Put the knife down and take a green herb, dude. (c) Ruffin Bailey 2001-2021

Is it just me, or is Gmail's online interface becoming too cluttered? It's trying to be a desktop client. The beauty of Gmail in the browser is twofold: Clean interface and great searches. That's it.

Heck, with the phone and chat UIs, it's morphing from a complicated desktop application to a desktop. That's bad.

It's strange to think that sometimes not being quite done is your advantage, but after spending a little time in the fairly refreshing Outlook.com interface (rough around the edges, sure, but clean, with improved search), Gmail hits me as too cluttered.

Microsoft is potentially doing something right, though it might take Windows X before they get a feel for it. They're finally doing the Apple trick -- give everyone 90% of what they want better than they expected it, and tell them that's it. You're not getting your last 10%, because there are six billion last 10%s. We're giving you what we want, and you're going to like it, because it's smooth.

Google has, I think, finally [at least temporarily] plateaued. Wonder if Yahoo can make a comeback.

Labels: apple, gmail, Google, hotmail, microsoft

From Outlook.com Helps Microsoft Fight Google for the Workplace - The CIO Report - WSJ:

Microsoft’s launch of the Outlook.com email platform, designed to replace Hotmail over a period of time, will help the company fend off Google’s challenge for its business in the enterprise.

This guy's got it. Hotmail's going away as a site only because Microsoft thinks this will be the silver bullet allowing it to change the brand -- they've already tried to make Hotmail into MSN and WindowsLive, neither of which worked. It's not going away because consumers don't like it. It was the Coke of consumer email. It's now the Pepsi, but only barely. It's nowhere close to (ie, lightyears ahead of) Yahoo's Snapple.

The crucial point is that Hotmail for consumers is fine. And Microsoft would love for you home users to keep using the site and clicking the ads. But Gmail is apparently making so much more cash on providing corporate (and university) Gmail "solutions" than advertising that Microsoft would just as well forgo the consumer ad revenue if it means they can sell to the enterprise. So poof, hello comes Outlook.com, adless hotmail with a few social features thrown in.

Here's why it's a long-term winner (where "winner" here only means "better idea than just hotmail.com"):

Anyone who has used Hotmail & Gmail knows Hotmail's interface doesn't just stink0rz, but stink0rz hard relative to Gmail (if nobody was better, you couldn't really complain as loudly).
Outlook.com will be able to sync to Exchange servers like Outlook the client.

Right now that syncing (number 2) is only going to be calendars and contacts, not email, for some reason (perhaps we're still using Hotmail's very mature engine for email and grafted on the Outlook sync?), but you get the point. (And just in case you didn't...)

The two biggest barriers to entry keeping business and other institutions from considering Hotmail for their email solution are gone. Profit.

Labels: email, gmail, hats of money, hotmail, microsoft, outlook fail

title: Put the knife down and take a green herb, dude.	descrip: One feller's views on the state of everyday computer science & its application (and now, OTHER STUFF) who isn't rich enough to shell out for www.myfreakinfirst-andlast-name.com Using 89% of the same design the blog had in 2001.
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Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Gmail, please stop acting like you're on my desktop Is it just me, or is Gmail's online interface becoming too cluttered? It's trying to be a desktop client. The beauty of Gmail in the browser is twofold: Clean interface and great searches. That's it. Heck, with the phone and chat UIs, it's morphing from a complicated desktop application to a desktop. That's bad. It's strange to think that sometimes not being quite done is your advantage, but after spending a little time in the fairly refreshing Outlook.com interface (rough around the edges, sure, but clean, with improved search), Gmail hits me as too cluttered. Microsoft is potentially doing something right, though it might take Windows X before they get a feel for it. They're finally doing the Apple trick -- give everyone 90% of what they want better than they expected it, and tell them that's it. You're not getting your last 10%, because there are six billion last 10%s. We're giving you what we want, and you're going to like it, because it's smooth. Google has, I think, finally [at least temporarily] plateaued. Wonder if Yahoo can make a comeback. Labels: apple, gmail, Google, hotmail, microsoft posted by ruffin at 8/28/2012 09:10:00 PM

Friday, August 03, 2012
Outlook.com in Camino: Not too good No, I can't say I use Hotmail much for "real" email these days. Great spam bucket, though. Looks like Outlook.com thinks Camino is a mobile browser (or, rather, it sees it's not supported and goes to the mobile interface). Sad. Of course, Camino is pretty much dead now, so it's not a huge deal. I like it as my alternative browser at work for Gmail and, well, Blogger (the ctrl shortcuts (a, l, i, b) still work in Camino). Guess it won't be my Outlook interface. Outlook on Chrome is pretty snappy -- much faster than Gmail, and has a more intuitive search interface, I think. That said, it's sad that Gmail's archive of my mail goes back farther than Hotmail's, especially considering how I, like many that have a Hotmail account, I guess, used Hotmail years before Gmail was born. Labels: email, hotmail, outlook posted by ruffin at 8/03/2012 09:07:00 AM

Thursday, August 02, 2012
Hotmail : Consumer Gmail :: Outlook.com : Corporate Gmail From Outlook.com Helps Microsoft Fight Google for the Workplace - The CIO Report - WSJ: Microsoft’s launch of the Outlook.com email platform, designed to replace Hotmail over a period of time, will help the company fend off Google’s challenge for its business in the enterprise. This guy's got it. Hotmail's going away as a site only because Microsoft thinks this will be the silver bullet allowing it to change the brand -- they've already tried to make Hotmail into MSN and WindowsLive, neither of which worked. It's not going away because consumers don't like it. It was the Coke of consumer email. It's now the Pepsi, but only barely. It's nowhere close to (ie, lightyears ahead of) Yahoo's Snapple. The crucial point is that Hotmail for consumers is fine. And Microsoft would love for you home users to keep using the site and clicking the ads. But Gmail is apparently making so much more cash on providing corporate (and university) Gmail "solutions" than advertising that Microsoft would just as well forgo the consumer ad revenue if it means they can sell to the enterprise. So poof, hello comes Outlook.com, adless hotmail with a few social features thrown in. Here's why it's a long-term winner (where "winner" here only means "better idea than just hotmail.com"): Anyone who has used Hotmail & Gmail knows Hotmail's interface doesn't just stink0rz, but stink0rz hard relative to Gmail (if nobody was better, you couldn't really complain as loudly). Outlook.com will be able to sync to Exchange servers like Outlook the client. Right now that syncing (number 2) is only going to be calendars and contacts, not email, for some reason (perhaps we're still using Hotmail's very mature engine for email and grafted on the Outlook sync?), but you get the point. (And just in case you didn't...) The two biggest barriers to entry keeping business and other institutions from considering Hotmail for their email solution are gone. Profit. Labels: email, gmail, hats of money, hotmail, microsoft, outlook fail posted by ruffin at 8/02/2012 07:57:00 AM

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