A:
I haven't been able to install Microsoft programs on the Chromebook. That's one of the reasons I bought it - no Microsoft. I have a gmail account on the Chromebook and an Outlook email account on my desktop which I can access from the Chromebook. I can send and receive from my Outlook account using the Chromebook.
You can forward email from your Outlook account to the Chromebook and respond to your emails directly that way. I tried it but didn't like some of the features so I stopped. You may like this capability and find it useful.