Ribbon feedback - Outlook

[PeterPla]

After a couple day's use of Outlook 2007 and Word 2007, my overall impression
of the ribbon is: if you're content to only do things "Microsoft's way", the
ribbon is great.

But you won't be happy if you've used these products for many years (and who
hasn't) and you want to tweak things to better support the work habits you've
established. If the ribbon can be customized, it's not obvious in the UI,
and the "how to customize" info is either not present or too hard to find.

If I have to re-learn how to use Office 2007 "Microsoft's way", after using
the precursor products since Win3.1, that's a BAD thing - I'll be less
productive with Office 2007 than I am today with Office 2003. A
one-size-fits-all, can't-be-customized ribbon might be enough to keep me
using Office 2003.

--Peter

 

[Roady [MVP]]

What would you like to see "tweaked"?
Most options are only 1 or 2 clicks way now.
Note that you can fully customize the QAT above the Ribbon.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----
After a couple day's use of Outlook 2007 and Word 2007, my overall
impression
of the ribbon is: if you're content to only do things "Microsoft's way", the
ribbon is great.

But you won't be happy if you've used these products for many years (and who
hasn't) and you want to tweak things to better support the work habits
you've
established. If the ribbon can be customized, it's not obvious in the UI,
and the "how to customize" info is either not present or too hard to find.

If I have to re-learn how to use Office 2007 "Microsoft's way", after using
the precursor products since Win3.1, that's a BAD thing - I'll be less
productive with Office 2007 than I am today with Office 2003. A
one-size-fits-all, can't-be-customized ribbon might be enough to keep me
using Office 2003.

--Peter

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

If you want to provide feedback on the public preview version of Office 2007 Beta 2, get the Send a Smile tool from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=A2E1F4E2-BC0F-4403-B09F-7A677D55F274. This tool will transmit your comments and a screenshot back to Microsoft. For more information, see http://spaces.msn.com/turtleflock-ol2007/blog/cns!C1013F1F9A99E3D8!135.entry

I'm sure specific examples to illustrate your evaluation would be appreciated.

Note that you can add commands to the Quick Access Toolbar above the ribbon.

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

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

 

[PeterPla]

Thanks Roady, the work you and the other MVPs do is invaluable!

I want to add my (existing) style to the Quick Style Gallery. Right now I'm
having to manually change the formatting in every email, because I can't find
a way to apply my existing style. It exists somewhere, because Outlook
complains if I try to rename a style in the Quick Style Gallery to that same
style name, but my style doesn't appear in any of the style listings.

I think it's a terrible idea to make the Quick Access Toolbar a dumping
ground for working around the ribbon's inflexibility - it's a design cop-out.
QAT will become an incoherent collection of random workarounds.

I agree with another poster that when editing an email, the ribbon should
ALWAYS show the Send button; sending email is the raison d’être for Outlook,
so periodically hiding Send is silly. I find that when I finish an email,
I'm almost always on another ribbon tab (e.g., Format Text) that does NOT
include Send, forcing me back to the "Message" tab to get Send. Multiply by
dozens/hundreds of emails a day, and that's really annoying.

These repetitive frustrations are seriously clouding my opinion of Outlook
2007; hopefully with your help I'll get past them, and have a clearer view of
what Outlook 2007 has to offer

Thanks!
--Peter

 

[Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]]

I want to add my (existing) style to the Quick Style Gallery.

The Quick Styles gallery for email messages is maintained in the NormalEmail.dotm template. I've just posted instructions on how to add a new style at http://spaces.msn.com/turtleflock-ol2007/

That's where Quick Parts (the successor to AutoText) live, too, but I haven't figured out how to work with them yet.

I agree with another poster that when editing an email, the ribbon should
ALWAYS show the Send button

Later versions should have the Send button available in every ribbon group.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

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

I want to add my (existing) style to the Quick Style Gallery. Right now I'm
having to manually change the formatting in every email, because I can't find
a way to apply my existing style. It exists somewhere, because Outlook
complains if I try to rename a style in the Quick Style Gallery to that same
style name, but my style doesn't appear in any of the style listings.

