Why is the "New" Outlook for Windows client so awful...deliberately???

Anonymous
2024-02-26T17:21:00+00:00

While I believe I understand some of the reasoning behind the marginally improved "New" Outlook while lamenting the overall deprecated experience - namely, an effort to normalize the look and feel across the desktop, mobile and web versions - the path taken is regressive in nature, at least for those of us who've long relied upon the desktop variant to manage much of their eMail, task and scheduling affairs.

I've been comfortable with the working knowledge that detailed work associated with eMail, tasks and scheduling has been the province of the desktop client, while the mobile and web versions offered very functional and not as detailed abilities.

Now, after having lived with the "new" Outlook desktop client for months now, I can conclude that the 'improvements' to this client when compared to its current and soon former versions is far less capable and far more mobile/web like in function - overall, a deprecated experience.

One notable issue is the mere fact that one can seemingly no longer remove attachments directly from an eMail. While this may seem trivial to some, having attachments to eMail AND the ability to download same simply increases the already arduous task of managing one's documents, while increasing the overall storage footprint (since these could now be stored in at least two places), which could represent increased subscription costs over time.

Microsoft, PLEASE revisit this intended direction for the desktop client, and instead consider introducing some of the long-favored desktop client functions into the mobile and web variants, in turn genuinely introducing "new" functionality all around.

Outlook | Windows | New Outlook for Windows | For home

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-10-03T00:19:01+00:00

    I have also noted that I can't insert my signature in a Reply to an incoming message. It seems that this is because I am using HTML. If I change to Plain Text then I can insert said signature.

    What tortured brain came up with this idea?

    Seriously, New Outlook is an abomination. It has completely destroyed any pleasure I had in exchanging emails with friends and businesses that I deal with.

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-10-03T04:31:14+00:00

    It's like you guys don't even read before commenting!

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-10-03T15:46:46+00:00

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-10-03T15:49:19+00:00

    Hope you find what you need. It's ridiculous we have to go through all this in the first place.

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  5. Anonymous
    2024-10-04T01:21:01+00:00

    Ronnie, thanks for trying to help mate.

    With New Outlook the issue seems to be that if the incoming message is in plain text then my reply, in HTML, won't attach my signature.

    Yesterday I had two messages from the same person, one sent from their work and one sent from home. The first in plain text, the second in HTML. I could attach my signature to my reply to the second, but not the first..

    My work around was to reply to the first in plain text, add my signature (which came across in plain text) and then change the font in the signature to my usual Times New Roman and 14pt.

    It may seem to some to be a pedantic problem. But as an octogenarian my tired old eyes are greatly helped by a font with seriphs and at least 14pt.

    Why do we have to go through all this? Well, because the new program was not road-tested by a global cohort of users with different technical abilities, needs and preferences. Fortunately I caught the "computer wave" through work, but not the "phone wave." Older people without family to help them are marginalised by all this stuff. They will wait patiently at the checkout queue in the supermarket because they can't cope with the self-checkout. And, of course, many have English as only their second language. Microsoft just didn't think.

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