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Look out! Outlook wants to become your new social media and collaboration hub
The list of much-needed features that OSC brings to Outlook is long and juicy. 'Activity Feeds' is the new social media technology, collating the activities of your contacts into your Outlook screen. LinkedIn support is included in the current beta version, but there's no mention of anything like Twitter or Facebook support yet.
There's also neat functionality to show you all of the attachments sent between you and another contact, a communication history that shows you your recent emails with that contact, Next year, there will be added connectivity with Windows Live Messenger! There are numerous mentions of 'extensibility' and an easy-to-use developer kit, however, so I'm sure lots of other add-ons will emerge in due course.
For enterprise users there's even a SharePoint 2010 interface! Actually, does anyone really use Outlook outside the enterprise environment? Do social media 'gurus' use Outlook?
There's a little introductory video after the break, from the Outlook Team Blog!
Comments
20
Subscribe to commentsxavierjazzNov 18th 2009 6:21PM
I use Outlook without any connection to enterprise.
I am a single user. Once you can understand Outlook, it is an amazing tool.
Regards.
Sebastian AnthonyNov 18th 2009 7:13PM
I used to use Outlook... for many years. I stopped using it about a year ago and moved to Gmail -- when my inbox crashed for the 10th time...!
(I'm one of those people that keeps an IMAP inbox of some 50,000 emails -- and when Outlook crashes and has to reload all 50k, it can be a bit tiresome :P)
mahNov 19th 2009 2:32AM
I agree, Outlook is amazing. I'm on 2007 and it is my truly unified inbox for every piece of information. I have 4 IMAP accounts (despite the admittedly crap IMAP support that Sebastian couldn't figure out), multiple shared calendars via google and office live, every appointment from tomorrow's schedule to next year's car registration expiration scheduled, notes for shopping lists and things input daily from my moleskine, and tasks in a hierarchical GTD-ish order. Outlook has plenty of problems but nothing out there compares.
Sebastian AnthonyNov 19th 2009 7:10AM
Huh? I said I used it for IMAP... how did you extrapolate that to 'couldn't work out'? Or did it just pain you too much to agree with me?
So are you an enterprise user, business man, or just an every-day emailer?
mahNov 19th 2009 8:29AM
Sebastian, your email crashed "10 times" and you think gmail is a substitute for all Outlook has to offer? I have an multi-faceted configuration and I often push outlook hard and have roughly the same number of emails yet my client doesn't crash (regularly :). Also, you don't see me posting on downloadsquad about features that are already implemented in outlook 2007 or claiming features are available when they aren't. All evidence points to a user problem.
Sebastian AnthonyNov 19th 2009 8:36AM
I am still confused as to what you're insinuating that I 'couldn't work out'?
It could be memory issues, hard disk issues, or completely unrelated -- the point is, when Outlook crashed, I would sometimes have to reload my entire local inbox. Which is a bit of a pain.
I consider myself a power-user, but I don't work in an office/enterprise situation. So far I haven't found anything that I could do in Outlook that I can't do with Gmail.
I didn't say 'all'. I suggested that Outlook only has features that enterprise ('business') users will require.
Remember that an Outlook actually costs a fair bit too!
mahNov 19th 2009 10:24AM
I'm insinuating that you don't do your research hence any problems you had without outlook were likely not outlook's fault. don't get me wrong, outlook has plenty of problems, but in this instance the evidence is stacked against you:
1. you have twice misquoted me despite my words being right here on the page, copy and paste is your friend
2. you claim that "LinkedIn support is included in the current beta version" when it won't be supported until next year
3. many features you imply are new are already included in outlook 2007
4. you claim that you "haven't found anything that I could do in Outlook that I can't do with Gmail" which means you never really used the outlook feature set
5. you think only business users care about PIM functions
6. I'm not even sure what you think it means to reload an inbox in an IMAP environment (but that one has at least some explanation)
7. you mention that outlook is expensive but you used it for years thus that point is moot.
Sebastian AnthonyNov 19th 2009 10:30AM
Thanks for your attention to detail (and man, lists are always awesome -- do bullet points not work in the comments here) -- but... I'm lost. Too much and too early in the morning.
I guess you are just looking for an argument...
Have a nice day!
xavierjazzNov 19th 2009 12:03PM
Since you guys know so much about Outlook and I am just a small time user, can you help me with a problem?
I have installed Outlook connect to run my Hotmail account, and am able to read everything, but am unable to send. Can you please help me?
Thanks.
Sebastian AnthonyNov 19th 2009 12:03PM
Google gives this:
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/microsoft-office/use-hotmail-from-microsoft-outlook/
DeadlYRageNov 18th 2009 10:03PM
Come on guys, do your research. Microsoft already own the best networking site. Facebook!:)>
sdfsdfdsfNov 19th 2009 5:39AM
I am using Outlook 2003 as a single user. 2007 is simply too ugly.
Outlook still is the best PIM out there. Even as email client I don't see any alternative. That is surprising actually, since Microsoft has hardly worked on Outlook in the last years.
Maybe 2010 is going to change that, I'd be glad.
Sebastian AnthonyNov 19th 2009 7:11AM
Perhaps that's why I moved away from it -- its lack of development.
Or more likely I just couldn't find a use for about 90% of its functionality. And as far as plain ol' email inboxes go... Gmail seemed to fulfill all the criteria!
Thus the enterprise comment :)
sdfdsfsdfdsfNov 20th 2009 4:14AM
Yeah, but I am not a big fan of web-based apps, so I need a desktop app. And Thunderbird is just terrible (I am using it on my work PC where we have no Outlook).
eM Client shows some promise, but is not ready for prime time yet.
Steve GNov 19th 2009 6:37AM
I'd agree with sdfsdfdsf - although I use 2007. Plenty of alternative (and good) email clients out there, but nothing to compare with Outlook if you want the full PIM functionality.
Sam12Nov 19th 2009 7:30AM
outlook is outdated...i dnt think they can achieve their target now...i have never ever used this...
mkoNov 19th 2009 8:29AM
I'm a single user and I use outlook.
But solely for calender and tasks purposes. Which I later sync with my S60 phone.
I don't use outlook as an email client. (I use Opera's internal client)
In fact I don't use emails with exception of confirming a registration to a web site or 'someone commented on your photo/video etc'
My primary means of communication with my friends are either SMS or IMs (Msn using Miranda)
Sebastian AnthonyNov 19th 2009 8:37AM
The sync is certainly one thing that Outlook still does very well (and bonding with an Exchange server so that you can access/change things from any Internet-connected PC).
Are there no 'syncing' web-apps?
KnightlyScribeNov 22nd 2009 9:34PM
Outlook is great - it's Microsoft's best program, by far.
DaveDSFeb 6th 2010 7:23PM
You might want to also try RedCritter for Outlook. It has social Apps and a lot more. Silverlight developers can even create their own Apps that run inside Outlook. You can download it for free at www.redcritter.com
www.redcritter.com