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Introducing Outlook.com - Modern Email for the Next Billion Mailboxes

blogs.office.com

31–40 of 341 posts

Re: Introducing Outlook.com - Modern Email for the Next Billion Mailboxes

#31

The reason Outlook is the world's most used mail client is because people are often forced to use it to access their company email. While anecdotal, I don't know a single person that uses outlook because they choose to. However, hopefully, outlook.com can introduce some innovation in the space, although, I'm skeptical as I am with most Microsoft 'innovation.'

We switched to Google Apps at my company. Out of 120 employees, there are still 37 using Outlook. Some of them use Gmail on the web periodically, but most of those 37 are adamant about not switching (even though the Outlook on Gmail experience is objectively terrible compared to in-browser).

Re: Introducing Outlook.com - Modern Email for the Next Billion Mailboxes

#32
post #14

The reason Outlook is the world's most used mail client is because people are often forced to use it to access their company email. While anecdotal, I don't know a single person that uses outlook because they choose to. However, hopefully, outlook.com can introduce some innovation in the space, although, I'm skeptical as I am with most Microsoft 'innovation.'

To give a counterpoint, I not only know maybe a half dozen people who voluntarily use Outlook; I know at least two who voluntarily use Outlook on a Mac . I think the fact that few developers enjoy using Outlook is causing you to overgeneralize. Most people who don't care about things like whether their email is in mbox format, or who don't want to learn how to use Mutt or notmuch, find Outlook surprisingly easy to us…

That would be me with a Mac.

Re: Introducing Outlook.com - Modern Email for the Next Billion Mailboxes

#33

The reason Outlook is the world's most used mail client is because people are often forced to use it to access their company email. While anecdotal, I don't know a single person that uses outlook because they choose to. However, hopefully, outlook.com can introduce some innovation in the space, although, I'm skeptical as I am with most Microsoft 'innovation.'

As a counterpoint, at my work you can choose what you use. All Windows users are using Outlook. Half of the Mac folks are using Outlook, then there are a couple Sparrow users and the rest use Mail.

Re: Introducing Outlook.com - Modern Email for the Next Billion Mailboxes

#34
post #29

Microsoft really doesn't care about branding: once I logged in to my new @outlook.com Inbox using Outlook.com, I was redirected to live.com where I had a single message pre-sent to me from the "Hotmail Team" welcoming me to Microsoft Live Hotmail.

Hotmail is their Email service, Outlook is their email client.

Re: Introducing Outlook.com - Modern Email for the Next Billion Mailboxes

#37
post #4

Signup captcha appears to be case sensitive (or something??). After try number 6 I give up. Nice work, Microsoft.

I came here to also complain about the CAPTCHA. I almost gave up after the 4th try but I really wanted to see what this was all about. I don't know what they are thinking with that monstrosity.

it is likely the email id you are trying to use is already taken up. If you scroll up a bit, there may a error mark near the email field (I had this issue and but was trying to change the captcha).

Re: Introducing Outlook.com - Modern Email for the Next Billion Mailboxes

#39

Just tried it out and from my initial experience gotta say this isn't bad. The UI feels pretty clean and easy to read (which I always found to be an issue with gmails web interface). Doesn't look like you can use IMAP with it though so I doubt I will use it for my main email address anytime soon.

I sort of disagree. The UI is clean but things aren't where you expect them to be and it makes it confusing. For instance, I didn't know where to put the subject when I was sending my first email -- it's huge but it's weirdly placed and unintuitive. I also couldn't find the Send button at first because it's on the Nav bar -- not where I expected.

I also agree with the post below re: branding. I went to "Help" to see what they had and it took me to a windows.com page saying "This page doesn't exist" followed by "Hotmail Help". Nice.

Re: Introducing Outlook.com - Modern Email for the Next Billion Mailboxes

#40
Yeah ! It doesn't look like outlook anymore. The UX/ UI is so fucking amazing.

Microsoft's target is to reach with 1 billion users around the world with newly invented Hotmail which I believed so far will never going to hit.

But with a new brand and some impressive features, Microsoft's Web email service might finally be cool again.

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