Like many other folk I was excited to hear that Google had enabled IMAP access to all Gmail accounts and looked forward to accessing my main Gmail account from multiple computers with none of the problems that this entails when using POP3 as the access protocol.
I was then shocked to discover just how bad an IMAP client Outlook 2007 is, lacking support for many key IMAP features.
The only Microsoft documentation I can find on the subject refers to Outlook 2000, but things have not improved since:
No Mail "Special Folder" Can Be Stored on the IMAP Server Your Sent Items, Drafts, and Deleted Items folders cannot reside on an IMAP server. Outlook requires that all special folders exist in the default store. IMAP cannot act as the default store because it cannot contain the non-mail special folders. You can simulate a server-side Sent Items folder by creating a rule in Rules Wizard that copies all outgoing mail to the IMAP folder of your choice. There is no workaround for Drafts and Deleted Items.
Your Sent Items, Drafts, and Deleted Items folders cannot reside on an IMAP server. Outlook requires that all special folders exist in the default store. IMAP cannot act as the default store because it cannot contain the non-mail special folders. You can simulate a server-side Sent Items folder by creating a rule in Rules Wizard that copies all outgoing mail to the IMAP folder of your choice. There is no workaround for Drafts and Deleted Items.
This leads to all sorts of annoyances which the introduction of IMAP access was meant to remove.
Moving away from Microsoft clients, Thunderbird offers first rate IMAP support.
But for die-hard Microsoft supporters who would rather use Microsoft software where possible, is there an alternative?
Enter Windows Live Mail, the free successor to Outlook Express. It provides excellent and easily configurable IMAP support with full support for special IMAP folders including Spam, Trash, Drafts and Sent Mail.
Once you have set up the client for basic IMAP support, right click on your account and select Properties, then configure the options on the IMAP tab as shown:
Do beware that setting the Deleted Items path to "Trash" means that deleting an email really will delete it, even if it appears in other folders too.
If you wish all of your folders to appear at the same level then you will have to perform the additional step of renaming each of your labels in Gmail by pre-pending "[Gmail]\" sans quotes to each one.
Finally it is worth noting that although Windows Live Mail makes a very capable IMAP client for Gmail, my experiences under Thunderbird have demonstrated a more consistent experience with faster response times and fewer temporary freezes.
I have blogged previously about Microsoft's cloud storage offering known as SkyDrive. When it hit public beta it was offering 1GB of online storage.
It has now gone live, removing the beta tag and ramped up the storage to 5GB. Good news indeed.
There is one key piece of functionality missing:
Local Drive letter mapping
Access to 5GB of free online storage is of course extremely useful, but as the only interface to your data for uploading and downloading is a web page, it is not that easy to use.
And I am guessing that this is why Microsoft has not yet released a drive letter mapping interface for SkyDrive - usage will rocket as soon as they do.
As for previous operating system releases, Microsoft have published a Windows 7 Product Guide.
It is a 140 page pdf document that has contains sections for both consumers and IT Pros.
Most of it can be skimmed very quickly, but there is some good information in there. A recommended read.
You can download it here for now.
Steve Ballmer sent out this email today to subscribers to Executive Emails from Microsoft. Reproduced here in full:
In all the talk about the economy, one term that comes up more and more frequently is something called "the new normal." I like this phrase because it speaks to the fact that economic reality has undergone a fundamental shift over the course of the past 12 months.
So what is the nature of this shift? After years of economic expansion fueled by unrealistic rates of consumption and unsustainable levels of private debt, the global economy has reset at a lower baseline level of activity. Today, people borrow less, save more, and spend with much greater caution.
This is the new normal and it will be with us for some time to come. The issue now is how to respond.
I believe the new normal requires a new kind of efficiency built on technology innovations that enable businesses and organizations to simultaneously drive cost savings, improve productivity, and speed innovation.
Because you are a subscriber to Executive Emails from Microsoft, I want to share my thoughts with you about how information technology can enable organizations to operate more efficiently, more effectively, and more strategically as they respond to the new normal by moving toward the new efficiency.
In the new normal, one thing is clear: cutting costs is extremely important. But cost cutting by itself is not a long-term winning strategy. To build a sustainable competitive advantage, companies must ultimately do two things- increase productivity and find ways to deliver new value to customers.
The issue, then, is how can organizations take costs out of their operations, increase productivity, and expand their capacity for innovation all at the same time?
