Why I can't switch from Gmail to Outlook.com

[smoledman]

I hate that MS forces me to move emails into folders instead of just using tagging like Gmail has from day 1. That is my #1 blocking issue with Microsoft and until they get rid of folders for good, I can't switch even though I like the UI.

 

[Snazrael]

They might add tags like Gmail but I guarantee you they will never ever get rid of folders. People rely on them. Asking to add tags is one thing, but to get rid of folders is just silly. Personally I don't really see the reason to have both.

 

[smoledman]

They might add tags like Gmail but I guarantee you they will never ever get rid of folders. People rely on them. Asking to add tags is one thing, but to get rid of folders is just silly. Personally I don't really see the reason to have both.

​Once you use Gmail you understand why folders are irrelevant.

 

[Daniel Ratcliffe]

​Once you use Gmail you understand why folders are irrelevant.

I have a Gmail. I switched to Outlook and prefer it to Gmail. To me folders make more sense.

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

​Once you use Gmail you understand why folders are irrelevant.

I used gmail exclusively unfortunately until 2013.

Folders are not irrelevant by any means except to you. Gmail just feel so archaic to me and personally the folders does better for me than tags ever do.

 

[smoledman]

Please explain the relevance of folders. I've been using Gmail labels for 7 years now and it makes everything easy to find via search. Thinking of organizing emails in folders is a legacy concept that many millions of people have moved on from. Then again, I'm a software engineer so it's my job to think outside the box.

 

[bradleyj]

Hi Smoledman,

I switched from gmail to outlook.com. If you don't want to use folders, why don't you use categories? Those are the same as tags as far as I can remember.

Brad

 

[Jaskys]

Never ever used tags, but folders on outlook are really useful, especially if you want to sort your mail up

 

[bsayegh]

Please explain the relevance of folders. I've been using Gmail labels for 7 years now and it makes everything easy to find via search. Thinking of organizing emails in folders is a legacy concept that many millions of people have moved on from. Then again, I'm a software engineer so it's my job to think outside the box.

Im a software developer too, and I use outlook happily. It takes me 1 second to drag an item to a folder. Also I can usually just do the standard from:whoever in the search box to find most of what I am looking for. Im not sure I understand why folders are such a burden, unless you just don't like the idea of having to create them.

 

[smoledman]

Im a software developer too, and I use outlook happily. It takes me 1 second to drag an item to a folder. Also I can usually just do the standard from:whoever in the search box to find most of what I am looking for. Im not sure I understand why folders are such a burden, unless you just don't like the idea of having to create them.

Except my workflow on Gmail is even simpler. For those email that don't already have auto-labeling and archiving, I attach a label(s) and hit the Archive button. Why bother dragging it over onto a folder and possibly making a mistake? Think outside the box. Even better try GMail for a while and see what I mean.

 

[Microsoftjunkie]

Outlook does the same.

 

[smoledman]

Outlook does the same.

No Outlook forces you to move the email to a folder. You can't just archive it.

 

[bradleyj]

Perhaps you missed my comment, but why won't categories work for you?

 

[deecoop0351]

My Gmail account keeps getting hacked I'm done with them.

 

[rdubmu]

Outlook.com has so many more tools. You can use the sweep function to create a rule to have a email go to a folder, it will then ask you if you want any future email to go into the folder. Tagging an email in gmail is the same as categories. Shoot even the tags act like folders.

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

 

[gapost]

One huge advantage for me, of folders in Outlook, is that you can direct a specific email account to a folder. Then, you can pin that folder to the start screen so you can monitor that account, separate from your Outlook account.

 

[jhoff80]

That's funny, because the biggest reason I did move to Outlook.com was to get rid of the hacked around IMAP implementation that used tags instead of folders. Guess everyone has their own preferences. :grin:

 

[astroboy#WP]

I switched from Gmail to outlook when I moved to Windows Phone and Microsoft implemented ActiveSync on the backend.

I find that the ease of setting up rules for auto deleting, archiving to specific folders after 3 days sitting in my inbox the best way to keep my inbox clean. I really have to do nothing except read the email and then let outlook do its thing. No labeling required.

 

[Reebs Reebs]

I'm in the same boat as the OP. I miss Gmail for sure. I'm an original hotmail user who moved to Gmail. Now I'm back to Oultook, but I miss Gmail greatly.

Consider this. On WP, if you use folders, you can't easily see them in your email. That very annoying.

Also Gmail is much neater interface.

I'm hoping Outlook.com will catch up.

 

[dkediger]

......
Also Gmail is much neater interface.

I'm hoping Outlook.com will catch up.

I hope you're not referring to the respective web interfaces. Gmail's web interface has been in my experience the most confusing thing for my employees to grasp. So much so, we ponied up for eMclient to run as a front end to it.

Everyone can't wait until our GApps contract ages out this fall and we switch to O365/Exchange Online