How is MS pushing the new Outlook app in this state?

JohnnyGui · Mar 29, 2024

1. Clicking a mail alert popping up in the right lower corner opens the Outlook app and only shows the Inbox, not the mail that you clicked on. And after around 8 seconds later, a separate Outlook mail window pops up showing the actual email.

2. The mail alert pop up does not contain actions like Delete, Archive or Mark as read. You'd have to open the Outlook app and then look for the mail (see 1.) to do those actions.

3. Gmail does not give mail alerts when the Outlook app is closed.

The old Mail app doesn't have these issues at all.

MS may replace an app but how can such basic issues/lacking features be missed when they're trying to push this to the public?

Is anyone else having these issues with the new Outlook app or is it just me?

Ghot · Mar 29, 2024

JohnnyGui said:
MS may replace an app but how can such basic issues/lacking features be missed when they're trying to push this to the public?

Because we're the guinea pigs. ^^

And yes... it seems a lot of folks are having issues like yours. Check it out

antspants · Mar 29, 2024

Ghot said:
Check it out

Helmut · Mar 30, 2024

It has been mentioned many times before.
As a user of the current Mail & Calendar App for 8 years it is very annoying having New Outlook installing and erroring out, once OK, but on my laptops maybe 10x.
Microsoft stated many years ago they were going to use Home version users of Windows 10/11 to test new features. They have gone way over the top with New Outlook(beta, really an alpha product).

antspants · Mar 30, 2024

I think people need to take into account when mentioning that we are beta testers: Microsoft cannot account for the every individual software setup, hardware configs per machine or users screwing around with the OS to ensure 100% bug free releases. What works for one causes problems for another.

JohnnyGui · Apr 12, 2024

antspants said:
I think people need to take into account when mentioning that we are beta testers: Microsoft cannot account for the every individual software setup, hardware configs per machine or users screwing around with the OS to ensure 100% bug free releases. What works for one causes problems for another.

The thing is these mentioned issues are general bugs many people have, such as the email opening 8 seconds after clicking on the alert.

I find it hard to believe such widespread issues have been missed just because one's individual config is different from the other. It's as if MS hasn't even tested these aspects of Outlook before throwing it out to the public.

Helmut said:
It has been mentioned many times before.
As a user of the current Mail & Calendar App for 8 years it is very annoying having New Outlook installing and erroring out, once OK, but on my laptops maybe 10x.
Microsoft stated many years ago they were going to use Home version users of Windows 10/11 to test new features. They have gone way over the top with New Outlook(beta, really an alpha product).

I have Windows 11 Pro and I still get these beta features.
Also, it's a huge pain to stop the Mail app from notifying me to download the Outlook app. Even though I have refused it several times, it still downloads Outlook automatically each time I open the Mail app afterwards. Eventually it stops bothering me with it but it's quite a hassle.

hdmi · Apr 13, 2024

JohnnyGui said:
It's as if MS hasn't even tested these aspects of Outlook before throwing it out to the public.

They have this whole bunch of Windows Insider subscribers to do all sorts of testing for them. Only problem, a lot of these people are vocal on the internet about how they are active contributors to this testing, but the obvious reality is that their being vocal about it is where most of the story ends. So, this is what you get as a result.

Edwin · Apr 13, 2024

Shop around.

Helmut · Apr 13, 2024

Edwin said:
Shop around.

I did.

Edwin · Apr 13, 2024

Helmut said:
I did.

And......

BruceR · Apr 13, 2024

JohnnyGui said:
1. Clicking a mail alert popping up in the right lower corner opens the Outlook app and only shows the Inbox, not the mail that you clicked on. And after around 8 seconds later, a separate Outlook mail window pops up showing the actual email.

The new Outlook email appears instantly for me.

JohnnyGui said:
2. The mail alert pop up does not contain actions like Delete, Archive or Mark as read. You'd have to open the Outlook app and then look for the mail (see 1.) to do those actions.

Expanding the notification via the top-left dropdown provides options including delete.

Winuser · Apr 13, 2024

hdmi said:
They have this whole bunch of Windows Insider subscribers to do all sorts of testing for them. Only problem, a lot of these people are vocal on the internet about how they are active contributors to this testing, but the obvious reality is that their being vocal about it is where most of the story ends. So, this is what you get as a result.

As an Insider I have to ask. What does the Insiders have to do with MS releasing a buggy version ~~Outlet~~ Outlook to the public?

antspants · Apr 13, 2024

Winuser said:
As an Insider I have to ask. What does the Insiders have to do with MS releasing a buggy version Outlet to the public?

I believe the point being is that not enough Insiders report issues where the reports are needed, but rather complain online which has no impact.

Winuser · Apr 13, 2024

Edwin said:
Shop around.

I'm glad I never used Outlook. I used Thunderbird for years. Now I use eM Client. @BunnyJ suggested it to me and I've been using it ever since.

Winuser · Apr 13, 2024

antspants said:
I believe the point being is that not enough Insiders report issues where the reports are needed, but rather complain online which has no impact.

I do know what his point was. My point is that jus because some of us are Insiders doesn't necessarily mean that we also use ~~Outlet~~ Outlook. I know I don't and never have.

antspants · Apr 13, 2024

Winuser said:
I'm glad I never used Outlook. I used Thunderbird for years. Now I use eM Client. @BunnyJ suggested it to me and I've been using it ever since.

In the long run I’ll probably end up on Thunderbird. But Outlook still is and always has been the most powerful feature rich EM client I’ve ever used. That hasn’t changed, yet.

antspants · Apr 13, 2024

Winuser said:
I do know what his point was. My point is that jus because some of us are Insiders doesn't necessarily mean that we also use Outlet. I know I don't and never have.

What’s this “Outlet” you keep referring to?

Edwin · Apr 13, 2024

antspants said:
... not enough Insiders report issues where the reports are needed, but rather complain online which has no impact.

I can't subscribe to that!
Gosh sakes, it would take one MS Dev to open the new Outlook once and realize that it's not suitable for wide release!
Can't lay the onus completely on Insiders!

antspants · Apr 13, 2024

If insiders aren’t going to give constant feedback through the correct channels at Microsoft, why are they insiders in the first place? The whole point of being an insider is to contribute to future builds of Windows.
If there are insiders who purely use insider channels as a hobby and have no interest in using them for what their intended for, perhaps they should shutup and not complain about things that don’t work for them or they don’t like, in forums like this one?