Channel 9 has thrown online a introduction and demo of the new Outlook Express now being called Windows Mail.
The new Windows Mail is dramatically different than what we have today with Outlook Express. The underlying way Outlook Express stores email has been completely tossed out. Instead, Windows Mail will store email messages on your machine as SEPERATE files (they talked about these email files me .eml extensions in the video). So you don't have to worry about corruption as much. It will be more less likely to have Windows Mail become corrupt and you loose all your email. The database storage system is JET which is being used all over the place in different applications and even within Windows Vista. What's even cooler is that you can open these emails seperately from having to launch Windows Mail. So lets say you store all your emails in a folder in Documents and are in a hurry and need to check out a specific email - you can open it via that folder in Documents, or of course use the nifty Windows Search. The email files are stored in a nice neat view in the Windows shell, just as most of your files in Vista so - in all actuallity, your email is just files. The mail program is nothing more than a nicer more organized view with a few more features. You can even reply to an email direct from the Windows shell in Vista by just right-clicking on one of the emails! I'm not sure if this is bringing on the end of email applications but it sure seems like it. Its a very overwhelming concept that will take me quite some time to get used to.
For the user interface, they are pretty much copying the Outlook interface to a certain degree of course with Vista UI enhancements thrown in such as the search box in the upper right hand corner of the program.
The Windows Mail Team has also devised a much easier way for the user to back up their email. Outlook Express pretty much blows when it comes to trying to back stuff up. Now there is only one directory you really need to back up: /mail/. This is fantastic.
What the Channel 9 Video
here!
I personally think that Windows Mail is very promising for the home end user. Do I think I'll go to Windows Mail after using Outlook 2003 (and have had an great experience) for so long? Perhaps. I am willing - and more definately will - to give Windows Mail a try.
Another thing, I give big kudos to Microsoft for steamlining the naming in Windows Vista. I like the "Windows" application name theme they seem to be going with such as "Windows Mail" or "Windows Calendar" and so fourth. Its easy to remember, its consistant, and it makes sense. When I start talking to people about these applications, they will probably more likely to remember and understand its name.
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