Please verify this before I throw Outlook 2007 in the trash

[hostricity]

I've gone from being quite happy with Outlook 2007, to being
bewildered by it, to now being outraged that Microsoft could actually
screw something up even worse than Vista.

I use IMAP exclusively and have about 6 IMAP email accounts configured
in Outlook 2007.

Here's what I have discovered:

1. The follow-up flag only has only on and off settings - the other
settings are goine.

2. Categories do not work at all with IMAP.

It is claimed that the above was done to improve task management.

Unfortunately, I see no way to use the Outlook 2007 task and to-do
features with IMAP.

IMAP seems to run faster on Outlook 2007 and it does have the handy
feature of purging deleted items when changing folders.

BUT, am I correct that the category and follow-up features are simply
gone and that there are no task and to-do capabilities for IMAP?

This is a BIG problem for us because our customers are starting to use
IMAP and prefer it over POP.

If I am correct, perhaps I can get abusive with the company from which
we purchased Outlook 2007 for our employees and get a refund.

What in the H does Microsoft think they are doing? Are they trying to
turn Outlook into an email client that is useless without Exchange
server?

Anyone care to suggest how we might use IMAP in Outlook to get the to-
do, scheduling, and task management features we had in Outlook 2003?

Geoff Staples
Hostricity Web Hosting
Dallas, Texas

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

IMAP is an email only protocol - it has nothing to do with Tasks or anything not related to email - IMAP never has. Why would you expect Microsoft to mess with the IMAP standard?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Message_Access_Protocol

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

I've gone from being quite happy with Outlook 2007, to being
bewildered by it, to now being outraged that Microsoft could actually
screw something up even worse than Vista.

I use IMAP exclusively and have about 6 IMAP email accounts configured
in Outlook 2007.

Here's what I have discovered:

1. The follow-up flag only has only on and off settings - the other
settings are goine.

2. Categories do not work at all with IMAP.

It is claimed that the above was done to improve task management.

Unfortunately, I see no way to use the Outlook 2007 task and to-do
features with IMAP.

IMAP seems to run faster on Outlook 2007 and it does have the handy
feature of purging deleted items when changing folders.

BUT, am I correct that the category and follow-up features are simply
gone and that there are no task and to-do capabilities for IMAP?

This is a BIG problem for us because our customers are starting to use
IMAP and prefer it over POP.

If I am correct, perhaps I can get abusive with the company from which
we purchased Outlook 2007 for our employees and get a refund.

What in the H does Microsoft think they are doing? Are they trying to
turn Outlook into an email client that is useless without Exchange
server?

Anyone care to suggest how we might use IMAP in Outlook to get the to-
do, scheduling, and task management features we had in Outlook 2003?

Geoff Staples
Hostricity Web Hosting
Dallas, Texas

 

[hostricity]

Milly:

Perhaps, someone who doesn't have a blind allegiance to Microsoft and
an uncontrollable compulsion to defend the failings of Outlook might
offer some suggestions about how to make do with Outlook 2007 and
IMAP.

First of all Milly, I don't apppreicate your snotty lecture on the
IMAP protoocol. Apparently, you do not understand the importance of
email in the typical business.

Secondly, IMAP integrated with Outlook features in Outlook 2003. It no
longer does in Outlook 2007. That is a step backwards.

Third, other email clients integrate IMAP with organizational and time
management features.

They do this using metadata. That means the email client keeps its own
datastore of descriptive informaton about IMAP email so that it can
provide a linkage to time management and organizational features.

It is indeed unfortunate, Milly, that you don't understand this.

Geoff Staples

P. S. You might find it amusing, since we have the same last name, to
know that our family dog is named "Milly". GS

IMAP is an email only protocol - it has nothing to do with Tasks or anything not related to email - IMAP never has. Why would you expect Microsoft to mess with the IMAP standard?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Message_Access_Protocol

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.


I've gone from being quite happy with Outlook 2007, to being
bewildered by it, to now being outraged that Microsoft could actually
screw something up even worse than Vista.

