Outlook 2010 to be Broken?

Now this is an interesting turn of events. While I've never been much of a fan of Outlook (I've preferred the express version - it's less, but less clutter as well) but it looks like they're changing it up all over again. Microsoft are due to change from rendering emails in HTML format to Word. This will basically break HTML email in Outlook. I imagine this will keep the absolute end user more than pleased with the product (lets face it, they don't care what's under the hood) as they won't really notice a difference - 'cept perhaps download speeds. Word does tend to make things a little bulkier.

I heard designers and developers that have become dependent on HTML format for email groaning in the background cursing Microsoft once again for making their lives difficult.

I'm really not a Microsoft fan, but I've come to accept that most people use their products so they <rant rel="for another day">are THE standard </rant>. That said I feel that these developers that have been moaning for so long about standards and the fact that IE is bundled into their OS are really the ones to blame. Microsoft are slowly being forced to remove IE from their offerings, in this case Windows7 (yeah, I know they could offer multiple browsers, but do you advertise for your competition? didn't think so!)

Basically Microsoft have been forced to change how they make use of their software. So if you can't use something that's built into the OS (because now there is NO browser) you have to use something that's shipped with the package. Office, I believe, ships with Outlook and Word. Word allows formatting, so use it as your base editor. Will this affect their customer loyalty? No... most end users have no idea that there are other options than MS Office or IE (believe it or not), so while the masses continue to use Microsoft products it is the rest of us that have to adapt and conform.

Anyone who ever insisted that Microsoft remove IE from their OS take a bow.

Well done moaning developers and designers... Congrats to all you in the EU forcing the anti-trust issue. You've finally got what you want. If anything this will simply boost sales of Word (and subsequently Office). While I hear so many moans and groans I can't help but think you all got just what you deserve.