CC: Suggestions to Microsoft

(e-mail I just wrote to Microsoft)
Dear Microsoft,

I just called Microsoft's Mac products help-line and none of the things I wanted to do were possible for Entourage 2008 mail client.

This is ridiculous, don't you have people who use the products give you any feedback? These were things I immediately identified.

(1) You can't set a default color for your e-mails. For example, I want to write in dark blue instead of black. You can change your font type to default but you can't default your color? This is a bit stupid I would think. You should be able to default to this, especially if your signature is a different color and you want to match it. OK so it only takes me 2 seconds to change it, but what if I want to use it on 100 emails I write in a day x 5 days x 52 weeks = 2 full work days worth of changing font colors. Entourage should be built around EFFICIENCY, not lowest common denominator opinion polls that nerds in Seattle create. Change this.

(2) I can't click on an event in the calendar without it trying to change the name of the event. The Microsoft help line said that people "wanted you to be able to do this". Let's think about this guys, this must have been a small portion of the population who suggested this and they must have been close constituents to the nerds in Seattle who developed the program. So now I have to try and click on the edge of the calendar appointment to open the the appointment otherwise the cursor prompts me to rename it. Without doing any formal or informal focus groups I can tell you for SURE that businesspeople change appointment times, appointment notes, and appointment days TEN TIMES MORE THAN THEY CHANGE THE NAME OF THE APPOINTMENT. If the appointment name changes generally it is CANCELLED. So, please change it so double-clicking on the calendar appointment opens the APPOINTMENT itself because 95% of the time they aren't trying to change the name of the appointment!

(3) In Outlook you were able to EDIT the subject of an e-mail in your folders so that you can reference it quicker. You CAN'T on Entourage. The Microsoft help line told me that I had to forward the e-mail to myself in order to change the subject line. Again, I loved this feature in Outlook - why not have it in Entourage. NOT VERY EFFICIENT sending yourself e-mails to rename them. Again, think efficiency, not lowest common denominator internal reviews.

That's about it. I was very happy that your Microsoft for Mac help-line was prompt and courteous, but I wasn't happy with the responses I got, so I decided to send in this e-mail for some recommendations.

P.S.: Please contact me directly if you'd like me to hash out any other issues with your Microsoft Mac programs. I will promise to give you a reasonable rate.

Sincerely,

Dean