Xobni launches 4 partnerships that will change Outlook forever

http://www.xobni.com/blog/2008/11/19/xobni-brings-the-internet-into-outlook-br-4-ways-your-outlook-will-never-be-the-same/

by brezina • 18 years ago

39 40 18 years ago

xobni.com

aneesh• 18 years ago

Congrats Xobni!

lux2• 18 years ago

Congratulations! Xobni is making my Gmail look worse and worse every day. Hopefully one day Xobni infiltrates more than just Outlook :)

axod7• 18 years ago

Out of interest, what features does Xobni have that Gmail is lacking?

brent• 18 years ago

I'm going to take a stab in the dark (I've never used Xobni) and say:

1. Search your Yahoo! Mail without leaving Outlook

2. Instant Facebook Status and Photos

3. Smart Skype Integration

4. Hoover’s arms you with instant research on your contacts’ employers

lux2• 18 years ago

In short, lots.

I think Xobni's person-oriented metaphor is a very strong one. It doesn't replace Outlook's UI, but it does add a lot of value to it.

In Gmail, I end up with dozens of labels and filters putting mail in each of those labels. Many of them basically group mail by people, which is Xobni's strength. I love the idea of seeing that person and all conversations you've had with them separated out without having to create that through a label system. It's such a common thing to want to reference, but not as easy as it could be in Gmail.

It's also great to have quick access to files sent by that person, separate from emails. Digging through emails to find the right one that a file attachment was attached to is no fun in Gmail or pretty much any other mail program. Xobni wins on this front big time.

Another is seeing relations between people. I do this by filtering groups (usually by common domain, but then there are exceptions for personal email addresses too) into their own labels like "Client X" and "Client Y" for my most active clients, since keeping them all in one stream is just too much to manage. But being able to quickly drill down to Joe who works with Steve when Steve mentioned something Joe was supposed to send you would be really nice. Another Xobni win there too.

Gmail Labs sounded like a good idea, but while a few are pretty useful, most of the options in there are a joke. A snake game? Come on. Randomized signatures? How about selectable signatures already?

They really need to start thinking a bit bigger to continue improvements. Gmail is far from perfect, and while Xobni isn't a complete client unto itself, it is a nice addition to one to be sure.

brezina• 18 years ago

Thanks guys! If you want to help us spread the email love outside of our little community, please help us digg this story here: http://digg.com/microsoft/Xobni_did_it_4_reasons_your_Outloo...

thehigherlife• 18 years ago

that's the first time i've logged into digg in like... 6 months.

crabapple5• 18 years ago

best approach to de-retarding outlook: don't use it

now let me guess a thousand respondents will tell me they are "forced" to use outlook. i call bullshit. where are these mythical phbs that walk around checking on what mail client you are using. and don't tell me you have to use outlook to extract excrete...err exchange calendar notifications...it took me all of about ten minutes to extract those in gnus using elisp

jgrahamc2• 18 years ago

Sorry, but you've clearly never worked in a large company that had an actual IT department. There are many, many companies where what goes on your machine is what the company chooses. You are either forbidden, or prevented, from installing anything else.

Those people are forced to use Outlook.

Also, your average employee is unlikely to replace Outlook with the 'better' solution of extracting calendar information using 'gnus using elisp'.

axod7• 18 years ago

Using telnet or netcat to access the exchange server is better than using outlook.

tapostrophemo• 18 years ago

>Those people are forced to use Outlook.

Or even better, Lotus Notes. Ick! What will save us from that hell?

LPTS• 18 years ago

don't work at those places. they sound like they suck.

crabapple5• 18 years ago

Sorry, but you've clearly never worked in a large company that had an actual IT department.

yes actually i do. and no, no one cares what email client i use

name three real companies where every employee is FORCED to use outlook

mattmaroon• 18 years ago

Pretty sweet man.

sahaj• 18 years ago

looks like someone is hoping for a microsoft yahoo merger soon.

mikkom• 18 years ago

Didn't microsoft already try to buy them?

justindz• 18 years ago

Yes, they turned down a large offer from Microsoft which at the time was debated on HN as either indicating an ace up their sleeve or sheer stupidity.

rokhayakebe2• 18 years ago

Xobni is a very interesting company. It can't wait for the Gmail plugin.

I have been using the Xoopit media plugin. It has turned all my pictures into a very nice and simple photo album. It even works well with my files at work. All the documents are organized and you can see those screenshots within gmail without opening a new window.

Xobni, when is the Gmail plugin coming?

rokhayakebe2• 18 years ago

Could you explain the downvote? That may be helpful.

allenbrunson• 18 years ago

my guess would be that it was a karma troll. don't worry about it.

Xobni launches 4 partnerships that will change Outlook forever

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