Why Microsoft? Why? Allow attachment or doc on email

[anony_mouse]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

I think if he didn't go left to assume other platforms did this, we wouldn't be upset

I think people are right to be upset, regardless of other platforms. Users of those platforms should be upset too. This is very basic functionality, possible only via a roundabout and unintuitive procedure. I think the overly simplified way the OS is presented (eg no user accessible file system) actually makes life harder for users, who are already quite used to using PCs.

 

[Chregu]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

Isn't this a problem of how files are stored on Windows Phone? We don't have a file explorer and as far as I know files are stored by app, not in a central area. So it's not as easy as adding a "Attach File" button.

Still, I agree that this should be implemented.

 

[maclancer]

i know we don't have a file explorer and i don't think is a requirement but if we can attach a photo directly from the email client, same could be done for documents only. Not hard to implement and it will make Windows Phone more attractive to business people.

 

[Chregu]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

i know we don't have a file explorer and i don't think is a requirement but if we can attach a photo directly from the email client, same could be done for documents only. Not hard to implement and it will make Windows Phone more attractive to business people.

Of course, but I was referring to all kinds of files, including pdfs for example.

 

[Looddak]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

I don't see a problem with that.

It's now been explained a few times that he can got to the Office hub and send the doc from there, including in the first reply.

No word of thanks, no "oops, I didn't know that", just an inaccurate perception that Windows Phone can't email a doc.

"You're using it wrong." is a perfectly valid response. ��

No it's not a perfectly valid response.
A Company that prides itself in being "business friendly" has no excuse for denying it's users such basic functions like adding an attachment straight from it's email app.
As for your "workaround" to go to the office hub first and pick a file.....how do you attach multiple files to an email?

 

[N_LaRUE]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

Allow me to clarify some of the things said on this thread. Misconceptions and so on.

First is that WP is a business phone or that is is business friendly. It is not. Many company's are switching to iPhones over WP due to it's poor implementation with enterprise. WP was released as a consumer device and as such was setup mostly for that. So the idea of attachments to email, like you could do in Symbian were not on the top of the list, regardless of having Office.

Second, yes iOS does not have this capability built in but as their motto goes, 'there's an app for that' is true. You can get brilliant explorer apps that integrate seamlessly with iOS to bring in those functions. I am unsure about Android as I never used it to that level or prior ICS.

Third, the inability to reply to an email and add an attachment drove me completely nuts to the point that I almost dropped WP. Luckily my life has changed and it is no longer a major requirement for me but using WP for business where you're bouncing documents back forth, is by far the most painful thing I've ever encountered.

I'm going to put this bluntly. There was no reason why this shouldn't have been implemented from the get go. If they were really interested in dealing with business and enterprise this should have been number one on their list.

Now, going by rumour. Originally, GDR3 was supposed to bring this feature, my guess is that it's coming in WP8.1. Let's hope it does.

 

[Bahamen]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

If Microsoft is serious (and it should be) about entering the business enterprise market, it really needs to be the best-in-class. Just like Windows and Office are on desktops. At the moment WP is barely running at par with the other platforms in this segment. Another common gripe - if you are forwarding an email, you can't edit anything, e.g. you can't remove an attachment or delete any sensitive part of that email that you might not want the other party to see.

Isn't there supposed to be a suggestion box at WPC where all complaints are compiled?

 

[rockstarzzz]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

It looks like we've had a good discussion on how to attach an office doc in Windows Phone which is not available on at least 77% Android phones as "basic feature" (23% Android being 4.2 and higher - adoption rate from Wikipaedia) and isn't available on iPhone.

However, OP did you know that Microsoft's Windows Phone is THE ONLY phone that comes with Microsoft Office built in?

 

[rockstarzzz]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

Isn't there supposed to be a suggestion box at WPC where all complaints are compiled?

We love having discussions at WPCentral and sometimes can even claim that our discussion are better than those in Microsoft user forums. However, Joe Belfiore would want to read what you think here - https://windowsphone.uservoice.com/forums/101801-feature-suggestions rather than our boards.

