SAN FRANCISCO – Ever wish you could access your Outlook calendar and other data without, you know, running Outlook? Then here’s the utility for you: Outlook on the Desktop, which pins your calendar, contacts, and other PIM-formation to your Windows desktop.

The program was designed mostly with the calendar in mind, and as such it lets you view and create appointments, meeting requests, and so on-right on the desktop. You can also view your contact list, inbox, notes, and tasks, though to check mail, open contact records, add new tasks, and the like, you’ll have to venture into Outlook proper.

Outlook on the Desktop gives you full control over the size, location, and opacity of the interface, and you can even assign it to a different monitor if you use more than one. Plus, it lets you pin multiple instances to the desktop: inbox here, calendar there, and so on. You can select any Outlook folder to view, including shared and public folders.

The program works with Windows XP and later and requires Outlook 2000 or later. It’s definitely a handy little freebie for Outlook users. If you like it and decide to keep using it, throw a few bucks to the developer, who gladly accepts donations.