First there was Outlook and Outlook Express, now this?

[MotionMan]

As anyone who has used them can tell you, Outlook and Outlook Express are barely related. Yes, they both do e-mail and have an address book, but the similarities seem to end there.

Now Microsoft has gone back into their apparently limited bag of names and came up with "Office 365".

Office 365 is not a replacement for or the next version of Office. In fact you pretty much need to have Office in order to use Office 365 (and if you do not have Office, MS will rent it to you!).

Has MS really run out of words to use to name their products?

Can you name examples of other such name confusion?

MotionMan

 

[ShawnD1]

what else does outlook do? All i use it for is email. Its somehow linked to head office so the address book has everyone in the company in the whole world, which is nice. Outside of the adress book thing, its basically the same as every other mail client

 

[MotionMan]

what else does outlook do? All i use it for is email. Its somehow linked to head office so the address book has everyone in the company in the whole world, which is nice. Outside of the adress book thing, its basically the same as every other mail client

Calendar and Contact Manager (not just the address book) are the two big things people mention.

I have used Outlook Express and I get lost trying to help people with Outlook.

MotionMan

 

[techs]

The point of Office 365 is Microsoft can now make money off of you 365 days a year.

Aptly named.

 

[Thump553]

Office 365 looks like a plan to make the most useful part of MS Office (Outlook) more cumbersome and expensive.

To paraphrase Captain Renault, I'm shocked, absolutely shocked that MS would do such practices.

 

[Lotheron]

It's their answer to Google's hosted apps. They finally figured out that small businesses didn't like spending money to Microsoft for the startup costs for just for office apps and email when they could have just as easily used the live version from Google for next to nothing.

 

[preslove]

The point of Office 365 is Microsoft can now make money off of you 365 days a year.

Aptly named.

Chances are, M$ will lose a ton of $ on this because they're trying to compete with google & don't know what they're doing. Look at how much $ they're losing because of Bing, LOL.

 

[JTsyo]

As anyone who has used them can tell you, Outlook and Outlook Express are barely related. Yes, they both do e-mail and have an address book, but the similarities seem to end there.

Now Microsoft has gone back into their apparently limited bag of names and came up with "Office 365".

Office 365 is not a replacement for or the next version of Office. In fact you pretty much need to have Office in order to use Office 365 (and if you do not have Office, MS will rent it to you!).

Has MS really run out of words to use to name their products?

Can you name examples of other such name confusion?

MotionMan

What other MS product uses 365?

 

[bhanson]

Microsoft Office 365 (Plan P1) Beta is a subscription service that combines the familiar Microsoft Office Web Apps with online versions of our next-generation communications and collaboration services

wat

 

[Fritzo]

Google Apps is starting to take business away from Microsoft's Office cash cow, so they made 365 to compete in Google's cloud computing product. It's basically a cloud based version of Office.

 

[vi edit]

what else does outlook do? All i use it for is email. Its somehow linked to head office so the address book has everyone in the company in the whole world, which is nice. Outside of the adress book thing, its basically the same as every other mail client

More like what doesn't outlook do. It's probably the most used/important application in "Microsoft" shops. Outside of emails it's also the primary way many companies schedule meetings, send invites, and keep track of scheduled resources like conference rooms and training areas.

As for this, it looks like it's aimed at small/medium sized businesses that don't want to deal with Citrix or VPN access back into the corporate office. You can gain access to all of your Microsoft "stuff"...email...spreadsheets...communicator...project..ect all under on publicl published URL.

Oh and it's an easy way for MS to maintain liceses and bundle applications and control content.

 

[zokudu]

Aren't Office Web Apps current free?

So basically this moves all the professional features of Office such as Outlook, Lync, Infopath etc online with the Office Web Apps? So it is different then office and is meant to replace office. I don't see the issue. Rather then purchasing multiple Office Professional Plus Licenses you get a subscription based web format.

How does this not replace Office within a small business?

 

[Zargon]

wait, it confusing they used the office name on an office app based product....?

 

[Linflas]

Calendar and Contact Manager (not just the address book) are the two big things people mention.

I have used Outlook Express and I get lost trying to help people with Outlook.

MotionMan

That is because other than the name Outlook they share no code and were developed by 2 discrete teams.

 

[Zargon]

and doesnt outlook express not exist anymore? replaced with windows live mai?

 

[ShawnD1]

As for this, it looks like it's aimed at small/medium sized businesses that don't want to deal with Citrix or VPN access back into the corporate office. You can gain access to all of your Microsoft "stuff"...email...spreadsheets...communicator...project..ect all under on publicl published URL.

Oh and it's an easy way for MS to maintain liceses and bundle applications and control content.

I was going to say this sounds retardedly retarded to rely on the network to get anything done. Then I remembered AutoCAD already does this and I haven't really had a problem with it. Just a minute ago I unplugged the network cable and started ACAD. It won't even start. It prompts for a licensing server or contact my administrator.


