Javier Soltero: The Outsider Microsoft Tapped To Reinvent Outlook (windowsitpro.com)

v3rgEz writes: In a wide ranging interview, IT Pro talks with Microsoft's Javier Soltero about his plans to help Redmond get its groove back when it comes to email, walking a fine line between keeping traditional Outlook users (and IT administrators) happy while radically reworking software that hasn't seen a huge shakeup since 2003.

Comments

Outlook's search

[Tony Isaac]

The biggest problem with Outlook isn't the UI, it's that it stinks at search. It takes FOREVER to search all your folders if you have any significant amount of email, and what it does find is often not relevant.

I for one am thankful that my company has moved to GMail for business.

Re:Really?

[Nkwe]

Outlook isn't the fucking problem, exchange and its bastardised architecture is.

No. Outlook is also a fucking problem.

The architecture of the data stores is an ongoing cluster-fuck. A single-file data file-based data store that's simply allowed to grow into obscene, unstable, performance destroying sizes. More-over, if you crash one of the files, your chances of actually recovering anything is somewhere between "Pray for a miracle" and "Just start over".

When used in a corporate environment (with an Exchange server), the Outlook data store does not grow unbounded. Outlook caches a subset of your mailbox for potential offline use and the bulk of your data sits on the Exchange server. When online you can seamlessly search and access all of your past email; when offline you can access what you have cached. The Exchange server uses a fairly robust database which supports transaction logging and replication, and also has several recovery options if needed.

Re:Really?

[CrankyFool]

We had Exchange and moved to Google Apps
1. Email
2. Calendars
3. Contacts
4. To-do lists
5. IMs
6. emailcontactscalendar integrations

If we wanted something like Project or TFS or Sharepoint, that'd be a problem, but aside from those ... I'd say we got pretty much everything we wanted, and it works pretty darn well. We also don't have to admin it.

Re:All latest changes are productivity killers

[rsborg]

I'll add more disagreements with Outlook that I've been complaining about since Mac Outlook 2011

1) Mac versions *still* can't send in future (i.e., I know someone's in a meeting, I want them to see my mail pop up right as they get back to their desk 30m later without ... waiting) Windows Outlook has this, Mac doesn't.
2) Just the other day my location bar dropdown stopped working (was curiously right after an update, and yes, I have rebooted since). This just sucks - I want my old meeting rooms and webex fixed URLs handy when I'm booking meetings!
3) Still no ability (without a hack) to put bulleted lists in email replies. Seriously?!?
4) No ability to email my calendar availability (again, Win Outlook can do it, Mac OL can't)
5) Want to search multiple folders? Needs a 2nd click (i.e., I want to find an email either in my send or inbox, but that takes an extra 2 clicks). In Windows, you can default your search preferences.