Way OT: Have you tried the "New" Microsoft Outlook?
For you office workers on the board, I'm curious if your organizations have granted you access to the "new" Microsoft Outlook version that is rolling out. Just yesterday, I got a popup prompting me to try it. After 24 hours of giving it a shot, I have switched back to the old.
I consider myself an early adopter with trying new things, so I was excited to try it out. I switched back because some basic features I use/need every day are not there.
How about the rest of the board here? Anyone else give it a shot? Anyone think you'll stick with it?
I tried it last week. After 30 minutes trying to attach a contact to an Email I switched back.
On the bright side I could have looked up that same contact on Linked In if that was any use to me…..
I’m sure it has some fine features but I am not touching it again without an extensive tutorial.
Ran into it as well. Sent Outlook 365 a message to call. Almost the same. Copy contacts on Excel .pst file, copy all, past and cc all on a dummy email Don't send it but the contacts will appear. Or just go to MS and have them give ya tutorial while they take over your computer, ask questions. Then you will be convinced to go back to the old. I could have just posted the last line but I needed to share my misery of this process.
I'm forcing myself to give it a chance. So far, not a fan. It just looks "too slick". Not sure I want to spend a bunch of time with the settings to make it look like the old Outlook, when I can just switch back.
Trying to install it. Apparently it isn't compatible with my version of Windows 97. "Planned Obsolescence" at its finest. Jerks.
🤣🤣
I heard it is compatible with Windows 95 🤓
But only if you have dial-up.
MS Teams has revolutionized everything. The need to be in the office to collaborate has been diminished to an extent that we don't need to be in every day.
Yes, lasted about an hour, switched back.
Now I have to wonder which Microsoft executive is going to 'fall' out of a window...
It was mostly fine, kinda liked the slick appearance but I need the "bar" that lets me flip from emails to calendar to to-dos to remain on the bottom, not the side. Couldn't get over it. Switched back in an hour.
Used to be able to hit ctrl 1,2, 3 etc to flip between them. Not sure if that functionality went away.
God, I hate it. Outlook has switched over to it several times now, always with the ability to revert, which I always do.
Here's my main nitpick: I heavily depend on folders, nested several levels deep. The indentation is way too shallow in New Outlook! It's much harder to tell at a glance and everything looks like it's in the same plane. Give me my visual hierarchy!
Also, if you have rules that move emails to folders automatically, you do not have the option to still pop a desktop alert. Rules from the old Outlook with the alert set as an action are incompatible in the new version. And when you create a rule in the new version, there's no option to add a desktop alert as an action. This was the primary reason I switched back; I rely on some of these rules to still pop up a desktop alert, so when emails were coming through and going to my folders without me knowing, that was impactful.
That's a show stopper right there. I need an alert that triggers a pop-up every time I have a PO I need to approve. Those emails are easy to miss, and you become the a-hole real quick when purchasing has to hunt you down constantly.
I'd rather be the a-hole for different reasons, like my personality. :)
I have not, but yeah that reminded me of when Salesforce switched from 'classic' to 'lightning'. My gawd how much i hated lightning.
Logged in to upvote (and twitch involuntarily).
I just installed it and am trying it. There are some weird UX choices they've made. The two that stood out are:
- I have focused and other inboxes. When I switch between inboxes, the email I had previously selected is no longer selected and I get the "select an item to read" message in the email pane.
- For some reason, they've limited the pane width. I like the center pane with my emails listed to be a bit wider and the email preview pane on the right to be a bit narrower. Now, it looks like the right pane has a fixed minimum width which is wider than I prefer.
- It did not carry over all my settings like dark mode, additional calendars, etc.
Jury's still out. I'll probably go back to the classic one until I'm forced to switch.
I work for a large company so ask me again in a decade or two
What's the worst Microsoft related update? I think it's whatever version of windows (8?) that tried to make you use apps but you could toggle back to the old desktop version.
Don't know if this was considered an update but the paper clip mascot -- Clippy? -- felt like a Microsoft version of "New Coke." Immediate organ rejection for me.
I believe Clippy came from Microsoft Bob, which may be the stupidest thing Microsoft ever released.
"Bob" was a project run by Melinda French. It was an anvil plopped atop a pin (it ran on top of Windows 3.x which ran on top of DOS).
The only success out of it was that Melinda French became Melinda Gates, so while it was a business disaster for Microsoft, it worked out well for Bill Gates personally.
The worst MS update? Not allowing multiple .xls files to open within the same window. It used to be that you could open multiple files in the same window, toggle through and see what's different between them. Now they open up as tiled windows and you have to try and line them up exactly the same, which is nearly impossible.
I thought the update from MSDOS 3.0 to 3.1 was pretty solid. I was fully onboard.
Some key personnel must have departed shortly thereafter.
When everything is going just fine and running smooth, why do people always have to screw with things and mess it up?
I even hate it when LG wants me to download the new look texting.
To get additional sales? It's why companies stop supporting smooth-running previous versions.
Microsoft has really lost their way. I actually paid for a Windows 95 Beta kit. Now I earn money keeping Windows 11 off PCs.
That was terrible and lasted 2 minutes until I flipped the switch back off.
How do you switch back to the old version?
Ben is the guy that will stay on the new Outlook and constantly report all the problems to MS until they fix them! Thanks, Ben!!
I didn’t know I had a choice to switch back! Thought corporate IT just converted everyone at once. Don’t like change, but it’s not horrible.
I can't get it to download for some reason
The C64 was epic in its day, When I think of Outlook, the VIC 20 really comes to mind. LOL.
Microsoft is the reason I spend 20 hours a week working on non essential IT "emergencies" at work. It almost always starts off with someone saying I wanted to try the "new" version, so I clicked OK.
Job security
LOL!! I have three Windows admins that are just now starting to learn Linux, and all three already prefer RHEL 8 to Windows - and they can barely spell it!
Slightly OT - I recently got some advice to essentially make 2 different inboxes. One inbox for internal email (and maybe super tight vendors) and one for "external" email. Create a rule to send everything to the external box, except company.com senders.
Best advice I've ever gotten.
This is what happens when you sacrifice functionality for a "clean" UI. I hate it.
I want Windows XP back.
Anyone know the best Linux to use?
Now you're talking. And I want my Eudora back too.
My rule of thumb, don't pay a subscription fee for something that should be a one time purchase. I'll never go to O365.
We switched to Gmail a while back which I fucking hate using for work. We also use Front which is over engineered piece of shit. Email just needs to be an inbox with some folders and filters. I don't need 500 features that work 75% of the time and require time with our dedicated implementation representative to figure out. Fuck myyyyyy liiiiifffffeee.
I dislike few pieces of software more than Outlook. My desktop client is Thunderbird.
Yeah and I'm not a fan. I suppose I'll get used it though.
Tried it. Hated it. Switched back.
IT guy here... We were forced to adopt it before everyone else for "Support" so far we are the only team that has made the change. Don't know how many calls/emails I've gotten saying we broke their outlook... Remote in, swap it back to old everyone is happy.
Shit has not been right since when Lotus 123 went away.
I also try to be an early adopter of new technology. I gave it a shot, like you there were things that it doesnt do that the old version does, so i switched back after about half a day.