Windows Central: Microsoft Plans to Replace Mac and Windows Outlook Clients With Web Apps

Zac Bowden, reporting for Windows Central:

Microsoft wants to replace the existing desktop clients with one
app built with web technologies. The project will deliver Outlook
as a single product, with the same user experience and codebase
whether that be on Windows or Mac. It’ll also have a much smaller
footprint and be accessible to all users whether they’re free
Outlook consumers or commercial business customers.

I’m told the app will feature native OS integrations with support
for things like offline storage, share targets, notifications, and
more. I understand that it’s one of Microsoft’s goals to make the
new Monarch client feel as native to the OS as possible while
remaining universal across platforms by basing the app on the
Outlook website.

I have no idea how big the “footprint” is for the current Mac Outlook app, but if it’s based on Electron how could the footprint not be enormous? “Hello World” in Electron is huge.

Steve Troughton-Smith:

Sad to see Microsoft consciously eroding its native platforms,
drawn to the idea of a local ecosystem full of web apps like a
moth to a flame.