Microsoft to Replace Outlook for Mac With New Universal Client

[MacRumors]

Microsoft is planning to replace Outlook for Mac with a new web-based universal Outlook client, according to Windows Central.

Months after announcing a complete redesign of Outlook for Mac, Microsoft is reportedly intending to scrap its current Mac app and replace it with a new client based on the Outlook web app.

Codenamed "Monarch," the project is Microsoft's attempt to build a single Outlook client across Windows, Mac, and the web. The new client will also replace the default Mail and Calendar apps on Windows 10 and unify Microsoft's entire selection of Outlook apps.

Project Monarch is said to be based on the pre-existing Outlook web app, offering the best indication of how the replacement app will look and function when it is released. While there will apparently be some native OS integrations for the likes of offline storage and notifications, the overall goal is to remain as universal as possible across platforms.

The change allows Microsoft to use the same codebase for apps on all devices, helping it to streamline development. For users, the new single client would be smaller in size and offer the same user experience across all devices.

Microsoft will reportedly begin to preview its new Outlook client toward the end of 2021, and plans to replace the Mail and Calendar apps in Windows 10 in 2022. Outlook for Mac will presumably be deprecated at some point during this timeframe.

Article Link: Microsoft to Replace Outlook for Mac With New Universal Client

 

[MakeAppleAwesomeAgain]

It would be nice if they'd make up their mind for once and not completely change Outlook every 2-3 years.

 

[ruka.snow]

This sounds like a terrible move that'll take away a rather performant app and replace it with some electron garbage. The only plus side being that could open itself to an easy Linux client.

 

[Wackery]

How funny would it be if the last office programs were only available on Mac

 

[duanepatrick]

It looks more microsoft-ish now.

 

[MBAir2010]

i read that Microsoft "Near the end of this year, the Mail and Calendar apps within Windows 10 could be phased out for a new, web-centric version of Outlook—which could gobble up the traditional Outlook app as well, at a later date" From Mark Hatchman Pc world

 

[adepew]

Why is it so hard to make Outlook on Mac function like Outlook on Windows? No one wants this watered down web experience.

 

[MysticCow]

So I've gone in my Microsoft for Mac travels from Outlook Express to Entourage to Outlook to "Outlook kind of not really web-based maybe it's Outlook or maybe it's the Outlook we get from checking our email from the portal website."

 

[OSXATL]

Seems Microsoft have forgotten the lessons of Word 6. Who the hell is going to pay for a email/calendar app that is a wrapper around a web app? I’m guessing they’re going to use Electron.
I’m betting they just don’t care. Mac Outlook sales are probably minuscule and they figure a cross platform Electron app is better than the bad press no app at all would produce.

 

[jgbr]

Unacceptable. I don’t want a web app. I want a responsive locally hosted secure application. Stop ruining apps.

 

[DreamyLucid]

So I am expecting subscription prices to go down after the launch of this.

 

[DreamyLucid]

Seems Microsoft have forgotten the lessons of Word 6. Who the hell is going to pay for a email/calendar app that is a wrapper around a web app? I’m guessing they’re going to use Electron.
I’m betting they just don’t care. Mac Outlook sales are probably minuscule and they figure a cross platform Electron app is better than the bad press no app at all would produce.

If they really go the electron path, then screw it. Paying for an electron wrapped web app is just robbery.

 

[MBAir2010]

Outlook.mail world great on the MacBook Air, still does not have the w10 features tho.
I still cant get my iCloud mail to do anything in windows 10 because my account settings are "out of date".
perhaps this is a good thing, since i dont want to be bothered on every device i own.

 

[SteveAbootman]

If I wanted the web experience for Outlook, I'd open my web browser.

 

[MHenr]

So I am expecting subscription prices to go down after the launch of this.

😂😂😂

 

[GalileoSeven]

Getting rid of the Mac version makes sense.........but replacing the Windows version (which I use daily) with something like this would be a disaster.

 

[MHenr]

Getting rid of the Mac version makes sense.........but replacing the Windows version (which I use daily) with something like this would be a disaster.

Why would it be a good thing on Mac and not on Windows?
I use my MBP for work and it would be a huge pain in the ****** if Outlook went away.

 

[egrimo]

I really don’t get it. They promised a better experience on Outlook for Mac, they are designing that app since that for Apple trends, and I admired that move. Than, fire Product manager of this success early 2 months before and now switch to Electron like Teams, this is lazyness, not a solution. Electron/react apps SUCKS. I’m saying this as an iOS dev, these apps really can’t do well on both platforms.
I understand that Outlook crops many features Windows one has, but doing this will also degrade its quality. Honestly, this will only improve Pages/Numbers/Keynote’s popularity and usability if they also decide this for Word/excel/powerpoint.
why companies kill apps for cost reduce and think that it’s better to have 1 code-base...

 

[coolajami]

This is unlikely. They would need to keep Outlook around, or replace it with another app, as it is necessary for the exchange servers and intranets for security reasons.

 

[n-evo]

So why invest all this effort in a new Outlook for Mac that after many months of testing, months after its official release still isn't capable of supporting Exchange accounts? Deciding on a direction and sticking with it is still asking for the impossible with Microsoft. Anyway, we'll probably end up with some slow, resource intensive and battery draining Electron app with offline mode. Looking forward to that.

 

[Trik]

Come on Microsoft... Apple is making it easy, put everything into the iPad app, which will please mobile users / C Level Execs, then just port that to the Mac. And with M1 ever increasing adoption, it'll be easier than ever.

 

[RoadCyclistID]

Well now that I am back in the Mac world, I did give it a try. What a POC. The server never linked up and my gmail accounts (the only ones I would allow to go to outlook) never updated.
Delete.

 

[Jeaz]

As someone who almost exclusively use the web app of Outlook as it outperforms both Mac and Windows versions in terms of features and interoperability between other Office apps, I say it’s a good move. It makes distribution of new feature so easy for the developers and they can let go of all the legacy stuff expected from the desktop app.

 

[MBAir2010]

Microsoft thinks and are banking their users will use everything at once like people I know who use google and apple for thier photos, mail, planners and spreadsheets and everything else computer related without straying away from their system. maybe "project monarch" will have a cortana voice based included to run their apps.

this will happen around 2022 as that PC World article states, which would be a hindrance for apple users to have to add Microsoft to their devices just to keep their jobs. Personally, I purchased a Dell XPS for work last year to simply keep all that non-apple apps off my MacBook Air and was eventually let go because i would not install anything google on the XPS.
I'm glad that happened because i still think i am needed solely for my brain- then my computer skills.

 

[urbanmacUser]

This is no different to what MS are doing with Teams. It will be a web based app but in a desktop wrapper (electron js https://www.electronjs.org) a one size fits all approach.