One of the things that I wished Outlook would do intelligently is to link the contents of a time slots with the next logical time slot.
For example, I wish I could assign individual time demands to a particular kind of time slot, such as time that I spent at home. It would be able to understand that if an item were to be dismissed from the list of reminders, that it could be “forwarded” to the next appropriate time slot automatically. At the moment, the user has to reschedule every single time demand that has not been completed individually, instead of in bulk.
In other words, Outlook should understand that scheduled items that are not completed need special, intelligent handling and a greater choice of options.
I also wish that Outlook would allow a user to graduate from one level of another in some way – essentially creating different skins, and even options for different levels of users. A Black Belt has different needs from a White Belt, and should be allowed to use the system in the way that best meets their needs.
The way the reminders come up is annoying… or at least, the way it is done in Office XP certainly is. The user should be given the option of how they want to see reminders – either in an on-screen window, or as a pop-up.In XP, only the latter mode is allowed.
I recently saw the Mac default calendar program on my friend’s computer. It allowed overlapping items in a schedule, which I thought to be an eye-pleaser. Scheduled items are also transparent, allowing the user to schedule travel time from 7 a.m. – 12 p.m., and also other scheduled activities between that same period, like reading, replying to email, resting, etc.
Is there a user group of Outlook users who discuss these concerns? I’d love to be pointed in that direction, so if you know something, do pass on the info below.