Microsoft Outlook is an application that is primarily used to send and receive emails. It is also used to manage various types of personal data, including calendar events and similar items, tasks, contacts, and notes. However, Microsoft Outlook is not free; you must purchase it outright or pay a subscription fee if you want to use it.

Microsoft Outlook was introduced to the public in 1997 and was included with Microsoft Office 97. Outlook Express was included with Windows XP (and was the only free version). Since then, Microsoft has released a plethora of updated versions, each with more features than the last.

Outlook is included in many of the Microsoft Office application suites, including Office 2010, 2013, and 2016, and Microsoft 365. It's important to note that not all versions include Outlook. For example, Microsoft Outlook is available in Microsoft 365 Home, but is not included in Office Home & Student 2016 for PC.

If you just want to send and receive emails, you don't need to buy Microsoft Outlook. You can use the Mail application that comes with Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. You can also get your email from your provider's website (such as https://mail.google.com/mail/). However, if you want to do more, you'll need a more powerful email management program.