I also don't really have an issue with having to download the images by a separate action, though it would be nice to have the option to turn this on or off in the settings.

What does burn me, though, is that it looks like they've also kept the “tap to scroll right” thing, even though this would be easier with the ability to pan around the screen. Please, Microsoft! I want to see the whole mail at once and then zoom in to specifics, not scroll around trying to piece the look together in my head! Somebody buy Steve Ballmer an iPhone….

Posted: HTML Mail Images Spiked on Windows Phone 7 http://bit.ly/cRl0Ck

HTML Mail Images Spiked on Windows Phone 7 http://bit.ly/cDqkR4

HTML Mail Images Spiked on Windows Phone 7 | Mobility Site http://bit.ly/b1mlcw #WP7

I also don't really have an issue with having to download the images by a separate action, though it would be nice to have the option to turn this on or off in the settings.

What does burn me, though, is that it looks like they've also kept the “tap to scroll right” thing, even though this would be easier with the ability to pan around the screen. Please, Microsoft! I want to see the whole mail at once and then zoom in to specifics, not scroll around trying to piece the look together in my head! Somebody buy Steve Ballmer an iPhone….

I am currently running Froyo on my VZW HTC Touch Pro 2 and the GMail client does the same thing … you have to click a button to download images. The web interface to GMail does the same thing. This is not an issue — though it would be nice if this was an option.

I agree with @veethree, the click to scroll right is annoying.

What I don't understand is why it can't be a user option. Would it be that difficult to allow me to set automatic image loading on or off on a global basis? In current versions of WM it's frustrating because you have to click twice to see images and then click again to scroll right.

While this item may not be deal breaker in and of itself, with all of the other limitations Microsoft seems to be imposing, it's one MORE reason I'll be looking elsewhere for my next device.

What I don't understand is why it can't be a user option. Would it be that difficult to allow me to set automatic image loading on or off on a global basis? In current versions of WM it's frustrating because you have to click twice to see images and then click again to scroll right.

While this item may not be deal breaker in and of itself, with all of the other limitations Microsoft seems to be imposing, it's one MORE reason I'll be looking elsewhere for my next device.

I agree that not having images download by default is not a big deal (and, really, a good thing). However, rather than have a global option to download all images, I think a comment I saw in reply to this story on another site made more sense — have a whitelist of sites/senders that you want E-mail images downloaded from automatically. That way you won't get burned by spammers using Web bugs like you could with a global “Download Images” option.

As for scrolling right, I explained in a previous topic why Microsoft had to to this. Basically, before HTML E-mail was added to Windows Mobile, all E-mail was text which reflowed to fit the client and there was no need for horizontal scrolling. So Microsoft used the left/right d-pad buttons to move to the next/previous E-mail. That's a useful and reasonable shortcut.

Once HTML E-mail was added, Microsoft was in a bind. Using the left/right buttons to scroll would break backward compatibility, but you still needed some way to scroll. That's why they added the scrolling mode. Yes, it's ugly, but, with that perspective, it kind of makes sense.

However, Windows Phone 7 is NOT Windows Mobile. Microsoft is breaking backward compatibility in so many more important ways that I think they should allow scrolling/panning in E-mail as the default. If they need a shortcut for next/previous E-mail, they can define a gesture for that.

Steve

Your suggestion regarding a whitelist certainly is better than having to click for images, but I still prefer a global option. I am perhaps spoiled by GMail's spam filters, but it's quite rare for a Spam message to make it to my mailbox. The Android option is also less than idea, as you have to click in each message, however it's vastly superior to previous versions of WM in that it's right in the body so you simply click before scrolling. I never understood why Micrsoft required two clicks –images not displayed– click to display images.

In regards to the scrolling, this is another place where a simple user option to enable next/previous with the scroll pad or swipe on the screen would have been much more user friendly. If you want to use the gesture to move to the next message, great, but if I'd prefer to simply scroll to the rest of you message then let me.

If Microsoft still hasn't addressed these issues despite this is a “whole new” OS then they still don't get this whole touch screen thing, even though they are so fascinated by it they purposely limit the number of buttons allowed.

The more I hear about WM7, the more convinced I am that Microsoft is very far off track, instead of focusing on usability, they seem focused on controlling a pretty user experience.

I agree that not having images download by default is not a big deal (and, really, a good thing). However, rather than have a global option to download all images, I think a comment I saw in reply to this story on another site made more sense — have a whitelist of sites/senders that you want E-mail images downloaded from automatically. That way you won't get burned by spammers using Web bugs like you could with a global “Download Images” option.

As for scrolling right, I explained in a previous topic why Microsoft had to to this. Basically, before HTML E-mail was added to Windows Mobile, all E-mail was text which reflowed to fit the client and there was no need for horizontal scrolling. So Microsoft used the left/right d-pad buttons to move to the next/previous E-mail. That's a useful and reasonable shortcut.

Once HTML E-mail was added, Microsoft was in a bind. Using the left/right buttons to scroll would break backward compatibility, but you still needed some way to scroll. That's why they added the scrolling mode. Yes, it's ugly, but, with that perspective, it kind of makes sense.

However, Windows Phone 7 is NOT Windows Mobile. Microsoft is breaking backward compatibility in so many more important ways that I think they should allow scrolling/panning in E-mail as the default. If they need a shortcut for next/previous E-mail, they can define a gesture for that.

Steve

I never understood why Micrsoft required two clicks –images not displayed– click to display images.

I think it's a confirmation step because your privacy could be compromised. Think of it like deleting an E-mail (from the mail list view) — you click Delete and get a confirmation window asking if you're sure.

What I don't understand is why they didn't make these menu opitons, instead keeping them in the message header area where you can't access them once you've scrolled. I wrote about that in my Windows Mobile New Year's Resolutions editorial and suggested ways to improve that.

Steve

I never understood why Micrsoft required two clicks –images not displayed– click to display images.

I think it's a confirmation step because your privacy could be compromised. Think of it like deleting an E-mail (from the mail list view) — you click Delete and get a confirmation window asking if you're sure.

What I don't understand is why they didn't make these menu opitons, instead keeping them in the message header area where you can't access them once you've scrolled. I wrote about that in my Windows Mobile New Year's Resolutions editorial and suggested ways to improve that.

Steve