outlook user.
Xobni 1.8 with Xobni Plus:Publisher's Description
From Xobni:
Xobni finds all the people you know through your emails, SMS messages and phone calls, and automatically creates a rich profile for them. Each profile includes their photo, signature info and the messages you've exchanged, as well as their updates from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Xobni makes all this information available to you wherever you are (Outlook, Gmail and BlackBerry for now with iPhone and Android coming soon).
Compatible with Xobni Pro. With Pro, you also get:
Contact Export- Add Xobni Contacts to your Outlook address book. Xobni Cloud- Connect Xobni Contacts across Outlook and BlackBerry for now, but Gmail, Android and iPhone are coming soon. Xobni-Ranked AutoSuggest- Access your Xobni Contacts when composing messages. Advanced Search- Search all your contacts and email. Daily Spam Rescue alerts and automatic rescue. Multiple PC support. Xobni Pro for BlackBerry.
What's new in this version:
- Fresh clean design.
- Spam Rescue. Identifies messages that may have been incorrectly filtered into the Junk Mail folder.
- Xobni Gadget Store with more than 20 gadgets for you to add to Outlook including Evernote, Dropbox and WebEx.
More Products to Consider
-
Add live Webcam effects to your videos and photos.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Join live-video chat rooms from around the world.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Chat with other people and participate in group discussions.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Talk with friends and family for free over the Internet.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Add thousands of cool effects to webcam video for live video ch...DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Add dynamic effects to your video from HD Webcams.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Add a virtual webcam with amazing video effects to your video c...DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Communicate instantly with your friends using avatars, PC-to-PC...DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Communicate within the company through LAN.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Get notified to the email alerts and create custom notification...DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Add a virtual Webcam for video chats software such as Skype, MS...DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Chat with friends on MSN, Facebook, Yahoo, MySpace, AIM or ICQ,...DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Create, manage, and save documents that you can access anywhere...DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Update Eudora's mailbox table of content or mailbox files.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Toolbar with embedded utilities & filters.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Detect intruders with Webcams in your room and be alerted by e-...DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Connect your Nokia phone to PC to sync data, download software,...DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Create, personalize, and share publications & marketing materia...Visit SiteThis download is served from an external site
closeNOTICE: This link will open a connection to a third-party site. CNET cannot ensure the security of software that is hosted on external sites.
Sponsored Products
- View, display attachments, and manage your e-mails.Download
Installed
Smart Install -
Exploit your webcams and microphones to detect and record movem...DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Chat with your friends from your desktop.DownloadInstalled
Smart Install -
Improve performance of your Outlook inbox.DownloadThis download is served from an external site
closeNOTICE: This link will open a connection to a third-party site. CNET cannot ensure the security of software that is hosted on external sites.
Sponsored Products
Installed
Smart Install -
Chat over the Internet with up to 120 users via your Web camera...DownloadInstalled
Smart Install
-
All versions:
3.3 starsout of 136 votes
-
Current version:
1.7 starsout of 12 votes
-
My rating:
Write review
-
"Does NOT bulk export contacts ! False license add"
Version: Xobni 2.0.1
Pros
- fast search
Cons
- heavy processor workload
- false advertising, free for ever then change
- does NOT export contacts in bulk
once you use it, you're caught !
Users requested this for years...
Beware !Summary
Beware issues/problems before buying Xobni !
-
"With Office 10 and Office Preview NOOOOO!"
Version: Xobni 2.0.1
Pros
none as it wouldn't function in my environment
Cons
Probably my fault for thinking I could use two versions of Outlook and leave the plug-in on the older version.
Uninstalled and now neither version of Outlook works. Uninstalled Preview, now trying for fix 10.Summary
USE CAUTION, if you aren't certain call them or just don't do it man.
-
"Excellent!!!!"
Version: Xobni 2.0.1
Pros
This Product is great and helps manage your mails and attachments so easily. Its awesome
Cons
It has a cons, but very negligible to what it can do. Very effective for mails when you recieve 100 mails per day
Summary
I one line, A life saviour why??? Because it saves a hell of my time
-
"Don't trust this software with your Contacts"
Version: Xobni 2.0.1
Pros
Unreliable; I installed the free version and it kept asked me to upgrade, when I didn't do it, it somehow started sending me spams and on separate emails telling me how I can avoid these spam emails by buying a full version. So I just uninstalled it. Bad Bad Bad!
Cons
Fast search.
Summary
Unreliable
-
"Xobni in the business of bait & switch"
Version: Xobni 2.0.1
Pros
None that I can find after a year of usage.
Cons
I downloaded Xobni at the recommendation of a coworker last year for Outlook. It was much faster than Outlook search but I was slightly irritated that contacts I know I have in Outlook were ones I couldn't access any longer unless I upgraded to Pro. For the most part, I was able to use the search function to at least find the email and Reply to the email to get the contact I needed which added yet another step to my daily emailing functionality.
This week I was prompted to upgrade my Xobni software. Now, emails that I sent last week are no longer accessible to me unless I purchase Pro. My old tactic of search and find no longer works either.Summary
SKIP IT, this product is a total scam.
-
"Licensing scam"
Version: Xobni 2.0.1
Pros
Great product.
Cons
License scam.
Summary
Got a license for Xobni Plus, got discontinued. Needed to re-format computer. Couldn't get Xobni Plus to work again, neither my license worked on the Pro version. And now it's a monthly payment! I will never use this product again.
-
"Ignores Mac Users, Windows version barely passable"
Version: Xobni 2.0.1
Pros
Okay but not intuitive
Cons
No Mac Support. Supporting iphone but not ipad or Mac OS is just plain silly.
Summary
If you are targeting business users you have to support Macs and PCs. Microsoft finally wised up and made a real Outlook product for Mac but Xobni is behind.
-
"Useful, but confusing"
Version: Xobni 2.0.1
Pros
Some useful features
Cons
too many distracting features, UI is confusing.
Summary
I used it for a while, the most useful feature to me is the search. others are just simply distractions. I have switched to InboxEx, which is free and does what I want.
-
"Originally thought this product was good, big mistake!"
Version: Xobni 2.0.1
Pros
Would be great if the software worked some of the time.
Cons
I originally bought the "plus" account, the product worked for about a year. Now the product no longer works and they want me to upgrade monthly plan. I cant stand bait and switch scams, this company is clearly in the business of bait and switch.
Summary
Buyer beware, Xobni is a bait and switch scam.
-
"Concept is great, but it's become crippling bloatware."
Version: Xobni 2.0.1
Pros
Data mining is cool, and the origins of this software were good. New data relationships spark innovation and opportunity for the user.
Cons
Freeware Version 2promises lots but delivers such bloat that my 64-bit 2.7-GHz AMD dual-core processor with 8 GB of RAM became unusable with Outlook open.
Summary
Back to the drawing board, Xobni coders. It's unusable bloatware now. My computer became a nightmare to operate whenever I'd open Outlook 2010 - if I could open Outlook at all, which I mostly couldn't the last three weeks of trying. I tried resetting the search cache and repairing the installation to no avail. I finally uninstalled the software three days ago and finally can use Outlook 2010 again. Admittedly, I have four or five very heavily trafficked IMAP accounts with thousands of messages and a dozen or fifteen POP identities. In other words, I'm a very heavy email user. But still, it all worked before version 2.0. Moreover, the promised improvements to data relationships are not offered so much to the freeware user. I believe, but am not certain on this part, that some things I used to be able to do for free in version 1.x are now unavailable as a freebie.
Add Your Review
Submit your reply
E-mail this review
Report offensive content
See more CNET content tagged:
Previous Versions:
