Outlook 2007 - forced to use Word as email editor?

[Mike]

A somewhat quiet feature removal is that Outlook 2007 forces you to use Word
for editing email. The extent of the explanation:

Office Outlook 2007 uses Microsoft Office Word 2007 as its only e-mail
editor. In earlier releases, you could turn off Word as your editor and use
a native editor that was included with Outlook.

Word is not an email editor. Large numbers of people who use email do not
use Word (even those that do may not use a recent version). Word offers
absolutely no benefit in composing email - unless you consider increased
size a benefit. Word is a large application being used now on top of
another large application, making the process of creating an email (many of
which are short - eg, 'I'll be late home from work') a more time consuming
process and increasing the likelihood of instability and both applications
crashing while you're trying to compose a message. I would be willing to
bet that the majority of problems with the Outlook 2007 beta could be traced
to forcing Word as the editor. It makes absolutely no sense to me - is
coding a text editor into Outlook that complicated?

If I want to include a Word document with an email, I can do that - as an
attachment.

I *REALLY* hope someone at Microsoft rethinks this and puts the option to
use a native email editor back into Outlook. It occurs to me that once this
product gets out of beta and into the real world, they could be looking at a
huge number of support calls.

Mike

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

The implementation of Word as the editor in Outlook 2007 is very, very different from that in previous versions of Office. It doesn't start the full Word.exe but instead loads a separate .dll.

Don't expect this to change. Having to maintain two sets of settings and two code bases for two different editors isn't an efficient use of programming resources. Having only one editor will make support easier for IT departments and will provide full editing feature functionality in scenarios where Outook 2007 is deployed by itself in advance of full Office 2007 (a common scenario in Exchange organizations).

For developers, the change means that formatted text can finally be added programmatically to the bodies of Outlook items other than HTML messages.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Patrick Schmid]

I *REALLY* hope someone at Microsoft rethinks this and puts the option
to

use a native email editor back into Outlook. It occurs to me that once this
product gets out of beta and into the real world, they could be looking at a
huge number of support calls.

Just to add to Sue's post: Microsoft did hear you and the Word DLL is a
native email editor for Outlook.
The main issue with the email editor in Beta 2 seems to be performance.
Besides that, it seems to work fine and I definitely don't think that it
is a source of a lot of bugs. The decision to do this is overall very
positive!
Some other benefits Sue didn't mention: You get now the automatic spell
check (red squiggles). Also, Outlook is no longer subject to IE's
security issues. That should do quite a bit to make Outlook more secure.

Patrick Schmid

 

[Mike]

The help (which I understand is also beta), states:

Office Outlook 2007 uses Microsoft Office Word 2007 as its only e-mail
editor. In earlier releases, you could turn off Word as your editor and use
a native editor that was included with Outlook.

I'm curious how the DLL works - it maybe small, but does it call Word? On
my machine at work, I've only installed Outlook 2007 (rest of the Office
suite remains Office XP) - I haven't noticed any issues yet, but am
wondering if not having Word 2007 installed will cause any problems. And
despite all the so called benefits of having Word as an email editor, this
doesn't address my previous concern, namely that Word isn't an email
program. To me this would be like using a semi-trailer to commute to work -
yes, it can be done, but it's hardly the most efficient method.

If Outlook 2007 is going to use an external editor because it requires too
much effort to have an internal one, an option should be offered to chose
that external editor (eg, Notepad). While I'm growing less tired of
formatted email (I used to hate it), it's still the minority of what I do -
as is the email I see at work (I work at a help desk). Personal email may
be formatted, but work-related is often not because it's quickly composed -
the time to decide which font or what color background to use are less
important than the few lines of text that need to be written. When people
are responding to dozens, or hundreds, of emails, formatting is often low
down on the priority list.

The use of the DLL may make Word as an editor slightly less intrusive, but
it's still (IMHO) intrusive. I'll deal with it, and I'll probably grow to
ignore it, but it doesn't mean I have to like it . I hope this is part of
what beta testing is about - for Microsoft to learn what works & what
doesn't, and for users like me to get accustomed to changes they may not
like....(and a lot more changes that I do like)

Mike

The implementation of Word as the editor in Outlook 2007 is very, very
different from that in previous versions of Office. It doesn't start the
full Word.exe but instead loads a separate .dll.

Don't expect this to change. Having to maintain two sets of settings and two
code bases for two different editors isn't an efficient use of programming
resources. Having only one editor will make support easier for IT
departments and will provide full editing feature functionality in scenarios
where Outook 2007 is deployed by itself in advance of full Office 2007 (a
common scenario in Exchange organizations).

For developers, the change means that formatted text can finally be added
programmatically to the bodies of Outlook items other than HTML messages.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Patrick Schmid]

I'm curious how the DLL works - it maybe small, but does it call Word?
On

my machine at work, I've only installed Outlook 2007 (rest of the Office
suite remains Office XP) - I haven't noticed any issues yet, but am
wondering if not having Word 2007 installed will cause any problems. And
despite all the so called benefits of having Word as an email editor, this
doesn't address my previous concern, namely that Word isn't an email
program. To me this would be like using a semi-trailer to commute to work -
yes, it can be done, but it's hardly the most efficient method.

It does not call Word. It is a self-contained DLL. Word is a fairly
advanced editor though and that is what Outlook is using it for.

If Outlook 2007 is going to use an external editor because it requires too
much effort to have an internal one, an option should be offered to chose
that external editor (eg, Notepad). While I'm growing less tired of
formatted email (I used to hate it), it's still the minority of what I do -
as is the email I see at work (I work at a help desk). Personal email may
be formatted, but work-related is often not because it's quickly composed -
the time to decide which font or what color background to use are less
important than the few lines of text that need to be written. When people
are responding to dozens, or hundreds, of emails, formatting is often low
down on the priority list.

Outlook 2007 doesn't use an external editor. Word is its internal
editor. Basically Microsoft got sick of maintaining two editors that had
similar capabilities and went to one codebase.

The use of the DLL may make Word as an editor slightly less intrusive, but
it's still (IMHO) intrusive. I'll deal with it, and I'll probably grow to
ignore it, but it doesn't mean I have to like it . I hope this is part of
what beta testing is about - for Microsoft to learn what works & what
doesn't, and for users like me to get accustomed to changes they may not
like....(and a lot more changes that I do like)

The part that Microsoft is learning only happens for very small things.
Big things, like the editor itself, are set in stone at this stage in
the game.

Patrick Schmid

 

[Vanguard]

The implementation of Word as the editor in Outlook 2007 is very, very
different from that in previous versions of Office. It doesn't start the
full Word.exe but instead loads a separate .dll.
<snip>

A somewhat quiet feature removal is that Outlook 2007 forces you to use
Word
for editing email. The extent of the explanation:

Office Outlook 2007 uses Microsoft Office Word 2007 as its only e-mail
editor. In earlier releases, you could turn off Word as your editor
and use
a native editor that was included with Outlook.

<snip>

--- REPLY SEPARATOR ---
(only required due to the use of quoted-printable format in a Usenet
post)

Did Microsoft correct the extreme bloat in the HTML code created by Word
so e-mails aren't so huge? For the same message composed in an e-mail
client that does use an embedded editor to compose HTML-formatted
message, for a plain-text message composed in Outlook 2007, and for an
HTML-formatted e-mail composed using Word 2007 in Outlook 2007, what are
the differences in sizes for those same-content messages? I realize
that the HTML-formatted e-mail will be twice as large as the plain-text
version due to the redundant content in the plain-text and HTML MIME
parts, but how much larger is the *Word* HTML-formatted e-mail when
using OL2007 (for OL2002, the HTML-formatted e-mails composed by Word
2002 were a LOT larger and had lots of superflous HTML code).

 

[Mike]

After a good night's sleep and thinking about it throughout the day, I think
99% of my consternation (don't get to use that word often enough) was from
two sources - what I perceived as an unwanted removal of an option I like
and the confusion (from other posts and from the internal help) that the
editor was Word 2007. Some of the features the DLL provides (like
AutoCorrect) were available in the native Outlook editor, so the merging of
these features into a single editor does make sense.

Email can be a wonderful tool, but I need to remind myself of what I tell
others - sometimes it's best to sleep on an email before sending it .

Mike

 

[Jan]

Dear all,

This is an interesting discussion.
As I am somewhat dyslectic, first thing I do in Outlook (XP / 2003) is
switching on Word (XP / 2003) as text editor.
That is a great help to edit texts in multiple languages (by the way, when
will the beta of proofing tools for 2007 be ready?)
It took me more than a day to find out that Word is now the standard editor.
Outlook Help or Office Help does not clarify this particular matter (at
least I could not find it).
In fact, this post brought clarity.

