Hotmail users bitch and moan about new interface
Change not always a good thing
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Many Hotmail users are up in arms at Microsoft after it decided to shelve the “classic” interface in its free email service.
The software giant said it redesigned Hotmail to make it “much, much faster that the old ‘full’ experience”.
But users have vehemently complained about the revamp.
“This format is terrible! I wonder who decided to make these changes because whomever it is, they SUCK! I think I will be changing my e-mail service provider as well,” reads a comment by a user not happy with the change.
“I wish we could have had a choice on whether we wanted our individual format to change because I surely would have declined the offer because I hate everything about it! BOOOOOO!”
While another Hotmail fan wrote: “You have to search for everything (addresses are not displayed). Some things need to be left alone. Fire the person who decided to do this. BAD IDEA.”
Until this week, users were able to switch between the two interfaces. But MS has now removed that option, much to the chagrin of those peeps who are still clinging on to their Hotmail email accounts.
MS feels the, er, need for speed
Microsoft introduced the hybrid format last month. It claimed at the time that the new interface speeded up the email service.
It even provided a comparison between the old and new look Hotmail.
Unsurprisingly, however, it didn’t offer stats on how its web-based mail compares to the likes of Google’s Gmail or Yahoo’s email service.
This isn’t the first time Microsoft has struggled to convince Hotmail users that it was bang on the money with a redesign.
In 2006 it was forced to revert back to classic mode following a deluge of complaints from users.
We asked Microsoft if it would respond to Hotmail users and their grumbles by providing the option to switch between modes, but at time of writing the company had not responded to our request for comment. ®
COMMENTS
Rule Change
I am guessing that the rules for the number of times messages can be forwarded have changed. I used to use a forwarding account list to send messages to and just recently all of the messages forwarded to Hotmail accounts have been bounced with the "Unable to deliver message to the following recipients, because the message was forwarded more than the maximum allowed times. This could indicate a mail loop." message. I have tried complaining to Microsoft, but so far it seems to have fallen on deaf ears (no surprise there).
New Hotmail - Flawed
Some people, maybe most people, will never be happy with change. In this instance I think the complaints are entirely justified.
Firstly, unless I am mistaken, it is now longer possible to display more than 25 messages per page. That is not an improvement and by itself makes the 'new and improved' version inferior to it's previous incarnation.
Secondly, it's hideous. Not a matter of opinion, a matter of fact.
In order for the page to be displayed as it was intented, clear-type fonts are a necessity. If like me you don't want to, or can't, use clear-type than it is really, really bad. Not just that I don't like it, but that it is obvioulsy not supposed to appear how it actually does appear. Try disabling clear-type, including windows and browser settings, and you'll see what I mean.
there are still hotmail users?
There are still hotmail users? I thought everyone fled once Microsoft bought hotmail?
Those that stay behind, deserve the treatment, IMHO.
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