I use IMAP exclusively and have about 6 IMAP email accounts configured
in Outlook 2007.

Here's what I have discovered:

1. The follow-up flag only has only on and off settings - the other
settings are goine.

2. Categories do not work at all with IMAP.

It is claimed that the above was done to improve task management.

Unfortunately, I see no way to use the Outlook 2007 task and to-do
features with IMAP.

IMAP seems to run faster on Outlook 2007 and it does have the handy
feature of purging deleted items when changing folders.

BUT, am I correct that the category and follow-up features are simply
gone and that there are no task and to-do capabilities for IMAP?

This is a BIG problem for us because our customers are starting to use
IMAP and prefer it over POP.

If I am correct, perhaps I can get abusive with the company from which
we purchased Outlook 2007 for our employees and get a refund.

What in the H does Microsoft think they are doing? Are they trying to
turn Outlook into an email client that is useless without Exchange
server?

Anyone care to suggest how we might use IMAP in Outlook to get the to-
do, scheduling, and task management features we had in Outlook 2003?

Geoff Staples
Hostricity Web Hosting
Dallas, Texas

 

[Roady [MVP]]

I don't know why you would start offending people who are trying to help you
free of charge.

Like it or not, but Milly's reply is a correct response to your initial
question. The IMAP protocol is not designed to sync all the extra metadata a
client application could add. You can debate if that is a good thing or not
but in my view it is not a good thing to offer too many extra features that
cannot be synched since it could create end-user confusion (this is from a
knowledge worker productivity researcher point of view and not a Microsoft
biased point of view). When you mix these IMAP supported an unsupported
features end-users will not clearly see what does and does not get synced
and could start relying on features which they should not.

You might want to take this a step back and review why exactly they prefer
IMAP over POP3 or even another mail protocol. IMAP is handy as a mail email
only protocol as it is designed for. In terms of productivity in combination
with task and time management it offers no noteworthy support whatsoever and
mixing it with client only supported tools would break the foundation of
choosing for IMAP (in that it provides a 2-way client-server sync).

Milly:

Perhaps, someone who doesn't have a blind allegiance to Microsoft and
an uncontrollable compulsion to defend the failings of Outlook might
offer some suggestions about how to make do with Outlook 2007 and
IMAP.

First of all Milly, I don't apppreicate your snotty lecture on the
IMAP protoocol. Apparently, you do not understand the importance of
email in the typical business.

Secondly, IMAP integrated with Outlook features in Outlook 2003. It no
longer does in Outlook 2007. That is a step backwards.

Third, other email clients integrate IMAP with organizational and time
management features.

They do this using metadata. That means the email client keeps its own
datastore of descriptive informaton about IMAP email so that it can
provide a linkage to time management and organizational features.

It is indeed unfortunate, Milly, that you don't understand this.

Geoff Staples

P. S. You might find it amusing, since we have the same last name, to
know that our family dog is named "Milly". GS

IMAP is an email only protocol - it has nothing to do with Tasks or
anything not related to email - IMAP never has. Why would you expect
Microsoft to mess with the IMAP standard?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Message_Access_Protocol

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

message
I've gone from being quite happy with Outlook 2007, to being
bewildered by it, to now being outraged that Microsoft could actually
screw something up even worse than Vista.

I use IMAP exclusively and have about 6 IMAP email accounts configured
in Outlook 2007.

Here's what I have discovered:

1. The follow-up flag only has only on and off settings - the other
settings are goine.

2. Categories do not work at all with IMAP.

It is claimed that the above was done to improve task management.

Unfortunately, I see no way to use the Outlook 2007 task and to-do
features with IMAP.

IMAP seems to run faster on Outlook 2007 and it does have the handy
feature of purging deleted items when changing folders.

BUT, am I correct that the category and follow-up features are simply
gone and that there are no task and to-do capabilities for IMAP?

This is a BIG problem for us because our customers are starting to use
IMAP and prefer it over POP.

If I am correct, perhaps I can get abusive with the company from which
we purchased Outlook 2007 for our employees and get a refund.

