Reasons for Outlook.com over Gmail?

[Drael646464]

Layout of the web app seems better. I get less spam.

Focused inbox. Better calender (and Cortana intergration with that calender). Skype intergration.

 

[ajj3085]

Ya, this is it for me. The Outlook UI is nice and easy to use, while I find Gmail frustrating an incomprehensible.

 

[Lepoete]

Outlook is the one for me, always been (got my Hotmail account before Microsoft bought Hotmail). The only reason I have a gmail is to configure Android devices.

Login in Windows (8, 8.1 and 10) with your Microsoft account automatically configure Email, Calendar, Contacts and OneDrive with your Microsoft account so all is setup in Windows.

The only issue I know about is the birthday calendar, it keeps birthdays of contacts you deleted and you need to delete and recreate the birthday calendar to fix this.

 

[dlalonde]

I'm thinking about leaving Gmail for Outlook.com, what are big reasons you prefer Outlook.com over Gmail? (Excluding privacy reasons please)

Edit: Thank you Windows Central for featuring this thread on the homepage!

Being a Windows 10 user on the desktop with an Office 365 licence and 1TB on OneDrive as opposed to 15 GB on Google Drive, I would change... if Microsoft sorted out their Android app...

See I use Gmail for 7 addresses (including my @gmail.com and @outlook.com). But when I add those addresses to Outlook (as a connected account or as an alias) they don't show up on the Android app (I've tried everything I could). From what I found, that feature is not supported on the Android app and aliases are only supported for @outlook.com aliases. So it's a no go for me unfortunately. They used to support that feature but took it out and I don't understand why. Actually, I don't understand why Microsoft sometimes doens't make things that are, at a minimum, on par with the competition... but that's a whole other story.

But basically I'm not going to take time out of my schedule to move back the emails to 7 different accounts and setup Outlook on my phone for 7 different accounts and manage 7 different accounts on an app because Microsoft decided to remove a feature. On Gmail, it works, it's setup and I'm happy with it.

 

[Darpan A Patel]

I'm thinking about leaving Gmail for Outlook.com, what are big reasons you prefer Outlook.com over Gmail? (Excluding privacy reasons please)

Edit: Thank you Windows Central for featuring this thread on the homepage!

I am using outlook on browser, Phone and Laptop. They all look same. It clean and provide the best UX for users of any types. I have tons of rules for banking, utilities, shopping, tracking, people, personal projects and they all make my outlook experience neat and pleasant.

I also enjoy features like:
1. mentioning people in email
2. Integrated services such as Onedrive, Skype, People, Online Office Apps, Calendar, Voip Calling, Facebook, Tasks and many more from one place "Outlook.com".

I just search for a person and I see their contact details, Mail Communications, Files shared, Events etc on right hand navigation.

I think this defines ultimately innovative productivity solutions offered by Microsoft.

For few bucks a year, one can have personalized email domain and premium outlook.

I hope this helps someone to make a switch from Google(Alphabet) to Outlook(Microsoft).

 

[anon(10272511)]

Firstly, you do not care about privacy *today*, that does not mean you might feel you need privacy in future, you can't suddenly apply privacy retrospectively after 20 years of using this email address.

That being said, there are two choices in this environment. To host your email, amongst other online needs, you can use:
a) a technology company
b) an advertising company

Choose a) or b) and there's your answer.

I never said privacy was important or not important. I'm willing to give up data for software that makes my life easier. Hell, I'm a snowden supporter and use Firefox. Privacy doesn't concern me with software when I'm getting something out of it that I enjoy.

While Google is an advertising company, acting like they haven't made great innovations on the web and in software is ludicrous. Android is the most used operating system for a reason. Google is a software company just like microsoft. I'm not going to reply to anymore privacy posts because the people clearly don't read the first post.

 

[worldspy99]

Play Nice, Be Helpful, and have Respect!
This means keep your posts polite​

 

[dlalonde]

Firstly, you do not care about privacy *today*, that does not mean you might feel you need privacy in future, you can't suddenly apply privacy retrospectively after 20 years of using this email address.

That being said, there are two choices in this environment. To host your email, amongst other online needs, you can use:
a) a technology company
b) an advertising company

Choose a) or b) and there's your answer.

I don't want to spark a debate over something that has nothing to do with the OP (especially not with something as sensitive as Google VS Microsoft) but Google announced that they will stop scanning emails for ads. So that's no longer an issue.

Furthermore Microsoft is also becoming an advertising company with WaaS. That boat has sailed unfortunately because ads are where the money is (and why Windows 10 is free).

I think both companies have the same level of trustworthiness now.

 

[Hirox K]

Used to be a Gmail guy (to be precise, Inbox guy) but since win10 (also after I bought my Surface Pro 3), I'm now an Outlook guy because Inbox doesn't have an uwp app. Besides, Outlook supports Gmail!!

Keep -> MS Todo
Inbox -> Outlook
MyTube
etc

Focused mode is great btw!!!

 

[Brandon Bowers]

I'm thinking about leaving Gmail for Outlook.com, what are big reasons you prefer Outlook.com over Gmail? (Excluding privacy reasons please)

Edit: Thank you Windows Central for featuring this thread on the homepage!

I have found that Gmail blocks most if not all spam.

 

[dlalonde]

I have found that Gmail blocks most if not all spam.

That's also a great point. Outlook SPAM filter is like trying to kill a fly with a shotgun. Most emails that are not from your contacts end up in the Junk folder. Gmail seems to be able to differenciate SPAM from wanted emails better.

 

[tgp]

That's also a great point. Outlook SPAM filter is like trying to kill a fly with a shotgun. Most emails that are not from your contacts end up in the Junk folder. Gmail seems to be able to differenciate SPAM from wanted emails better.

Agreed, Gmail's spam filtering is near perfect. I'd think I was manually filtering it myself. :amaze:

Someone at work explained that Gmail's ability to filter spam is at least partially due to its sheer size. If I received a spam email, so did millions of other Gmail users. This helps figure out that it is spam.

Another advantage Gmail has is Postini. Remember them? Google bought Postini and integrated it into Gmail. The downside is that it is no longer a standalone spam filter. There has never been another like it since.

 

[Bfalcon1]

I have both. I prefer Outlook but I always seem to have sync issues like losing company names and job titles. That drives me nuts. No issue with Gmail.