Outlook - Increase size New Items Alert window + multiple windows

[AANetCon]

I am using utlook 2003 SP2 (11.6568.6568)
Have set up numerous rules and alerts. Alerts are numerous, and are all in
one pop up window, making the whole alert process unmanageable.

I want the ability to increase the size of the alert window so that I can
view and process the 30-40 alerts I have at any one time.

Additionally, I wish to be able to configure multiple alert Windows, such
that I can prioritise and manage the Alerts. I wish to be in a position to
control the Alert windows, such that there are multiple alert windows open on
the screen, usually on second monitor. I wish to be able to apply different
rules to the different windows (eg priority 1 can be on top of everything,
and flash fast and play sound etc).

I do not think that this is too much to ask and the usability of the current
option, shows that it is not used by anyone in the dev team, as they would
simply dump it!
Current offering fits in the category of useless software option, BUT has
the potential to allow management of mail items by way of variable alerts.
--
Tony

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http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=670f0871-5e2c-428c-8f2e-ce44be6f2205&dg=microsoft.public.outlook.general

[Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]]

The alerts windows are not configurable for running more than one instance
nor are they resizeable - and it has not changed in Outlook 2007 either.

--
Milly Staples [MVP - Outlook]

Post all replies to the group to keep the discussion intact. All
unsolicited mail sent to my personal account will be deleted without
reading.

After furious head scratching, AANetCon asked:

[AANetCon]

Milly, others,
Any suggested work around?
Any suggested third party product?

Limit of one tiny alert window has been a bugbear for years, just now
finally looking to do something about it.
Is the same as the limit of one open window in Event Viewer in Server 2003,
a pain in proverbial, and a limitation that impacts functionality and
usability.

How do I go about escallation of this issue to someone in the dev team.
Better still, how do I get them to use outlook alerts, and I am sure that
will generate some fix!

Any assistance would be appreciated.
Tony
--
Tony

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

Are you talking about the new mail alert window or the reminder window?

There are no 3rd party addins that will do what you want - it sure seems
like a lot of information overload. Members of the devteam read posts here -
but don't get your hopes up that they will do anything like this.

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/

Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com
Subscribe to Exchange Messaging Outlook newsletter:
EMO-NEWSLETTER-S...@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM

"AANetCon" <To...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:D8AC5EF2-C562-46C0...@microsoft.com...

[AANetCon]

Diane,
The alerts window, which pops up, when I receive new message, that is
processed according to mail rules.

I have membership of many yahoo groups, and other mailing services.
To stop 300-500 messages per day clogging my email inbox, I have outlook
rules that move many messages direct to folder, and display alert that there
is new message in folder.
I want to be in position to have multiple alert windows, such that the alert
window functions much the same as an inbox, but only for selected
topics/folders.
I would like to have advice of receipt of all electronic magazines go into
one alert window, all SBS yahoo groups messages go into another, all customer
related emails into another etc., but all the time keeping my inbox open and
functional for the mail that is not already subject to a rule.

Hence my comment about resize the existing alert window. I know it scrolls,
but in reality it has viewing room for 3 lines, and is so narrow as to be
next to useless.
My usage means that I will oftgen have 30-40 mesage lines in the alert window.
It is such a pain in the rear as to push me/people back to the use of an
overloaded in box!!!
And I am cerrtain that an overful inbox is not a good way to deal with this
issue!

Additionally, I use multiple monitors and would like to have multiple
(large) alert windows open (concurrently) so as to see alerts/emails entering
alert window, as configured for that category of emails.

It is all about productivity!
If it is important, I want to deal with it!
If important, but important in a lesser context, I want to know about it,
but deal with it when I decide to.

Surely there are other people who receive large numbers of valid emails each
day, and need an advanced prioritisation and coping methodology.
OR have they dumped Outlook as their mail reader?

