Next, allow HTML mail from sources you trust to appear by default. In both Outlook 2007 and 2003, click Tools > Options > Junk E-mail (under the Preferences tab). Choose the Safe Senders tab and ...

Unlike plain text, HTML lets you include sophisticated marketing applications -- integrated into the HTML code -- to track how many recipients open your emails and/or click on the links. Such ...

If plain text is too minimal for you because you need formatting, but you don't want to waste time with too much formatting with the likes of Microsoft Word, then Markdown is a good in-between.