>> I can only imagine integration with the Apple Address Book is something that >> the majority of Entourage users would want. Am I wrong? Does Microsoft know >> this? > > Yes, they know it. The problem is that the System Address Book is limited > in comparison to Entourage's. So, does MS lose the additional functionality > it has in it's own address book and just use the apple one? If so, how does > it reconcile the fact that this would be external to the main database? > Alternatively, does it just provide a means to sysn it's own address book > with Apple's? Will this have an impact on performance? Can it be a batch > update done through a menu command or by a schedule, or does it have to > update everything as soon as a change is made. If they take this option, > how do they know when the apple address book has been updated? How often do > they check? will this impact performance? > > You see, the solution is not that straight forward. Sure, everyone would > like transparent integration, but what you will probably end up with is a > compromise between convenience, functionality and performance. Alas, this > is not a perfect world, and no doubt many peopel will be disappointed > when/if integration comes about.
Fair enough. But just for the record, I didn't mean to imply that it was straightforward at all. And yes, many people will be disappointed, because many people are always disappointed by any major software update. But the questions you raise -- or similar ones -- are germane to just about every major feature in the development of a software package. Which is to say that there's nothing particularly difficult or challenging about Address Book integration in the context of every other feature in Microsoft Office. I work as a UI designer and I am often faced with a barrage of similar questions from engineers who question the feasibility of features I'm trying to put into place, so I know how easy it is to make a feature look very difficult to produce. I know you are trying to set expectations at a reasonable level, but I wouldn't say that the issue of Address Book integration is so onerous a task that we, as users, don't have a right to expect a very, very elegant solution in the next version of Office. In fact, we definitely have that right. Also, I should round out my comments by saying that I have the utmost respect for the Mac B.U. and I think they've done a stellar job on Entourage X. It's the best mail client and PIM I've ever used. Khoi -- To unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> archives: <http://www.mail-archive.com/entourage-talk%40lists.letterrip.com/> old-archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/entourage-talk%40lists.boingo.com/>