For years, we've talked about how information technology enables companies to do more with less. But during this economic reset, IT provides business leaders with the answer to a slightly different question: Can my company with less, do more?
Other trends give this question even greater urgency. Workforces are more distributed and employees are more mobile. Government regulations are increasing and compliance requirements are mounting. Data security is more important to preserve and more difficult to maintain.
At the same time, companies struggle with legacy technology systems built on incompatible and disconnected applications that limit access to information and impede collaboration. The complexity of these systems forces IT departments to focus too much of their time and too many of their resources on providing basic services and protecting security.
Today, a new generation of business solutions is transforming IT into a strategic asset that makes it possible to cut costs without crippling customer service or constraining workforce creativity and effectiveness. A new generation of business solutions is eliminating the barriers between systems and applications, and automating routines tasks so IT professionals can focus on high-value work that is aligned to strategic priorities. These technologies can help organizations reduce risk, improve security, and drive down support costs.
This is IT how achieves the new efficiency with less.
At the same time, these technologies streamline access to information no matter where it is stored and enable people to work together securely no matter where they are located. This new generation of business solutions also provides improved mobile computing capabilities so people who work in a branch office, at home, or on the road can be as productive as employees who work at corporate headquarters.
Most important, a new wave of IT technologies offers advanced tools that enable employees to transform insights into innovations that address unmet market opportunities and meet unfulfilled customer needs.
This powerful combination of greater productivity and improved capacity for innovation is how IT enables businesses to do more.
This year, Microsoft is introducing a wave of new software created specifically to enable businesses to tackle their most pressing challenges and strengthen their ability to deliver innovation to the marketplace.
It starts with Windows 7, the newest version of our flagship PC operating system. Windows 7 simplifies tasks and lets people get more done in less time with fewer clicks. Ready to deploy now, it enhances corporate data protection and security, and increases control to improve compliance and reduce risk. Part of our Windows Optimized Desktop solution that includes Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack, Windows 7 streamlines management of PC environments, making it easier to reduce costs, improve performance, and enable end users to work anywhere.
These and other enhancements are the result of close collaboration with millions of customers and thousands of IT professionals who participated in testing programs and provided suggestions about the capabilities and improvements they wanted to see. Thanks in large part to their help, Windows 7 is the best PC operating system we have ever built.
We've also just released a new version of our server operating system. Windows Server 2008 R2 is designed to increase the reliability and flexibility of server infrastructures. It provides a productive server platform that offers cost-effective virtualization and business continuity, great power saving capabilities, and a superior experience for end users.
Later this year, we will also launch Exchange Server 2010. The cornerstone of Microsoft's unified communications technologies, Exchange Server 2010 provides a great email and inbox experience that extends from the PC to the phone to the browser and it helps companies archive and protect information efficiently. It also enables companies to reduce costs by delivering a built- in voice mail solution and providing low-cost storage options.
Organizations around the globe are already deploying these solutions and reaping the benefits.
At Intel, for example, Windows 7 is providing improved performance, greater application responsiveness, and a better platform for mobile workers. Ford is taking advantage of Exchange 2010 and Windows 7 to streamline communications, improve decision making, and boost productivity. Continental Airlines expects to save more than $1.5 million annually in hardware, software, and operational costs through the server virtualization capabilities of Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V technology.
At Convergent Computing, an information technology consulting firm based in California, Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 will eliminate the $40,000 in annual spending that was needed to maintain a virtual private network for the company's 55 employees. In addition, employees can now access the company's corporate network instantly and download files 30 to 40 percent faster than before.
Another example is Baker Tilly, a London financial services firm with more than 2,000 employees and a network of partners in 110 countries. One of the first businesses to deploy Windows 7 on a company-wide basis, Baker Tilly expects to save about $160 per PC by reducing deployment, management, and energy costs. And because Windows 7 improves productivity, it offers the potential to increase billable time for mobile workers at a rate of nearly $600 per PC. This could return the equivalent of one-half of one percent of the company's current gross annual revenue to the bottom line.
Businesses aren't alone in their struggle to respond to the new normal. Governments must figure out how to deliver more services on budgets that are sharply constrained by falling revenue. As part of its response, the city of Miami deployed Windows 7 and expects that it will save nearly $400,000 a year in reduced security, management, and energy costs.
Despite the challenges posed by the global economic reset, I'm optimistic about the long-term opportunities that lie ahead.
