June 9, 2022: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Microsoft in May (2022) released a beta preview of their upcoming new Windows Desktop Outlook, and it contains good news for MYN users. Microsoft has apparently not<\/em> abandoned the original Tasks module\u2014it\u2019s still in there!<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s important because the original Tasks module is needed to\nuse MYN in Outlook. So we now know that MYN users can continue implementing the MYN system<\/a> in the newest version of Windows Desktop Outlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I Was Getting Nervous!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Before this release, I was getting nervous! I was nervous because all other new Outlook versions had, in their most recent updates, dropped that original Tasks module, favoring the newer (but weaker) To Do tasks module. For example, Outlook for Mac fully dropped it recently, and Outlook Online dropped it a while back. Tablet versions don\u2019t support it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Clearly, Microsoft seemed to be moving away from that Tasks\nmodule, and Windows Desktop Outlook was the only<\/em> remaining Outlook\nversion retaining that old Outlook Tasks module. So, I was anxious to see what the\nnext update of Windows Desktop Outlook would bring us. Would Microsoft drop it\nthere too? <\/p>\n\n\n\n But MYN users can rest easy: Microsoft is keeping that\noriginal Tasks module in Windows Desktop Outlook. Bravo! In fact, as you\u2019ll see\nbelow, Microsoft included both it and<\/em> To Do, giving everyone a choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similar to Previous Versions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n You might wonder, though, has anything else significant changed in this new version for MYN users? Well, this new version looks very similar to the current Outlook release as shown in image above. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And as far as we can see, it implements the Tasks module\nidentically to the earlier versions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, as shown on the right side of the image above,\nyou can see it still enables the To-Bar pop up task list and all MYN settings\nwork the same there. All special MYN Tasks folder views can still be set up,\ntoo. And ClearContext Corp tells us their add-in software called MYN Views should\nstill work. So gratefully, everything MYN users are accustomed to will work in\nthis latest release. In fact, all current MYN settings should be imported when\nyou upgrade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, as you would expect, there are<\/em> a bunch of changes\nin this release; after all, why release a new version? But most changes aren\u2019t\nrelated to managing tasks, and so I won\u2019t review most of them here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Includes Both Tasks and To Do <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There is one change I will<\/em> mention though. The new\nOutlook now includes both<\/em> task modules: the original Tasks module and<\/em>\nthe newer To Do module\u2014they are both built in. Let me show you that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First, you\u2019ll now find two task links on Outlook\u2019s left-side\nnavigation bar, shown in the image below. The top one launches the original\nTasks module, and the next one launches To Do. You choose just by clicking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To Do now Opens within Outlook<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Even more important is this: when you click the To Do module\nlink shown above, the full To Do app opens within the Outlook app<\/em>. It\u2019s\nnow part of desktop Outlook. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Microsoft never did this before. In all other Outlook or Office\napps, when you click the To Do link, you jump from the current app to a browser\ntab, launching To Do\u2019s web app. But no longer; To Do now opens inside the\nOutlook app as shown below. To Do users will appreciate that, especially those using 1MTD<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Differences between the To Do Module and Tasks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s step back a bit. In case you have not read or watched my\nmany previous reviews of To Do, let me remind you of the differences between\nthe To Do app and the original Tasks module, and why that matters when using\nthe MYN tasks system<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To Do has no 3-level priority field. To Do has no start date\nfield. And To Do includes very few opportunities to customize task views. Overall,\nTo Do has dramatically fewer features compared to the original Tasks module. And\nit\u2019s that lack of power that eliminates To Do as a choice for using MYN.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To Do\u2019s positives? It\u2019s much simpler<\/em> than the original\nOutlook Tasks module; it\u2019s simpler to learn and simpler to use. A new user can\nadopt it quickly. In this age of short attention spans, that\u2019s apparently what many\npeople want.