I would personally like to show the head of the Dev team, the reality of a
busy mail box, and the need to have a functional tool to sort/categorise and
prioritise.
Hope this helps.
Or have I missed something, and is there a better way of dealing with my
dillema?
Tony
--
Tony

[Diane Poremsky [MVP]]

use search folders instead - you'll be able to see at a glance if there are
any unread messages in the folders and it wouldn't be constantly popping up
and interrupting your work (which is why many people hate alerts - they can
be very distracting).

--
Diane Poremsky [MVP - Outlook]
Author, Teach Yourself Outlook 2003 in 24 Hours
Coauthor, OneNote 2003 for Windows (Visual QuickStart Guide)
Need Help with Common Tasks? http://www.outlook-tips.net/beginner/

Outlook Tips: http://www.outlook-tips.net/
Outlook & Exchange Solutions Center: http://www.slipstick.com
Subscribe to Exchange Messaging Outlook newsletter:
EMO-NEWSLETTER-S...@PEACH.EASE.LSOFT.COM

"AANetCon" <To...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:EA095220-B37F-41DA...@microsoft.com...

[AANetCon]

Diane,
Will try the search folders function and see how it functions.....as an
interim step.

My thought is that search is an "active" requirement, where alert is a
"passive" requirement.
We could get into philosophical discussion, but the Outlook 2003 reality is
that, the user is required to moderate user behaviours, to suit software
functionality, rather than software functionality matching and exceeding user
requirements.

I take your point as to pop-ups being distracting.
But a pop-up that is left open and maximised, is simply updated, hence
remains useful tool!
Also, user must have more granular control over the configuration of
pop-ups, including the ability to limit the interruption factor, by making
certain that they stay minimised! Plenty of applications stay minimised and
simply flash on the Task Bar, to indicate new activity.
Why not have option for Alerts to stay minimise and flash to indicate
activity, after all Microsoft invented the Task bar flashing thing!

Eventually or discussion will provide microsoft with a pro-bono
specification of Outlook alert windows. Probably good for 2007 SP1.

But, as to pop-ups being a distraction, I would have to make the point that
yours is an old-school arguement, particularly when you have multiple
monitors, and asign one monitor to communications, and the other to core
functionality.
Humbly suggest that pop-up functionality needs to be more configurable,
rather than approach of; dump pop-up because it does not meet functional
requirement.
It would appear that you have stats and/or antecdotal evidence that there
are other users that have dumped pop-ups, simply because they were not
functional, according to business needs........What a sad inditement of
Microsoft focus group feedback sessions etc.

Whenever I seee a need for a workaround, I ask the question why?
And, in many cases, the response is "because the software will not do it the
way we want!"
Put another way, that part of the software is functionally broken, so we
don't use it!

Someone must get the message through to Microsoft that owning the world is
not enough, the software must be innovative and meet both the new, and the
curent business challenges.

To be placed in position where users dump pop-ups, and use find/search
function, must surely indicate that the corect functionality, that of pop-up,
must be in need of further attention from the dev team!

[AANetCon]

Hi,
I tried the seach approach, and have found that it is cumbersome.
again, it is a work around to bandaid a functional shortcoming in Outlook2003.

FYI I have now started testing NEO 3 free version.
So far EO is looking like it will provide the alert functionality that I
expect of Outlook2003, natively.
What a pity one has to add a wrapper to Outlook to achieve base functionality.

All fro now
Tony.
--
Tony

[bgranat]

One thing that should be simple to do is to allow use of a different
color for desktop alerts. They are not listed as one of the items that
can be customized in the display settings for windows, message boxes,
and so forth.

They blend right in with everything else and are ineffective for that
reason alone (to me, anyway).

[AANetCon]

I can only agree.
Alerts has so much latent potential.
Colurs, flashing, customisable, etc.

NEO is proving very interesting, but still need much more time to make
proper response. So far so good.
Took 8 hours to syncronise my 4 gig PST file.

IMHO MS dev team should take long hard look at absorbing NEO, and adding
that functionality native to outlook, at least for alerts and sorting of
groups and displays.

Off to do more NEO testing.
Tony
--
Tony

[Obi-Wrong]

Did you try opening a search folder as a new window? You can resize &
view it as you see fit.