Microsoft Outbids Legacy Mail Apps in Push for Unified Outlook Experience
In a move towards a streamlined user experience, Microsoft is set to retire its standalone Windows Mail, Calendar, and People apps by the end of the month. The tech giant is urging everyone on Windows to embrace the redesigned Outlook app, a web-based platform aiming to centralize email, scheduling, and contact management. This transition follows Microsoft’s November announcement confirming the discontinuation of the legacy apps.
While users can still export their local emails, calendar data, and contacts into the new Outlook through December 31, 2024, beyond that point, the ability to send or receive mail through the old apps will be disabled.
Microsoft emphasizes that the new Outlook is designed for everyone, offering advanced features like AI-powered writing assistance.
“The new Outlook for Windows is for everyone. Now everyone with Windows gets the best of Outlook built into Windows for free," Microsoft stated. AI is also on hand "to help you write impactful, clearer, mistake-free messages."
However, not everyone is enthused about the change. Some users have voiced their concerns, expressing a preference for the minimalist functionality of the classic apps.
"I don’t need a bloated mail client. Mail and Calendar apps just work," one user lamented on Reddit. "If I need a more fully featured email client, I will just use the Office 365. [B]ut the ‘new’ Outlook is garbage."
This shift marks another chapter in Microsoft’s evolution of email tools, mirroring past transitions, like the retirement of the beloved Cardfile application in favor of Schedule+ and Outlook Express.
The web-based nature of the new Outlook, although deemed more streamlined by the company, has resulted in a cosmetic shift and a perceived slowdown in performance according to some users.
With this deadline looming, users have a choice: embrace the new Outlook, explore alternatives like Thunderbird or Vivaldi’s email client, or risk losing access to built-in email functionality.
