{"id":38698,"date":"2023-03-07T14:51:19","date_gmt":"2023-03-07T19:51:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/?p=38698"},"modified":"2023-03-08T08:48:25","modified_gmt":"2023-03-08T13:48:25","slug":"microsoft-adds-free-outlook-tier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mjtsai.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/07\/microsoft-adds-free-outlook-tier\/","title":{"rendered":"Microsoft Adds Free Outlook Tier"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jeremy Perdue<\/a> (AppleInsider<\/a>, MacRumors<\/a>, Slashdot<\/a>, Hacker<\/a> News<\/a>):<\/p>\n

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Now consumers can use Outlook for free on macOS, no Microsoft 365 subscription or license necessary.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

However, according to the pricing page<\/a>, you need to pay in order for it to be ad-free. The new version also removes the switch to turn off the “New Outlook” user interface. You can still turn it back off using Terminal<\/a> to get back features like rules and AppleScript (which are required for SpamSieve and EagleFiler) that have not yet been implemented, however that’s only allowed if you’ve paid for Microsoft 365. Otherwise, it will only run in offline mode. So, although everyone seems to be writing that “Outlook is now free,” I think it’s more accurate to say that there is a new free tier.<\/p>\n\n

Microsoft updated its roadmap<\/a> on March 1 to state that AppleScript will finally be implemented this month, but I don’t see anything about full rules support.<\/p>\n\n

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Whether at home, work or school, Mac users everywhere can easily add Outlook.com, Gmail, iCloud, Yahoo! or IMAP accounts in Outlook and experience the best mail and calendar app on macOS.<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

With Outlook, you’ll get a modern and native user interface that has been designed and optimized for macOS.<\/p>\n

[…]<\/p>\n

Microsoft plans to continue building and maintaining best-in-class native apps on macOS and iOS. There is no plan to build a web app version of Outlook for Mac.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n

When key members of the Claris Emailer team went to Microsoft to build Outlook Express and later Entourage, I would say those were best-in-class native Mac apps. The current version of Outlook feels weird to me. It’s not a Web app, but the design feels like a hybrid of mobile, Web, and Office. It doesn’t use a Mac standard toolbar or table view. Many of the buttons look weird. Keyboard navigation is odd. There are some new cloud-based features, but overall I think “New Outlook” removed a lot of the good stuff that was in the previous Outlook, which itself removed some great features that were in Entourage.<\/p>\n\n

Previously:<\/p>\n