Outlook makes the Mail.app look lame

[StellarVixen]

There. I said it.


While Outlook is improving with every version, Mail app looks like relic from the past.

Everything from UI to how well everything integrates together (contacts, calendar, tasks and notes) makes the Outlook a winner. While the Mail app looks like it was just assembled to give Mac users something, until they realize there are better options around.

The only downside is that Outlook comes with the Office package, so it's not free.

 

[satcomer]

There. I said it.


While Outlook is improving with every version, Mail app looks like relic from the past.

Everything from UI to how well everything integrates together (contacts, calendar, tasks and notes) makes the Outlook a winner. While the Mail app looks like it was just assembled to give Mac users something, until they realize there are better options around.

The only downside is that Outlook comes with the Office package, so it's not free.

Enjoy the yearly fees too!😋

 

[StellarVixen]

Enjoy the yearly fees too!😋

I already mentioned the downside.

 

[petvas]

Outlook on the Mac is far from perfect. My gripes with it are:

• No support for the today view
• No finder add-on available. I would like to be able to send a file via Outlook directly from the Finder..
• No support for the OS notifications. Outlook uses its own (lame) notifications

In general, Outlook lacks the OS integration I would like to have.

 

[tobefirst ⚽️]

Enjoy the yearly fees too!😋

You can still purchase Office outright, so no yearly fees necessary.

 

[StellarVixen]

You can still purchase Office outright, so no yearly fees necessary.

Yes, and you are limited to one device only, and no upgrade when new version comes out.

 

[D3ggy]

Outlook on the Mac is far from perfect. My gripes with it are:

• No support for the today view
• No finder add-on available. I would like to be able to send a file via Outlook directly from the Finder..
• No support for the OS notifications. Outlook uses its own (lame) notifications

In general, Outlook lacks the OS integration I would like to have.

I tried it today and the first thing I wanted was show unread. When I applied the filter it returned nothing despite knowing there were 5 unread messages to see.

How long do you think I kept using it for after that? 20 minutes after repeatedly trying to get to unread messages.

 

[StellarVixen]

I tried it today and the first thing I wanted was show unread. When I applied the filter it returned nothing despite knowing there were 5 unread messages to see.

How long do you think I kept using it for after that? 20 minutes after repeatedly trying to get to unread messages.

Can't help you, as I never had that problem.


If it was happening regularly, you think anyone sane in their mind would be using Outlook?

 

[petvas]

I tried it today and the first thing I wanted was show unread. When I applied the filter it returned nothing despite knowing there were 5 unread messages to see.

How long do you think I kept using it for after that? 20 minutes after repeatedly trying to get to unread messages.

I never had that, but sometimes Outlook will not refresh the smart folder (Unread) properly.

 

[n-evo]

I use Mail for my private messages and Outlook (Office 365) for my work mail. To be honest, the complete lack of system integration is what annoys the most about Outlook. It doesn't use the custom keyboard shortcuts I've set in System Preferences. I has these ugly custom pop-up windows. And frankly I come across these bugs and unexpected behavior I don't encounter anywhere else. On the e-mail side of things I'm not doing anything with Outlook I'm not doing with Mail and vice versa.

That said it's true Mail hasn't received an overhaul in ages, but then again I don't really miss features there either. Overhauling Mail in my case would be changing things for the sake of change. Which isn't bad per se, but it isn't necessary either.

 

[Fuchal]

Mail works like a normal mail client and that's why I like it. I don't need workflow integrations, snoozing, or things like that. And there are plenty of good options for people who do want those things.

 

[petvas]

I use Mail for my private messages and Outlook (Office 365) for my work mail. To be honest, the complete lack of system integration is what annoys the most about Outlook. It doesn't use the custom keyboard shortcuts I've set in System Preferences. I has these ugly custom pop-up windows. And frankly I come across these bugs and unexpected behavior I don't encounter anywhere else. On the e-mail side of things I'm not doing anything with Outlook I'm not doing with Mail and vice versa.

That said it's true Mail hasn't received an overhaul in ages, but then again I don't really miss features there either. Overhauling Mail in my case would be changing things for the sake of change. Which isn't bad per se, but it isn't necessary either.

I don't want to use two mail clients, but I agree with everything you wrote about Outlook..
Mail should get better with Exchange (O365) accounts. This is its biggest weakness..

 

[tothemoonsands]

I recently switched from Airmail to Mail. In my opinion, Mail has everything I need. And it’s free!

 

[user_xyz]

Outlook web app is Free and works well.

 

[Big Bad D]

Mail might be basic, but it does what I want.

 

[n-evo]

Mail works like a normal mail client and that's why I like it. I don't need workflow integrations, snoozing, or things like that. And there are plenty of good options for people who do want those things.