However, it is not Word that we get as text editor, but as you mention,
something in between that is presumably part of Word.

It looks different, it feels different, and it has less features.
What, for example, happened with the status bar (below), with in it the very
useful layouts, page numbering, spell checker tool, and the like?

Possibly this will change during the Beta period, however the current option
looks like a step backwards compared to what we had.

 

[Patrick Schmid]

That is a great help to edit texts in multiple languages (by the way,
when

will the beta of proofing tools for 2007 be ready?)

AFAIK, there won't be a beta of the proofing tools. They'll be available
at RTM.

It looks different, it feels different, and it has less features.
What, for example, happened with the status bar (below), with in it the very
useful layouts, page numbering, spell checker tool, and the like?

There is no need for different layouts, page numbering and everything
else for emails. The only missing feature is the language indicator. You
can get the spell checker tool by clicking the ABC button on the ribbon
(so still one click away). Determining the current language is a bit
more cumbersome, as you need to click the word Spelling and then Set
language.

Possibly this will change during the Beta period, however the current option
looks like a step backwards compared to what we had.

Why would you need the missing things for emails?

Patrick Schmid

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

You're supposed to see fewer features if Word 2007 is not installed, but the features available will still be more than with the built-in Outlook editor in 2003. I don't know that anyone has published a full list yet.

Spell check should still work. Page numbering, in the sense of headers and footers, has no meaning in email messages so I wouldn't expect to see it. .

What are you expecting to see in the status bar that you're not seeing?

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Jan]

Dear Patrick Schmid, Sue Mosher,

Thank you for your swift replies.

As a beta tester, I think it is my duty to comment the product, so I did.

I understand people like Mike, who is against this Word type editor.
I also like your idea that a single editor (Word) is more convenient for
administrators and all of us while installing the product (Outlook).
It avoids additional settings (Word as Editor) etc.

However, let us be practical:

In our companies, we use Word as editor for E-mail where we have ample
resources (hardware and bandwidth).
Therefore, e.g. Russia is Plain Text, Holland is HTML + Word.
Fortunately, Plain text is still an option in the new editor.

I (in the Netherlands) immediately saw the lacking facilities (compared to
Word) in the new editor.
You mention correctly that, probably, I would not need the “layouts, page
numbering and everything else for emailsâ€.
Why is it available then in Word? It is e.g. simply convenient to use Print
Layout View when you type a mail in Outlook!
In practice, I rarely work with Word, but always use Word as editor in
Outlook just because of these practical features!

The language indicator is something I use a lot in the Netherlands.
Probably we do change language more often then you do?
The ABC button is no replacement for determining the current language, or,
to change settings when automatic switching does not work.

However, main point is that we will be faced with two different interfaces
for the same (editing) task.
That is a disappointment.

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

I would suggest that you get the Send a Smile tool from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=A2E1F4E2-BC0F-4403-B09F-7A677D55F274 and send in some feedback on the spell check and language issues. This tool will transmit your comments and a screenshot back to Microsoft. Microsoft probably will never see your comments in this forum, but as Jensen Harris explains at http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archive/2006/06/23/644160.aspx, they do read all SaS comments.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Jan]

OK, I will do so.

Thanks.
--
Jan

I would suggest that you get the Send a Smile tool from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=A2E1F4E2-BC0F-4403-B09F-7A677D55F274 and send in some feedback on the spell check and language issues. This tool will transmit your comments and a screenshot back to Microsoft. Microsoft probably will never see your comments in this forum, but as Jensen Harris explains at http://blogs.msdn.com/jensenh/archive/2006/06/23/644160.aspx, they do read all SaS comments.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers

 

[Patrick Schmid]

However, main point is that we will be faced with two different
interfaces

for the same (editing) task.
That is a disappointment.

Which two interfaces?

Patrick Schmid

 

[Jan]

Dear Herr Schmid,

I thought we were discussing the difference between the editor in Oulook
2007 and Word 2007 all the time.
You missed the point?

 

[Patrick Schmid]

I thought we were discussing the difference between the editor in
Oulook

2007 and Word 2007 all the time.
You missed the point?

