Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
my company doesn't like me connecting to the corporate network from home using regular outlook (no idea why)

It's easier for them to track you from the web app, most likely. Company IT is all about control and it kind of has to be that way.
 
I don't think Microsoft would do this if they didn't think they could do it well, keep functionality, and make users happy. I'm optimistic. I know, optimism and not complaining are a rare thing on these boards, so I'm sorry to be off tune.
If Teams didn't suck, I would share your optimism.
 
Yeah I guess they’re going to use Electron similar to what their MS Teams App is. Let’s see.
 
The current Outlook Mac app is pretty good. But I have concerns about Microsoft moving to "universal" models, which often mean "optimized for Windows, everyone else is second-class" in Microsoft parlance.

Apps like Teams don't use native Mac APIs, so things like notifications and window targeting behave in distinctly non-Mac ways. Even little things like "close" buttons being in the top right (Microsoft UX standard) vs. top left (Mac UX standard) is infuriating.
 
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.
Teams is absolutely awful, though. I've been using it since September, and it drives me nuts.
  • I frequently lose the ability to bring the main Teams window to the front.
  • Turning on Do Not Disturb on the Mac does not silence the Teams notifications, which do not follow the standard Mac notification format.
  • Custom OS-level spelling and autocorrect dictionaries are not used.
Microsoft likes to do things the Microsoft way, even when perfectly good APIs are available.
 
I honestly wonder, for those people commenting negatively in regards to the web version, have you all actually used it? The web version is extremely clean, and sometimes faster than the app-based version whether on the Mac or PC, and always faster than iCloud web-based software. I have been zealously anti-Microsoft in the past, for good reason... but they are innovating extremely quickly and they are clearly not discriminating against the Mac. Seems like a few people to try it before they knock it...

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.

Exactly!
 
  • Like
Reactions: MysticCow
Is this related to privacy labels? No need to acknowledge any tracking on the open web. Everyone is used to accepting all cookies now.
 
Call me crazy but I think this is a good thing because Microsoft can focus on adding features that the entire base of users can enjoy on day one. And, I think web technologies have really come a long way. We already do most of our work using web technologies. The web is FINALLY becoming the universal killer app it was intended to be from inception. And honestly, the Mac version of Outlook has always lacked frustratingly features found in the Windows version. There will still need to be apps for the big boy stuff (video editing, creative tools, photo editing). But we're talking (mostly) cloud-based email here. I don't see the fire.
 
It'll be an Electron app running the web client. You'll need an M1 with more than 8GB to run it.

Or, we find a way to make TenFourFoxBox work, hit the web version they want us to access now anyways, and have a bit more control?
 
I just recently switched from an iPhone 7 to a 2020 iPhone SE, and it was eye-opening to see how much my user experience improved simply by everything being faster and more snappy.

Companies ignore this at their peril, and this move by Microsoft is a classic example of a company being more focused on ease of multi-platform development than they are on delivering excellent user experience.

So begins the long, steady descent into obscurity...
 
  • Like
Reactions: GalileoSeven
What about S/MIME encryption/signature support? Outlook Web doesn't support that. Only the stand-alone Outlook client does.

This likely won't bother individual users but enterprises may be in for an unpleasant surprise unless they make sure that the new client has full S/MIME support.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GalileoSeven
This is going to cause issues for those using shared mailboxes as the current app in preview doesn't support them and is abysmal. I can see users moving to windows just for shared mailbox support. From a business point of view this is a leap backwards.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: GalileoSeven
I remember I was a diehard Microsoft fan girl and outlook was my most used product outside of windows phone and windows 8/10. Then I gradually sort of became all in on Apple. I just wish Microsoft would stop with redesigns and resets every other year.
 
What does this mean for Exchange??
Nothing really. The big question is what this for all Outlook add-ons mean...Especially archiving solutions and custom signature tools, or even profile migration tools will have a lot of issues..It will be interesting to see what happens when this new version comes out..
 
  • Like
Reactions: LeadingHeat
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.
Our corporate O365 instance is HORRIBLE. After logging in, you have to wait 5 min to allow it to cache objects, otherwise anything you click on will either come up blank, or not respond at all. It truly is a horrible user experience.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GalileoSeven
I honestly wonder, for those people commenting negatively in regards to the web version, have you all actually used it? The web version is extremely clean, and sometimes faster than the app-based version whether on the Mac or PC, and always faster than iCloud web-based software. I have been zealously anti-Microsoft in the past, for good reason... but they are innovating extremely quickly and they are clearly not discriminating against the Mac. Seems like a few people to try it before they knock it...



Exactly!
Ability to use with other accounts : Nah
Ability to properly use shared inbox without refreshing the page and waiting every damn time : Nah
Ability to auto change dark mode since most of the websites can support this easily : Nah
Ability to swipe left/right to archieve/delete, ability to swipe at all? : Nah
Ability to make it default on mailto: like Gmail ? : Nah

We can go on and on... Web is not desktop. Cross platform apps sucks if they use same codebase since the framework they need is also not good on everywhere. Outlook for Web does work for basic needs, it's not advanced like Windows client or has solutions you are used to do in every single mail app on desktop.
 
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.
Thats sounds as bad as the Web APP to me. Microsoft, despite the talk, still props up windows by delivering the best outlook experience there.

Personally I hate outlook, and would never use it anywhere.
 
This is not insubstantial.

I've been saying for years that Outlook should be bundled with Windows and not Office. Though, for this to not suck, it needs to not scrap functionality currently present in Outlook for Mac or Outlook for Windows.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.