I really hope this is the last rant I have against Microsoft for many weeks to come. It probably won't be - but there's hope!
Yes, it's email again. I have lost all love for Windows Mail over the last few weeks. I explained one reason in my last post - the severe limit on the "autocomplete" facility. Well, another failing has manifest itself; this time it's a great example of Microsoft's left hand not being totally aware of Microsoft's right hand.
If you are a Windows user - and I'm told that 93% of the computer-using world are - then you will be aware of the numerous 'updates' that Microsoft issue over the Internet. These updates are rarely described - you're just told that they are 'important'. But one of the latest updates is to Internet Explorer - Microsoft's web browser. Internet Explorer has now reached version 9 and this one promises you a much faster and safer 'browsing experience'...or was it 'environment'? So a wodge of updates comes in and then a window appears announcing the brave new world of Internet Explorer 9 and please click on Install.
So you install it...and then think 'so what?'. Is it all that different from Internet Explorer 8? Probably not....but then you open your Windows Mail. And you'll find that if someone has sent you an attachment, you can no longer see the helpful paper-clip symbol at the top of the Reading Pane. This is because Internet Explorer 9.....how can I put this politely?.....let's say IE9 doesn't allow Windows Mail to show the attachment. The Reading Pane is now so wide that its right-hand edge is way off the screen.
I solved this problem for a client today by downloading Windows Live Essentials, making sure we didn't lumber ourselves with the Bing bar or Windows Messenger, in fact making sure we only downloaded and installed Windows Live Mail.
And to be fair, I was impressed that Windows Live Mail automatically imported all the mails and contacts from bad ol' Windows Mail. So that process was easy.
Attachments show up really clearly in Windows Live Mail, even if you have IE9, so I would now recommend Windows Live Mail if you still insist on a Microsoft mail client on Vista or Windows 7 operating systems.
But...don't forget to click on that Inbox before closing!
Colin
