Outlook now forcibly moves the search bar to the top?

[thecomputerguy]

A client called me awhile ago complaining that their search bar moved from it's normal location, to the top of Outlook, and became less functional. I logged into their computer and after some searching found out that if you had "Coming Soon" enabled (top right) then you received "Coming Soon" updates which included moving the search bar to the top and making it less functional.

Another client just contacted me for the same thing and I thought I'd just have to login to disable coming soon again. Well, the "Coming Soon" toggle is now gone, and "Coming Soon" isn't "Coming Soon" it's now.

So there is no way to revert to the old search bar without reverting Office to a previous version, which I really don't want to do because it will just end up pushing back up to this version at some point again. I also don't want to disable updates just to get the search bar back.

Any thoughts?

 

[britechguy]

No snark intended: Explain to the client that this is either the "new normal" now, or will be the "new normal" in the very near future. Certain feature changes cannot be avoided, and not only in Microsoft software.

'Twas ever thus, and the solution is to adjust.

 

[thecomputerguy]

No snark intended: Explain to the client that this is either the "new normal" now, or will be the "new normal" in the very near future. Certain feature changes cannot be avoided, and not only in Microsoft software.

'Twas ever thus, and the solution is to adjust.

I'd agree but the functionality is different, I think they've disabled copy/paste in the new search box.

 

[britechguy]

What does it matter? If it's inescapable, then it's simply putting off the inevitable.

Changing of functionality is a standard part of life with software over the long term. I've had to adjust I can't say how many times since the 1980s.

To quote the Rolling Stones, "You can't always get what you want, but you get what 'ya need!" (Whether you really need it or not.)

 

[carmen617]

"That's not a bug, that's a feature." Or, my other favorite response, "Maybe we can find a workaround, but I"m not (Bill Gates, Mr. Google, Steve Jobs, pick as appropriate) and I didn't make that decision, so you might just have to live with it"

 

[Computer Bloke]

All you (and your client) need is the serenity to accept the things you cannot change, courage to change the things you can, and wisdom to know the difference.

In other words, I'll see your Mick Jagger and raise you a Reinhold Niebuhr.

 

[Sky-Knight]

I'm trying to remember which version of Outlook had the search bar at the bottom... it's been THAT long...

 

[britechguy]

All you (and your client) need is the serenity to accept the things you cannot change, courage to change the things you can, and wisdom to know the difference.

In other words, I'll see your Mick Jagger and raise you a Reinhold Niebuhr.

Yours is more elegant, and erudite, and wins hands down.

I do, however, think that more of my clients would relate to mine, sad though that is.

 

[britechguy]

I'm trying to remember which version of Outlook had the search bar at the bottom... it's been THAT long...

Another thing that deserves serious consideration. I've had more than one person say something like, "Oh, I'm using Outlook 2003," within the last 2 years.

Sorry, darlin', you've been living on something even more tenuous than borrowed time and I've got nothin' for ya except - suck it up and come along with the rest of the world!

 

[Sky-Knight]

Another thing that deserves serious consideration. I've had more than one person say something like, "Oh, I'm using Outlook 2003," within the last 2 years.

Sorry, darlin', you've been living on something even more tenuous than borrowed time and I've got nothin' for ya except - suck it up and come along with the rest of the world!

Wasn't the last one Outlook 2007? 2010 was the UI update that basically got us what we have today.

 

[britechguy]

Office 2007 was when the ribbon interface was introduced. 2003 was the last of the old-style, menu-driven interface. And I know of people still using 2003 (not many, mind you, but . . .)

The timeline: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Microsoft_Office

 

[Computer Bloke]

I do, however, think that more of my clients would relate to mine, sad though that is.

Look on the bright side - it means you don't have too many recovering alcoholics among your clients.

 

[Sky-Knight]

Office 2007 was when the ribbon interface was introduced. 2003 was the last of the old-style, menu-driven interface. And I know of people still using 2003 (not many, mind you, but . . .)

The timeline: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Microsoft_Office

Oh that's right, because the rest of the office apps went ribbon in 2010.

So not missing fixing all the PST problems in those versions. 2013 dies in Oct... time to update again.

 

[timeshifter]

Just noticed this on a client's PC. Here's the link to what Microsoft has to say about it, and what it looks like to the user:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us...92d-a35c-5c37584b416b?ui=en-us&rs=en-us&ad=us

 

[Sky-Knight]

Interesting, none of my 365 seats have that yet. I can see the confusion in Outlook, but it's also everywhere else now... so that's more consistent not less.

 

[nlinecomputers]

I don’t see how this is less functional?

 

[timeshifter]

Does the search with Outlook / Microsoft 365 match, rival or surpass the search in G Suite or Gmail?

My primary business email address has been a G Suite address for at least the last 5 years. My primary personal address, while is simply a GoDaddy IMAP address with my own other domain, I forward all that mail to a personal Gmail account. So for my I basically run it in two tabs in Chrome, one G Suite and one Gmail.

I've gotten quite comfortable with that arrangement. Most importantly I'm quite addicted to the excellent search function their platform provides. And the search is the reason why I've continually resisted converting to a Microsoft 365 account.

 

[Sky-Knight]

@timeshifter

My MSP lives on O365, Nexgen lives on Google.

I run both companies out of Outlook... so I think you see where I stand in that mix. I despise G Suite... it's terrible.

 

[britechguy]

I run both companies out of Outlook... so I think you see where I stand in that mix. I despise G Suite... it's terrible.

This comes back to, "Chacun à son goût."

 

[Sky-Knight]

This comes back to, "Chacun à son goût."

Yeah, but I'm pretty good at adapting to different systems. Google's email controls are just... limited. Their authentication API is superior, but the authentication methods available are not. And then there's the infrastructure integration from M365 to Azure that affords you a near infinite platform for any business or process, on prem or off... whereas Google forces you off prem, and in the end forces you to pay a premium to boot.

And that's got nothing on the power of a shared mailbox when you need it... Get to pay for those from Google.

It's really weird to be describing Microsoft in terms of "freedom", "choice", and "empowerment". But yet compared to Google's solutions for the same that's precisely what happens.

I suppose another way to look at it is Google is Linux and Microsoft is... well Windows. Except we're talking about single sign-on across the cloud service fabric now, with integrated solutions instead of discrete products that happen to share an authentication portal.

So it very much is a personal taste thing, but I think Microsoft's solution more readily scales for the people I work for. And considering NASA just went full Teams over Slack... along with several other US Government agencies... I think the market is telling a quite clear story of which product is superior.