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One other good thing: To Do automatically syncs all its tasks\nwith the original Tasks module. So if you enter a task in To Do, it promptly\npops into the Tasks module and vice versa. During that sync, fields such as\ntask name, categories, and due dates sync as well. That sync is useful as I\u2019ll\ndescribe next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Smartphone Apps<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Perhap To Do\u2019s best attribute is its excellent native iPhone\nand Android apps. They really are great apps. In contrast, Microsoft never\ncreated native smartphone apps for the Tasks module.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By syning To Do and Tasks modules on the server, MYN Outlook\nusers can use those smartphone apps\u2014somewhat. For example, for entering new\ntasks while on the road. Or for viewing your highest-priority tasks (they are starred\nin To Do).<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, you cannot configure the To Do smartphone apps with \u201creal\u201d MYN views. So MYN users who want a full MYN view in their smartphone must use a third-party app like Preside or TaskTask to see and manipulate MYN tasks. While both are good apps, they are not native Microsoft apps, so they don\u2019t connect with all Microsoft servers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another approach MYN users can take to solve the smartphone\nissue is this: Consider using Todoist<\/a>, or Toodledo<\/a> for tasks instead<\/em>\nof either To Do or Outlook Tasks. Both the Todoist and Toodledo app families implement\nMYN well on their smartphone apps. Using either of these app families on your phone\nand computer, you can then continue to use Outlook for email and calendar (or use\nGmail for that matter) while jumping to Todoist or Toodledo for managing tasks.\nBoth have good links to Outlook and Gmail, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Many Versions of Outlook Can Get Confusing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n But let\u2019s get back to discussing the new Windows Desktop\nOutlook beta release. First, do not confuse this app with other Outlook\nversions like Outlook for Mac, Outlook Online, Outlook iOS or Android. The\nOutlook label is overused and gets confusing. Microsoft is merging their\nfunctionality, but versions still differ greatly. For example, dual access to\nboth To Do and Tasks is only in this new Windows version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, don\u2019t confuse this latest Windows release with a beta version\nof Windows Outlook released earlier in May. It was reviewed extensively in the\ncomputer press as the new \u201cOne Outlook.\u201d While that version looks nearly\nidentical, it has far fewer features including no access to the old Tasks\nmodule, nor access to add ins. Rumor is, Microsoft will retain it or a similar scaled-back\nversion to replace the free Windows 11 Mail and Calendar apps delivered on all new\nWindows computers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if you are an MYN user on Windows, ignore that version. You\u2019ll\nwant the full new Windows Desktop Outlook that includes the original Tasks\nmodule, as I discussed above. It\u2019s the paid one sold with Microsoft Office as part\nof a Microsoft 365 paid subscription or through your company\u2019s subscription.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get It Now?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Should you get that beta now? Well, if you have the current\ncopy of Windows Desktop Outlook and you use MYN, I see no reason to rush to get\nthis. The current release works fine for MYN. And since it\u2019s beta, it\u2019s likely\nmissing features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Granted, if you use To Do, it\u2019s nice that To Do launches\nwithin Outlook now. But using To Do in a separate app still works fine too. All\ntasks still sync, and any emails you convert to tasks in Outlook still convey\ninto that separate app. So again, no need to rush. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But if you really want to test it out now, the new Windows\nDesktop Outlook upgrade is reportedly available only to Beta Channel users\nrunning Version 2205 (Build 15225.20000) or later. I belong to that channel,\nand this new version installed automatically on my computer recently. Once installed,\nyou will need to activate the new features using the Coming Soon, Try It Now toggle\nin the upper right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n MYN users on Windows Desktop Outlook can now rest easy knowing\nthat Microsoft is continuing to support its more powerful, original Tasks\nmodule in the latest Windows Desktop Outlook release. That bodes well for MYN\u2019s\nfuture in Outlook\u2014and really for everyone using tasks in Outlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And for those using To Do, it\u2019s good to see To Do as a full,\nbuilt-in module in Windows Desktop Outlook. No more jumping to a web browser to\nuse it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is all good news!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [May 20, 2023 Update: See this link for new information on this topic before reading below:] https:\/\/www.michaellinenberger.com\/blog\/microsoft-365-subscribers-if-using-myn-wait-before-updating-to-new-windows-outlook\/ June 9, 2022: Microsoft in May (2022) released a beta preview of their upcoming new Windows Desktop Outlook, and it contains good news … Continue reading ![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.michaellinenberger.com\/images\/new-outook-medium.png\")
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