Outlook.com yes – Outlook, No

To stave off confusion I need to make something clear from the outset.

I have been going around town promoting the use of outlook.com and outlook.com.au as an alternative email service to combat iinet, Telstra and just about every other email service being canned.
Outlook, as a email address is absolutely fine. But, as you will read soon, I am about to trash Outlook the application.
While they are both owned by MIcrosoft and both named Outlook, they are very different. One is a secure, robust email service and the other is a dumpster fire of an application.

Now, with that out of the way….

Outlook is free now… but who cares? Even this price drop wouldn’t convince me to use it instead of, well, anything else.

For starters the interface (even the old one) is over blown, confusing and tries way too hard to do nothing correctly.

But recently the interface has changed to the “new” Outlook and reaction to it has been visceral.

In most cases people turn it on without realising and suddenly they cannot find anything, compose or send any emails. I cannot tell you how many customers have begged “give me back my old Outlook”

Fortunately, at least at the moment, the reversal is easy.

Open Outlook

Click on the File menu

Choose New Outlook – it will have a tick next to it indicating that it is running. Choosing the option again will turn it off.

You’ll be asked to fill in a quick survey, so Microsoft can find out why everybody hates it, then you’ll be given the old interface back.

But what worries me is what happens when this interface is the only one on offer?

My solution is to not use it in the first place. Outside of an office environment (and not even then) I cannot see why anyone needs it.

Apple mail is all you need and if you are using Outlook now I employ you to consider moving away. You might need your mail converted but following that you’ll be using a very capable, functional mail app that is threaded into the operating system.

Free or not…Outlook is a waste of space.