I just didn't associate "(editing) task" with Word. Writing an email and
writing a document are for me just two very different activities and
therefore two different interfaces is not a big deal. In fact, I
wouldn't want the Word Ribbon for writing emails, as the Home tab in
Word would simply lack half the features that one needs for emails.
As I said before, the only feature that is really useful for emails that
is missing IMHO is the language indicator.

Patrick Schmid

 

[Jan]

Dear Patrick,

Now we are talking.
Apparently, you never used Word as the e-mail editor (in Office XP and
Office 2003).
I mean Outlook -> Tools -> Options -> Mail Format Tab -> Use Microsoft Word
as editor etc.
I always have this switched on.
Therefore, opposite to what you do, writing a document and e-mailing are for
me just two EXACT THE SAME activities (nice standard way of working, which
should be our goal!).
In addition, when switching-on Word as e-mail editor in Office 2003, you get
full functionality of Word AND the complete mail functionality of Outlook.
In short: 1 + 1 = 3
With the new Outlook editor in 2007, one gets something like an enhanced
Outlook 2003 editor, but certainly not the force of the (possible)
combination of Outlook 2007 + Word 2007 (that would be 1 + 1 = 4).
Now it seems we end up with something like 1 + 1 = 1.5 or 2.
That is a significant step back.

 

[Patrick Schmid]

Hi Jan,

No, I never did. Using Word as email editor was a major performance
issue for me so I never used it (and most of my emails are plain text
anyhow).
Is it just the status bar and the different views you are missing? What
do you think about the Ribbon in Word and Outlook looking similar but
not identical (as the Outlook one is optimized for emails)? In case you
didn't notice, the Format Text tab is almost identical to the Word Home
tab. Ribbon issues are something you can address by customizing the
Ribbon, so if you wanted it to look more like Word, you could achieve
that. Status bar though is off-limit to customization. I am currently
working on an add-in to let users customize the Ribbon with a UI (as
there is none in Office), and I discuss customization in general on my
blog on my website.

Patrick Schmid

 

[urbnjckct]

Hi all,

As a "power user" of Office 2003, I read this post with great fascination,
and I have a few comments and questions:

1. the idea of using various formatting tools (fonts, point sizes, layout)
in email does seem a bit unnecessary to me (except for the occasional bold
word) but I can understand how tables and justification could be useful.

2. that said, running Outlook 2003 and not using Word as my editor seems to
be working just fine, and it runs much faster.

3. however, I've read about (and seen firsthand!) the difficulties many
people have with this bulky Word instance lurking invisibly in the background
when Outlook is running. formatting and layout options that are set in Word
are then carried over to Outlook and cannot be changed in Outlook without
first closing Outlook, firing up word, fixing the problem, and then
restarting outlook.

for example: toolbar placement. if I want the "align" toolbar to float in
front of my document in Word, I'm then stuck with it also floating in front
of every email I create in outlook. numbering and bulleting are set in word
and then I'm forced to use those settings in outlook. and if I have word set
to maximize when I launch it, every new message I create in outlook starts
maximized as well.

so for the upcoming 2007 release, which will force Word as the editor but
only as a dll and not as the full exe: will these issues remain? will I be
forced to open word just to eliminate the paragraph symbols that keep showing
up in my email messages?

thanks all,
SW

 

[Patrick Schmid]

1. the idea of using various formatting tools (fonts, point sizes,
layout)

in email does seem a bit unnecessary to me (except for the occasional bold
word) but I can understand how tables and justification could be useful.

All of which is accessible in Outlook 2007. It even supports equations
from Word.

so for the upcoming 2007 release, which will force Word as the editor but
only as a dll and not as the full exe: will these issues remain? will I be
forced to open word just to eliminate the paragraph symbols that keep showing
up in my email messages?

There is a NormalEmail.dotm file which is separate from the Normal.dotm
file Word uses. So changes you make in Word are not by default reflected
in Outlook. There are some cases where you'd have to open
NormalEmail.dotm in Word to make changes. I don't know if this is due to
beta versions issues (e.g. QuickParts seem to be only changeable from
within Word right now), or permanent decisions.
In regards to the paragraph symbol: The shortcut key that switches it on
or off in Word should work in Outlook, but there isn't anything on the
ribbon in Outlook to change it. I am not sure if the Editor Options in
Outlook contain a setting for showing it or not.

Patrick Schmid