I'm optimistic because there are encouraging signs that growth may resume in many parts of the world during the course of the next year.
More than that, I'm optimistic because I believe we are entering a period of technology-driven transformation that will see a surge in productivity and a flowering of innovation.
The new efficiency will not only help companies respond to today's economic reality, it will lay the foundation for systems and solutions that connect people to information, applications, and to other people in new ways. The result will be a wave of innovative products and services that will jumpstart economic growth as companies deliver breakthroughs that solve old problems and serve as the catalyst for new businesses and even new industries.
This too will be the new normal-economic growth driven not by debt and consumption, but by rising productivity and new ideas that provide real value to people throughout their lives. Information technology will play an important role. I look forward to seeing the progress that results.
Steve
I was recently looking to brush up on my SharePoint skills, and came across this stunning collection of links to a vast array of MOSS resources:
http://www.sharepointblogs.com/mkruger/archive/2007/06/26/2007-moss-resource-links-microsoft-office-sharepoint-server.aspx
I hope it proves as useful to you as it did to me.
I was chatting to Sophie, our four year old, yesterday whilst feeding our baby. Sophie was drawing on an Etch-a-Sketch like toy.
Sophie: Daddy, can you save on this?Me: No, sorry Sophie.Sophie: Why not?Me: Erm...there is nowhere to save toSophie: Well, can you print it out then?Me: Erm...no, sorrySophie: I wish you could
Then you will need to know which applications will run on the new platform.
Luckily Neil Hutson at Microsoft has provided us with the current view of Windows Server 2008 compatibility for the main Microsoft products over the coming year.
For the click-averse, I reproduce the information here:
I have had a number of customers and partners asking what "Microsoft" products will be supported at the Windows Server 2008 at launch and beyond? Fair question and below is the current status. I have placed them into four categories, RTM, H1 2008, H2 2008 and not supported. Hope this helps. What will support Windows Server 2008 at RTM? .NET Framework 2.0 (installed) .NET Framework 3.0 SP1 ( part of Application Server role ) .NET Framework 3.5 Dynamics CRM 4.0 Exchange Server 2007 SP1 Forefront Security Server 1.0 MOSS SP1 ( installation notes for Windows Server 2008) SQL Server 2005 SP2 System Center Data Protection Manager 2007 System Center Configuration Manager 2007 (Formerly SMS) System Center Operations Manager 2007 Windows Sharepoint Services 3.0 SP1 ( installation notes for Windows Server 2008 ) Visual Studio 2008 WSUS 3.0 SP1 Clearly there are some critical applications which are included in this list, including SQL, Exchange, MOSS and Windows Sharepoint Services. We will ship the Hyper-V technology 180days after RTM. What are we planning to support in the first half of 2008? Dynamics AX 2009 MOM SP1 SCCM 2007SP1 System Center Essentials 2001 Forefront Client Security SP1 What are we planning to support in the second half of 2008? Application Virtualization 4.5 Commerce Server 2007 SP2 HIS 2006 SP1 MOM 2005 SP1 SQL Server 2008 System Center Essentials 2001 Windows System Center VMM 2.0 Windows Essential Business Server Windows Home Server vNext Windows HPC Server 2008 So What will not be supported? SMS 2003 System Center Reporting Manager Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2006 and earlier Some server products are missing from the list. More will be known in the coming months, but this is a pretty complete list.
I have had a number of customers and partners asking what "Microsoft" products will be supported at the Windows Server 2008 at launch and beyond? Fair question and below is the current status. I have placed them into four categories, RTM, H1 2008, H2 2008 and not supported. Hope this helps.
What will support Windows Server 2008 at RTM?
Clearly there are some critical applications which are included in this list, including SQL, Exchange, MOSS and Windows Sharepoint Services. We will ship the Hyper-V technology 180days after RTM.
What are we planning to support in the first half of 2008?
What are we planning to support in the second half of 2008?
So What will not be supported?
Internet Security and Acceleration Server 2006 and earlier
Some server products are missing from the list. More will be known in the coming months, but this is a pretty complete list.
In a break with previous major releases, Microsoft have made the Windows Server 2008 RTM product available to Technet Plus subscribers on the day of its release.
So far this is limited to the x64 code with x86 product promised for the next few weeks.
Did I say no announcement from Microsoft yet?
Well I am glad to say I was wrong