Windows Central Insider
It's no secret that Microsoft has been pushing hard for its customers to transition from the built-in Windows Mail & Calendar apps to the new Outlook client. However, the move has been met with backlash and reservations from users, including our Senior Editor Zac Bowden, who argued that the client isn't yet ready for prime time with its sluggish performance as one of the major pain points.
"Enshitification," a user lamented on Reddit. "Release a new product with less functions than the old one, but promote it constantly as "new", then charge customers extra to upgrade to a product which is nearly as good as the old one, but not quite, those extra bits you need are classed as a premium add-on."
New Outlook is a disaster; why do they persist, it is missing so many features from r/Office365
Feature parity is evidently a major point preventing most users from transitioning from the Classic Outlook to the new Outlook client. However, Microsoft is working hard to bridge this gap and has shipped 15 features over the last few months to the new Outlook client (via Neowin).
Some of these 15 features include the capability to pin a mail, which makes it easier to track important messages as they trickle in. It also features modern themes, including a dark mode. Additionally, you can temporarily snooze an email from your inbox until it becomes timely and relevant again, and a meeting recap.
Other notable additions include: improved meeting tracking, schedule send, and keyboard shortcuts to help you enhance productivity by bolstering effectiveness and efficiency.
To that end, Microsoft previously indicated that adoption and transition to the new Outlook client are slowly picking up pace; however, it's still pushing the opt-out phase by one year. This suggests that the company is giving organizations ample time to make the bold jump.
It's worth noting that Microsoft will continue supporting the Windows Mail & Calendar apps through 2029.
Have you transitioned to the new Outlook yet? Let me know in the comments.
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