I think it's a terrible idea to make the Quick Access Toolbar a dumping
ground for working around the ribbon's inflexibility - it's a design cop-out.
QAT will become an incoherent collection of random workarounds.

I agree with another poster that when editing an email, the ribbon should
ALWAYS show the Send button; sending email is the raison d’être for Outlook,
so periodically hiding Send is silly. I find that when I finish an email,
I'm almost always on another ribbon tab (e.g., Format Text) that does NOT
include Send, forcing me back to the "Message" tab to get Send. Multiply by
dozens/hundreds of emails a day, and that's really annoying.

These repetitive frustrations are seriously clouding my opinion of Outlook
2007; hopefully with your help I'll get past them, and have a clearer view of
what Outlook 2007 has to offer

Thanks!
--Peter

What would you like to see "tweaked"?
Most options are only 1 or 2 clicks way now.
Note that you can fully customize the QAT above the Ribbon.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003


-----
After a couple day's use of Outlook 2007 and Word 2007, my overall
impression
of the ribbon is: if you're content to only do things "Microsoft's way", the
ribbon is great.

But you won't be happy if you've used these products for many years (and who
hasn't) and you want to tweak things to better support the work habits
you've
established. If the ribbon can be customized, it's not obvious in the UI,
and the "how to customize" info is either not present or too hard to find.

 

[Patrick Schmid]

Hi Peter,

Read my blog post on user customization in Office 2007:
http://pschmid.net/blog/2006/05/24/9

Not to raise any hopes. The ribbon cannot be customized by user with
what Microsoft packages in 2007. I would love to hear what kind of
customization you want to do in Outlook.

Patrick Schmid

 

[PeterPla]

That did the trick, my style now appears in the Quick Style Gallery This
will boost my Outlook 2997 productivity tremendously. Thanks Sue!

I want to add my (existing) style to the Quick Style Gallery.

The Quick Styles gallery for email messages is maintained in the NormalEmail.dotm template. I've just posted instructions on how to add a new style at http://spaces.msn.com/turtleflock-ol2007/

That's where Quick Parts (the successor to AutoText) live, too, but I haven't figured out how to work with them yet.

I agree with another poster that when editing an email, the ribbon should
ALWAYS show the Send button

Later versions should have the Send button available in every ribbon group.
--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003

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

I want to add my (existing) style to the Quick Style Gallery. Right now I'm
having to manually change the formatting in every email, because I can't find
a way to apply my existing style. It exists somewhere, because Outlook
complains if I try to rename a style in the Quick Style Gallery to that same
style name, but my style doesn't appear in any of the style listings.

I think it's a terrible idea to make the Quick Access Toolbar a dumping
ground for working around the ribbon's inflexibility - it's a design cop-out.
QAT will become an incoherent collection of random workarounds.

I agree with another poster that when editing an email, the ribbon should
ALWAYS show the Send button; sending email is the raison d’être for Outlook,
so periodically hiding Send is silly. I find that when I finish an email,
I'm almost always on another ribbon tab (e.g., Format Text) that does NOT
include Send, forcing me back to the "Message" tab to get Send. Multiply by
dozens/hundreds of emails a day, and that's really annoying.

These repetitive frustrations are seriously clouding my opinion of Outlook
2007; hopefully with your help I'll get past them, and have a clearer view of
what Outlook 2007 has to offer

Thanks!
--Peter

What would you like to see "tweaked"?
Most options are only 1 or 2 clicks way now.
Note that you can fully customize the QAT above the Ribbon.

--
Robert Sparnaaij [MVP-Outlook]
Coauthor, Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.howto-outlook.com/
Outlook FAQ, HowTo, Downloads, Add-Ins and more

-----
After a couple day's use of Outlook 2007 and Word 2007, my overall
impression
of the ribbon is: if you're content to only do things "Microsoft's way", the
ribbon is great.

But you won't be happy if you've used these products for many years (and who
hasn't) and you want to tweak things to better support the work habits
you've
established. If the ribbon can be customized, it's not obvious in the UI,
and the "how to customize" info is either not present or too hard to find.