Windows Live Mail Undermines Mobile Computing

Microsoft is phasing out Outlook Express and Windows Mail in favor of Windows Live Mail. Unfortunately, the usability of Windows Live Mail on 800 x 600 screens common in mobile computers such as Tablet PCs is a big step backwards.  There is a huge amount of wasted space and it is not possible to fit a reasonable amount of functionality onto the screen.

There is some ability to customize for an 800 x 600 screen

• Message headers: Windows Live Mail has blimp-size message headers.  However, you can turn off the headers entirely (using "View | Layout | Message header"), though this only works if you are using the message pane and not opening the messages in their own window by double-clicking them.

However, the following deal-breaking annoyances remain:

• Toolbars: The toolbars have buttons that take up a lot of space.  Most notably there buttons of little relevance on a day to day basis such as "Windows Live sign-in" and a button to change the color scheme. As in Internet Explorer 7 and 8 there is no way to get rid of these buttons in order to use the toolbar space for other functionality. This hogging of space is a particular problem since there is no longer a "selective text on right" option to save icon space on the toolbar. The functionality that fit well in Outlook Express and Windows Mail at 800 x 600 just doesn't fit using Windows Live Mail, dramatically reducing the usability.
• Accounts on the Folder Pane: Each email account has its own entry in the folder pane. Although one can consolidate recent messages using "Quick views" you are still stuck with two lines used for every email account, pushing your storage folders off the screen. Although you can move these accounts to the bottom of the folder pane, when you restart the program your customization is gone and the accounts are all back on top of your storage folders, pushing them off screen.
• Button on the Folder Pane: There is an "Add an e-mail account" button taking up folder pane space and it appears there is no way to get rid of the button. This has priority over other material in the folder pane, for example, forcing the storage folders off screen.

Each of these problems could be fixed easily by Microsoft using simple options in the software - the options could even be bundled as a "small screen customization" feature.  However, Microsoft has blown off suggestions to fix the problems, just as it blew off similar suggestions during the beta process for Internet Explorer 7.  Optimizing Windows Live Mail only for large screens undermines one of the crucial tools for mobile computing, thereby undermining Microsoft's ability to provide a workable operating system for mobile computers such as Tablet PCs.    

It seems that one division of Microsoft is pushing mobile computing using small screens, and another division is undermining this by keeping users from fitting a lot of functionality onto a small screen.  It is sad to see a once great computer company missing out on the next big thing and messing up on mobile computing and mobile connectivity.

Copyright © 22 April 2008 Mickey Segal.  If you have workarounds, new annoyances or corrections. please let us know.  See also Mobility Use Case for Tablet Computers,  Browser Annoyances and Vista Annoyances.