Is there a bug in Mac Mail

Question

I've read several other threads that seem to describe a problem similar to my own. None of these threads seem to offer a proper solution. Maybe by stating the problem clearly, someone will tell me how to proceed.
I just got a new imac with Lion onboard. I can not find any way to import my old Entourage mailboxes into Mail. The main problem is that Entourage 2004 won't open in Lion, because it's old code. But Mail demands that Entourage opens to do the import. In other word, Mail's method of   "import mailboxes" doesn't work with Entourage.
I even tried this. I opened Mail on my other computer, a macbook running SL. Then I tried an import of the Entourage database. It doesn't work there either. what i get is an import of my largest folder (with 20 subfolders and maybe 1800 messages). So I'm wondering if Mail import has a size restriction, and if so, I may need to divide up my database into smaller increments. '
The bear in the room, is that when i copy the macbooks Entourage database onto the imacs desktop, and then open my trial version of Outlook, it does the import flawlessly. I prefer to use Mail, and not spend a lot of extra money buying Outlook. I will bite the bullet if Mail can't do what i need.

Answer 1

No I can't. Mail can import several formats, but Outlook is not one of them. Outlook can export as an .olm database, but  .olm can't be read by Mail.  I even tried installing both Eudora and Mozilla as an interim step, but neither works with one or the other of Mail or Outlook.
The main problem seems to be that even my Snow Leopard version of Mail (in my macbook) can't grab the Entourage database even though it sees it. As I say, it will import about 1800 Entourage messages and folders, but then seems to hit a brick wall, and the rest of the folders are accurate, but they are totally empty of contents. Since this same import works just fine between Entourage and Outlook, I conclude that Mail has a bug in its importing function. At least as far as Entourage goes.
How rude that Apple updates Mail for Lion, but doesn't pay attention to the fact that one of the most common imports is for Entourage. But to import from Entourage, Mail's import algorithm demands that it actually opens Entourage. But Entourage can't open in Lion. Classic Catch-22. Nice work Apple.
I'm just trying to figure out a workaround that will let me use Mail. Here's why.
It gets even worse. i bought Microsoft Office when I bought the imac, ONLY to use Entourage or Outlook. but I didn't pay attention to the fact that the $120 "Home Version" doesn't even come with Outlook. To get Outlook beyond its "trial", MS won't let me  buy it as a standalone, or an add-on to what i already paid for. So to get Outlook beyond the trial, I have to buy the $250 version of Office, even though i don't ever use Word or Excel.