Mail actually has the a ability to silence a conversation in Catalina haha ;-) I noticed the bell symbol in its toolbar the other day.

 

[MarkSta69]

Are all the notifications supposed to disappear when you check one email or go to the inbox?

When I have multiple emails and read one of them or go to the inbox. The notifications for the emails I haven’t read disappear.

 

[cyb3rdud3]

There. I said it.


While Outlook is improving with every version, Mail app looks like relic from the past.

Everything from UI to how well everything integrates together (contacts, calendar, tasks and notes) makes the Outlook a winner. While the Mail app looks like it was just assembled to give Mac users something, until they realize there are better options around.

The only downside is that Outlook comes with the Office package, so it's not free.

If you like all these functions that have nothing necessarily to do with mail in a single heavy slow-loading application then yes. Outlook has had that approach since its first introduction.

I prefer the standards-compliant approach of apple applications. For me that works better. I also like a good working unified inbox, but keep work email away from my personal at the same time such that I don't get tempted in my own time to look at them. Having separate applications is great as I can keep work exchange server-based email in Outlook (unfortunately their browser-based client is severely lacking in attachments from cloud locations for example), another work email is in their GSuite managed browser. Yet in the Apple Calendar, I can bring a single overview of multiple clients, personal calendaring together. My personal email addresses are all in Mail. And Contacts brings together the directories from several employers and clients, together with my private contacts.

As Outlook is great with Exchange but so so with others, it is really hard to get that to work well. Nor does it integrate well at the transport layer with anti-virus solutions. And as an application, it is big and slooooow.

 

[vegetassj4]

Outlook doesn't play well with Calendar either...

Sync your iCloud calendar with Outlook for Mac - Microsoft Support

Sync your iCloud calendar in Outlook for web. Once you sync your iCloud calendar in Outlook for web, the calendar will automatically sync in Outlook 2016 for Mac.

support.office.com

 

[cyb3rdud3]

Outlook doesn't play well with Calendar either...

Sync your iCloud calendar with Outlook for Mac - Microsoft Support

Sync your iCloud calendar in Outlook for web. Once you sync your iCloud calendar in Outlook for web, the calendar will automatically sync in Outlook 2016 for Mac.

support.office.com

Yet iCloud is fully standards iCal compliant. Outlook always had a problem with that. Same with exchanging and synchronisation of contacts.

I find it easier to get a consolidated calendar view when enabling those other proprietary protocols in Calendar app. That way you can have a good working overview of all you calendars in iCloud, exchange and google to name a few.

 

[EdwardC]

Used Mail for my business since Mail has been an app. Works great for me, I like the simplicity of it. Same goes for the iOS version.

 

[konqerror]

Yet iCloud is fully standards iCal compliant. Outlook always had a problem with that. Same with exchanging and synchronisation of contacts.

That sounds good in theory, but none of the major cloud services, Office 365, G Apps and even Amazon WorkMail fully support iCal/CalDAV sync. All three of these services use Exchange Web Services instead, making Outlook the better choice. Essentially, iCloud stands alone in protocol support.

iCal invites via e-mail never work right either. It seems Microsoft, Apple, and Google each have their own implementation differences and screw up in critical ways like timezones. I've learned to ignore those invites and manually enter calendar entries by hand, lest something critical gets mixed up.

Contacts situation is pretty much the same, again everybody else relies on EWS for push sync of contacts.

I'm pretty sure iCloud's PIM functions are running on the old and now forgotten Netscape/Sun Java System/Oracle Communications suite and iCal/CalDAV is the only thing it actually supports.

 

[cyb3rdud3]

Exchange is great if you want to be locked into the Microsoft system. And it works well for many. Yet Microsoft can’t even get it to work fully for their own cloud services. It’s only a hybrid cloud.
Nothing wrong with CalDav and multi time zone support. I work predominantly across the U.K., Central Europe, Russia, UAE and Singapore. With some New York as well.

 

[Clix Pix]

Sad that anyone feels they have to poison their Mac with some MS crap.....

 

[petvas]

Exchange is great if you want to be locked into the Microsoft system. And it works well for many. Yet Microsoft can’t even get it to work fully for their own cloud services. It’s only a hybrid cloud.
Nothing wrong with CalDav and multi time zone support. I work predominantly across the U.K., Central Europe, Russia, UAE and Singapore. With some New York as well.

I am sorry but I don't understand this statement. How are you being locked into the Microsoft system if using Exchange? You can easily move your mail to a different system or just set up a new one and use forwarders. Hybrid cloud refers to companies that are using an on premises Exchange infrastructure and want to connect it to Office 365, which is the cloud offering of Microsoft. Many companies have completely migrated to the cloud and do not use Exchange on premises. Your statement is wrong.