For those who do have suggestions to make WP a better phone we do have a sticky here - http://forums.windowscentral.com/windows-phone-8/210477-official-what-wp-needs-succeed.html

 

[maclancer]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

It looks like we've had a good discussion on how to attach an office doc in Windows Phone which is not available on at least 77% Android phones as "basic feature" (23% Android being 4.2 and higher - adoption rate from Wikipaedia) and isn't available on iPhone.

However, OP did you know that Microsoft's Windows Phone is THE ONLY phone that comes with Microsoft Office built in?

Yup, apart from the ancient Windows 6.5 mobile.

 

[ohgood]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

Still took Google till version 4.2 to add this "basic" feature...

incorrect on the version, only of a few years worth....
android 2.3 here, attaches any file type to an email, in the stock client. it's been working for a while.

 

[Jack Janik]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

incorrect on the version, only of a few years worth....
android 2.3 here, attaches any file type to an email, in the stock client. it's been working for a while.

I thought android 1.0.7 had email attachments?

 

[QwarkDreams]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

incorrect on the version, only of a few years worth....
android 2.3 here, attaches any file type to an email, in the stock client. it's been working for a while.

Maybe on a Samsung or so because they have a stock file explorer, but not on vanilla Android like on a Nexus S (and mine runs on 4.1.2; neither in stock client nor gmail). There you need a 3rd party file explorer (like Solid Explorer) or cloud storage client (Box, DropBox,...) so you can access folders and not just videos/photos. So it's not a "basic" feature if you need a 3rd party app.

WP8 doesn't have a file explorer (neither stock nor 3rd party) so we need to use this work around with the Office hub.

 

[James8561]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

apparently this "basic task" is so easy and intuitive that partner site imore has to post an article asking for improvements:
iOS 7 wants: Better email attachment handling | iMore
and there are plenty of youtube videos showing how to do attachments on iOS. Why? because it is extremely unintuitive requiring long presses, hidden menu options, etc.
had to send one of them to my mom because she has no idea how and I didn't ether until I watch one.

@OP, please do your research about other platforms first before you go and accuse WP of this deficit and that failure. Also, work on creating better thread titles.

 

[tgp]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

@OP, please do your research about other platforms first before you go and accuse WP of this deficit and that failure. Also, work on creating better thread titles.

I agree the OP made an error, but yet it doesn't excuse WP (or iOS) for not having this basic function. I'm not sure at what point file attachment became native on Android, but at least you could use 3rd party email clients that allowed it and set them as default. This line in Rene's iMore article says exactly what I've always thought about WP, and also iOS to a lesser degree:

And the reason for all this is that Apple forgot a cardinal principle of design: unreasonable simplicity sometimes leads to inane levels of complexity.

 

[anony_mouse]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

(Quoting "Rene")And the reason for all this is that Apple forgot a cardinal principle of design: unreasonable simplicity sometimes leads to inane levels of complexity. :

I think that's an excellent quote!

 

[ohgood]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

apparently this "basic task" is so easy and intuitive that partner site imore has to post an article asking for improvements:
iOS 7 wants: Better email attachment handling | iMore
and there are plenty of youtube videos showing how to do attachments on iOS. Why? because it is extremely unintuitive requiring long presses, hidden menu options, etc.
had to send one of them to my mom because she has no idea how and I didn't ether until I watch o.

i think you're right there. any platform that doesn't allow a user to type an email, and attach -whatever- file they want without requiring a 5 minute video tutorial, is doing it wrong.

this, assuming the functionality is even in the platform.

 

[Tre Lawrence]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

Great discussion.

I do hope though that MSFT is not using "but Android didn't get it till 4.2" as the cardinal rule governing feature implementation.

 

[nmnshah]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

Open the word file you want to send and click share. The file gets attached to your email.

Sent from my RM-821_im_india_443 using Tapatalk

 

[QwarkDreams]

Re: Why Microsoft? Why?

Open the word file you want to send and click share. The file gets attached to your email.

Sent from my RM-821_im_india_443 using Tapatalk

The OP knows that, he just wants to attach doc files directly in the email client without using the Office hub.