MS and Google should be in the business of running servers for people so it's like a cross between Outlook and Gmail. Right now I use gmail for personal stuff and it works great, but it could be used for business stuff if it had the features of Outlook. Add some kind of reminder system and a global address book and a more professional email address (@yourcompany.com) and that would be great for small business. If I started a business right now, I wouldn't want to deal with a bunch of bullshit about running a server and getting a domain name and figuring out how to get email on it etc.

 

[cronos]

MS and Google should be in the business of running servers for people so it's like a cross between Outlook and Gmail. Right now I use gmail for personal stuff and it works great, but it could be used for business stuff if it had the features of Outlook. Add some kind of reminder system and a global address book and a more professional email address (@yourcompany.com) and that would be great for small business. If I started a business right now, I wouldn't want to deal with a bunch of bullshit about running a server and getting a domain name and figuring out how to get email on it etc.

Well that's exactly what Google apps is all about.

 

[vi edit]

Well that's exactly what Google apps is all about.

And Office 365

 

[davmat787]

Say you are starting a company with 12 employees across 2 locations. Would you rather setup your own servers (and that means hiring someone) or pay MS $20 bucks a month per employee to provide hosted exchange/outlook and office?

 

[preslove]

And Office 365

Yeah, but google uses its apps to tie people into their other money making services. Microsoft will use Office 365 to waste a ton of money that could go to shareholders

 

[zokudu]

Yeah, but google uses its apps to tie people into their other money making services. Microsoft will use Office 365 to waste a ton of money that could go to shareholders

Or they could make money because its a service you have to pay for?

 

[ElFenix]

MS and Google should be in the business of running servers for people so it's like a cross between Outlook and Gmail. Right now I use gmail for personal stuff and it works great, but it could be used for business stuff if it had the features of Outlook. Add some kind of reminder system and a global address book and a more professional email address (@yourcompany.com) and that would be great for small business. If I started a business right now, I wouldn't want to deal with a bunch of bullshit about running a server and getting a domain name and figuring out how to get email on it etc.

eh? you can get gmail for your domain, along with calendar and a bunch of other services. they're about to release even more google goodness for domains as well.

 

[davmat787]

MS and Google should be in the business of running servers for people so it's like a cross between Outlook and Gmail. Right now I use gmail for personal stuff and it works great, but it could be used for business stuff if it had the features of Outlook. Add some kind of reminder system and a global address book and a more professional email address (@yourcompany.com) and that would be great for small business. If I started a business right now, I wouldn't want to deal with a bunch of bullshit about running a server and getting a domain name and figuring out how to get email on it etc.

From what I understand, this is exactly what Office 365 can do. Will be great for small companies that don't want the hassle and expense of owning their own servers and hosting in house. Instead, they can pay MS $20 bucks or whatever per seat per month for complete office/exchange that stays updated. Ars has a good writeup on 365.

 

[Thump553]

I was going to say this sounds retardedly retarded to rely on the network to get anything done. Then I remembered AutoCAD already does this and I haven't really had a problem with it. Just a minute ago I unplugged the network cable and started ACAD. It won't even start. It prompts for a licensing server or contact my administrator.


MS and Google should be in the business of running servers for people so it's like a cross between Outlook and Gmail. Right now I use gmail for personal stuff and it works great, but it could be used for business stuff if it had the features of Outlook. Add some kind of reminder system and a global address book and a more professional email address (@yourcompany.com) and that would be great for small business. If I started a business right now, I wouldn't want to deal with a bunch of bullshit about running a server and getting a domain name and figuring out how to get email on it etc.

+1. As a small business person, I'd have to say you hit the nail right on the head.

I tried out the google apps back around the end of the year and was distinctly unimpressed.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

I was going to say this sounds retardedly retarded to rely on the network to get anything done. Then I remembered AutoCAD already does this and I haven't really had a problem with it. Just a minute ago I unplugged the network cable and started ACAD. It won't even start. It prompts for a licensing server or contact my administrator.


MS and Google should be in the business of running servers for people so it's like a cross between Outlook and Gmail. Right now I use gmail for personal stuff and it works great, but it could be used for business stuff if it had the features of Outlook. Add some kind of reminder system and a global address book and a more professional email address (@yourcompany.com) and that would be great for small business. If I started a business right now, I wouldn't want to deal with a bunch of bullshit about running a server and getting a domain name and figuring out how to get email on it etc.

My university just switched to gmail. My email address is *******@zips.uakron.edu which change from the old one of ********@uakron.edu so there isn't much difference. I like the gmail hosted version better than the old stuff. Companies can get gmail email fairly easily I'm fairly sure. If my university can with more employees and students than many companies have, then any company should be able to do it.