The new desktop Outlook is a bad idea
windowscentral.com
The new desktop Outlook is a bad idea
1–10 of 155 posts
Re: The new desktop Outlook is a bad idea
#2The main problem is that Microsoft is trying to use a WebView. If they really want a single cross-platform app, they should develop a native framework that will work everywhere instead of shoving everything into a web engine.
Re: The new desktop Outlook is a bad idea
#3The new outlook also shows other Office365 apps in an icon column on the left — which I really don’t need because I already have them in the Windows task bar.
Re: The new desktop Outlook is a bad idea
#4"In April 2023, Microsoft started pushing an option to Microsoft 365 users to switch their desktop Outlook programs to the New Outlook as well. This has been optional for Insiders for a while, but now everyone gets a taste of the New Outlook. One of the key benefits appears to be full support for 3rd party e-mail and calendars, such as the very popular GMail. No doubt that many home users will welcome this option, but if Microsoft 365, which shares its code base with perpetually licensed Microsoft Office packages, loses Outlook, this will be one less reason for Microsoft to keep improving it."
All the Microsoft Office seems to be going to web programming for use on the Microsoft 365 websites and a unified codebase for PWAs / "native" clients that are WebViews or similar.
This leads me to believe that the future of Windows is as a ChromeOS-like thin client with everything happening in Azure to maximize Azure use, enable Copilot / AI, and increase subscription revenues.
Re: The new desktop Outlook is a bad idea
#5I acquired Office 21 LTSC because I really hated the new design so now I'm safe for the next 5 years.
Realize there are probably hundreds of UI designers working at MS who need to look busy.
Re: The new desktop Outlook is a bad idea
#6Been using outlook web only for several years now. No messing with outlook pst/ost/sync issues and one less app hogging resources.
Re: The new desktop Outlook is a bad idea
#7The main problem is that Microsoft is trying to use a WebView. If they really want a single cross-platform app, they should develop a native framework that will work everywhere instead of shoving everything into a web engine.
All Microsoft needed to do is look to the Apple Music app to know how bad an idea building it on WebView is.
But, yeah, I wholeheartedly agree that they should either develop or use a native framework (Flutter perhaps?) rather than trying to shoehorn a technology that has never been very good for application development.
Re: The new desktop Outlook is a bad idea
#8The main problem is that Microsoft is trying to use a WebView. If they really want a single cross-platform app, they should develop a native framework that will work everywhere instead of shoving everything into a web engine.
it's one thing when third parties do this, and quite another when it's the operating system manufacturer. it's as though Microsoft doesn't want Microsoft Windows users to feel good about being Microsoft Windows users when they use their Microsoft software from within Microsoft Windows.
Re: The new desktop Outlook is a bad idea
#9I acquired Office 21 LTSC because I really hated the new design so now I'm safe for the next 5 years. Realize there are probably hundreds of UI designers working at MS who need to look busy.
> I acquired Office 21 LTSC because I really hated the new design so now I'm safe for the next 5 years.
I'm personally using various free alternatives to Microsoft's offerings - Thunderbird for mail, LibreOffice for office work, something like Nextcloud for cloud file storage etc.
While things aren't always great, it's still surprising to me how viable this alternative path is nowadays, especially when it feels like control over the software we use is getting taken away from us (for a variety of reasons).
Either way, software that meets the users and their needs where they are is great! Someone will benefit from cloud based software, someone else with local software that's very popular, whereas others will just be happy to get by for free.
Of course, it's also great that we even have those options and alternatives in the first place!
Re: The new desktop Outlook is a bad idea
#10The main problem is that Microsoft is trying to use a WebView. If they really want a single cross-platform app, they should develop a native framework that will work everywhere instead of shoving everything into a web engine.
All Microsoft needed to do is look to the Apple Music app to know how bad an idea building it on WebView is. But, yeah, I wholeheartedly agree that they should either develop or use a native framework (Flutter perhaps?) rather than trying to shoehorn a technology that has never been very good for application development.
> All Microsoft needed to do is look to the Apple Music app to know how bad an idea building it on WebView is.
Teams.