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Microsoft Stops Development Of Outlook Express

Jman314 writes "According to a ZDNet story, Microsoft will cease development of their Outlook Express email client. "The technology doesn't go away, but no new work is being done. It is consumer email in an early iteration, and our investment in the consumer space is now focused around Hotmail and MSN. That's where we're putting the emphasis in terms of new investment and new development work." says Dan Leach, lead product manager for Microsoft's information worker product management group. Microsoft's alternatives include, not surprisingly, the full version of Outlook."

12 of 769 comments (clear)

  1. What? by Quasar1999 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Oh, ok... so what you're saying is we no longer have outlook express... it's now part of the OS and we can't de-couple them... it's an integral part of the OS... honest your honor!

    Seriously... They're doing with outlook express, what they did with Internet Explorer... except this time, they are bundling outlook functionality with their Web business, instead of their OS... Same shit different pile...

    --

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    Programming is like sex... Make one mistake and support it the rest of your life.
  2. Re:Good news for Evolution! by simon_aus · · Score: 4, Funny

    THere's a whole heap of vulnerabilities yet to be implemented to give a fully rich and satisfying "user eXPerience".

    --
    Stopping myself...Abort (core dumped)
  3. It may go away but... by ebuck · · Score: 4, Funny

    So Outlook express will go away. I'm not going to shed many tears over it.

    Still, how long will it take before the users who download Outlook Express stop hunting around on the net and installing it? I still have people reaching around in their directory (or desk drawer) of important stuff installing horribly old versions of Netscape 4.x (where x is a very small number) so they can use it's email reader.

    Most of the users are bound to the one product they chose when they REALLY NEEDED it to work. During that crisis period, they put in the time and effort to get THAT product to work, and that's the extent of their software understanding. Microsoft may try to wash it's hands of Outlook Express, but I imagine a day (ten years from now)

    Hey, could you look at my home computer? It seems I have an email problem.

    Really? I thought that email was totally autoconfiguring on your system!

    Yea, but for some reason, Outlook Express, says it can't connect to my Internet.

    Arrrggghhh....

  4. Excellent Smithers! by Cranx · · Score: 5, Funny

    Take away their free email program and they'll be FORCED to buy our commercial products! Ha!

    Quick Smithers, find the Mozilla development team and kill them all!

  5. What are those crazy monkeys up to? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    First they're cancelling IE, and now OE.

    It's like that memo making security "job #1" was real or something...

  6. Re:they want to focus on webmail... by Edgy+Loner · · Score: 4, Funny

    Definately. As long as whoever runs the server is trustworthy. Of course Micrososft is pretty good in that regard -
    Oh wait, never mind.

  7. Re:Yes, by ramzak2k · · Score: 5, Funny

    Microsoft will find new ways to make IT staffers suffer. Suffer ? Its job creation dude. Rock on

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    Siggy Say, Siggy Do
  8. Re:Bait and Switch by gobbo · · Score: 4, Funny

    Oh yeah! Sounds great! Let's see, umm... me@hotmail.com. Nope, hmm. me2@hotmail.com. MMMh. me2dood@hotmail.com. Eh! is anything available!? meetooooyoudamnpigbilly@hotmail.com. ARRGGHH how can that be taken! OK try this: me_bork_bork_bork_boogliachoo129@hotmail.com ... Finally. OK, login here, WHAT? spam already?

  9. Re:Methinks it is bad.. by Dr+Reducto · · Score: 4, Funny

    In a related note, my email address is hotmail, so it was kind of a joke. But I could still keep my 1337ness by saying I am bringing them down from the inside.

  10. Re:they want to focus on webmail... by hdparm · · Score: 4, Funny
    ms (can) fix a bug, rather than expect everyone to apply their fixes for them.

    When you wake up, please be so kind and let us know what happened by the end of your dream.

  11. In related news.... by Stinky+Glen20 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Stocks in all major Antivirus vendors were down on the news.

    CEO's of major Antivirus vendors were unanimous in advising their shareholders that "there's nothing to worry about - there are plenty of other Microsoft products out there..."

  12. Now you tell me! ;-) by fmaxwell · · Score: 4, Funny

    Tools -> Message Rules -> Mail -> New -> "Where The Message is from the specified account" -> "Move it to the specified folder" ..

    Damn! You learned me sumthin' new. I thought "Where The Message is from the specified account" referred to the sender's address (as in "From:").