This is quite a detailed query about Outlook Express's capabilities on an Apple Mac. I'm a PC user and have been trying out the "Stationary" facility on Outlook Express, making the customisation increasingly sophisticated and sending the emails to a friend with an iMac (OS 8.6). ("Stationary" takes the "Signature" idea a step further by using a standard pre-written HTML page as a template default layout for creating any "New Mail" messages). The Mac's version of Outlook Express (5.5) receives and identifies the most basic parts of the HTML coding with no problem; background color, font style, font size, font weight, font color as well as image location. It's also quite happy with the font properties being set as "Style" attributes within the "Head" tags along with colour and underline property changes on mouseover of a hyperlink. However, we've run into problems when including "Object" tags within the "Body" of the page pointing to an ".swf" Flash Movie file held on my webspace. I've mailed to several PC's which all display the Movie correctly "embedded" within the email without any problem. But the Mac completely ignores the content of the Object tags -- it doesn't even show a blank box where the Flash Movie should go - it's as if the Object content isn't there. Similar story with Object tags containing the coding to produce a basic Real Player - fine on a PC, no-show on the Mac. We tried to approach this another way and included some Javascript within the "Head" tags on the basic email/HTML page to automatically open a small pop-up window, containing a separate HTML page, held on my webspace, which includes the Object tags to point to the Flash Movie. Again, on a PC it works absolutely fine, with the email automatically launching the pop-up which plays the Flash Movie without any problem, but the MAC completely ignores the Javascript. By the way, the Mac shows everything on the HTML page correctly when that page is sent as a separate attachment (and opened in Internet Explorer), or when viewed directly from my web-space on-line (again via Internet Explorer).. suggesting limitations to the "browser" capabilities of the Mac's version of Outlook Express compared to a PC. Can anyone help with several questions which arise from our experiences: -- what's going on here.. I'd really like to understand why the Mac's Outlook Express ignores/doesn't read these particular parts of the email/HTML page when it's fine on a PC..? -- is it solvable (maybe with a sideways approach)..? -- are there any general guidelines/rules about what the Mac's Outlook Express WILL read.. and what it won't..? Any help gratefully received! Thanks.

Stop using HTML in e-mail. It has no business in e-mail whatsoever, and its use is the bane of many a pine/elm user's existence. p

More helpful responses still gratefully received!