What in the H does Microsoft think they are doing? Are they trying to
turn Outlook into an email client that is useless without Exchange
server?

Anyone care to suggest how we might use IMAP in Outlook to get the to-
do, scheduling, and task management features we had in Outlook 2003?

Geoff Staples
Hostricity Web Hosting
Dallas, Texas

 

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

I do find it highly amusing that we share the same last name as my brother's name is George and is, it appears, as much of a lecturing tard as you are.

If you come here asking how to make one protocol (apples) behave like another (oranges), one has to presume that the inquirer does not understand that apples are not oranges.

Second, if you come here to ask a question and you don't like the answer, that is no excuse to jump down the throat of volunteers who try to help the people who post here.

However, now that I know the exact nature of your sorely lacking personality, rest assured that I will never again attempt to answer any of your poorly formed questions.

As for the family dog, I am sure she is of outstanding breeding and loyalty. However, my loyalty is not to Microsoft, but your loyalty appears to be to vitriolic insults towards strangers.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

Milly:

Perhaps, someone who doesn't have a blind allegiance to Microsoft and
an uncontrollable compulsion to defend the failings of Outlook might
offer some suggestions about how to make do with Outlook 2007 and
IMAP.

First of all Milly, I don't apppreicate your snotty lecture on the
IMAP protoocol. Apparently, you do not understand the importance of
email in the typical business.

Secondly, IMAP integrated with Outlook features in Outlook 2003. It no
longer does in Outlook 2007. That is a step backwards.

Third, other email clients integrate IMAP with organizational and time
management features.

They do this using metadata. That means the email client keeps its own
datastore of descriptive informaton about IMAP email so that it can
provide a linkage to time management and organizational features.

It is indeed unfortunate, Milly, that you don't understand this.

Geoff Staples

P. S. You might find it amusing, since we have the same last name, to
know that our family dog is named "Milly". GS

IMAP is an email only protocol - it has nothing to do with Tasks or anything not related to email - IMAP never has. Why would you expect Microsoft to mess with the IMAP standard?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Message_Access_Protocol

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.


I've gone from being quite happy with Outlook 2007, to being
bewildered by it, to now being outraged that Microsoft could actually
screw something up even worse than Vista.

I use IMAP exclusively and have about 6 IMAP email accounts configured
in Outlook 2007.

Here's what I have discovered:

1. The follow-up flag only has only on and off settings - the other
settings are goine.

2. Categories do not work at all with IMAP.

It is claimed that the above was done to improve task management.

Unfortunately, I see no way to use the Outlook 2007 task and to-do
features with IMAP.

IMAP seems to run faster on Outlook 2007 and it does have the handy
feature of purging deleted items when changing folders.

BUT, am I correct that the category and follow-up features are simply
gone and that there are no task and to-do capabilities for IMAP?

This is a BIG problem for us because our customers are starting to use
IMAP and prefer it over POP.

If I am correct, perhaps I can get abusive with the company from which
we purchased Outlook 2007 for our employees and get a refund.

What in the H does Microsoft think they are doing? Are they trying to
turn Outlook into an email client that is useless without Exchange
server?

Anyone care to suggest how we might use IMAP in Outlook to get the to-
do, scheduling, and task management features we had in Outlook 2003?

Geoff Staples
Hostricity Web Hosting
Dallas, Texas

 

[F. H. Muffman]

What in the H does Microsoft think they are doing?

....

Well, uh... it *is* their product to do with what they will, isn't it?
It's not like they bought the Mona Lisa and decided to put the WinXP Verdant
Hill behind her.... Outlook is hardly a 'treasure'.

Are they trying to
turn Outlook into an email client that is useless without Exchange
server?

I don't connect to an Exchange server, but I don't find it useless.
Probably because I'm not linked into an online server store that uses a
relatively old protocol (ie: IMAP). POP works quite well, since the server
is irrelevant and everything is local.

Anyone care to suggest how we might use IMAP in Outlook to get the to-
do, scheduling, and task management features we had in Outlook 2003?

Call Microsoft. Ask them to return the functionality that was there before.