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
    2025-03-06T23:13:34+00:00

    Thank you Jared.

    I do not see on mine any of Rules, Sweep or Junk Mail!!

    Do I have a different version perhaps? I don't even know how to see what version I have...

    I wish others could chime in on what to do. I'm in my 80s, just an old guy who uses the computer at home (Dell Laptop) for communication and financial matters, on-line purchases etc. - reasonably computer literate but lost completely when you get into technospeak.

    No family and no-one to assist me with this sort of thing unless I buy in help.

    I made two further posts yesterday, but they were rejected as undeliverable - maybe this one will get through?

    Right at the top of my screen I can see three headers - Home, View and Help. If I click on "Help" I can see a header that says "Go to Classic Outlook." If I click on this, will it take me back to Classic Outlook - or I will I lose everything? Google searches reveal various different answers - most say it will take you back to Classic Outlook - others say no. And If the latter I will be in a mess once again, so I am terrified to try.

    Can you, Jared, or anyone else help me with this please,

    Thank you all for your tolerance.

    Noel

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-03-07T08:31:01+00:00

    Hi Noel

    It should be fine to go back to Classic. That is exactly what I did and it works as it always did. It kept all my rules that I had previously in Outlook before the upgrade (I believe they are stored as part of your local profile).

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-03-12T18:57:59+00:00

    Who is the person that OK'd the new Outlook? Over the past month, I've tried to use it with an objective mind but it's really bad. Almost none of the methods to manage your mail account are available. Something as simple as sorting by name and then typing a few letters to jump to that name is missing. Whoever approved this, obviously never used Outlook because if they did, they'd never let the developers create this.

    Is the Outlook team even reading the comments? Do they even care?

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-03-13T00:31:32+00:00

    Microsoft is hiring exclusively scammers from a certain country, and this is the direction of the entire company; scam every user into paying what does not need to be paid for.

    The future is stealing your data without your consent or permission, and selling it to the highest bidder. Any app that Microsoft is injecting advertisements into should be avoided, it is a scam, and since they make deals with malicious advertisers, this is leading to people having their identities stolen and downloading viruses such as ransomware, all because the new hires at Microsoft have zero morals and do not care about their own customers having their identities stolen, why would they? It makes them more money.

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  5. Anonymous
    2025-03-18T03:03:28+00:00

    I now am resigned to living with the 'new outlook' after using mail & calendar since WIN 10.

    For me its a massive step backwards as the 'new' products do not add any benefit.

    I now, routinely, on opening the mail part, delete the ads, never reading or opening them. So companies using this as a source of advertising are just wasting their money.

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