Windows 10 App Mantra “Write Once Run Any” & Outlook App for iOS & Android

People using Outlook 2016 on desktop computers running Windows 10 cannot use the “Focus” and “Other” views feature of the Outlook App for iOS and Android.

The lack of this feature is a negative for me. I find myself using my iPad and my Acer Aspire R 13 laptop at the same time to compensate. I can’t help but remember Joe Belfiore’s presentation during the debut of the Surface product line, the one where he talked about all the different devices tech consumers need to buy to get things done. Mr. Belfiore presented the Surface as a solution to device “clutter” and waste. The one box you will ever need.

So if Surface and each of the other device platforms served by Windows 10 should be “all in one”, why do I need to use an iPad and a laptop to efficiently manage mail?

The reason is simple. Microsoft bought a company named Acompli back in late 2014 — early 2015 timeframe. The “focus” and “other” feature comes from Acompli. On January 29, 2015, the Verge published a story on the topic written by Tom Warren: “Microsoft rebrands Acompli as Outlook for iOS and Android”.

But the Acompli code has not been integrated into Outlook 2016 for the desktop, which makes the branding effort, in my opinion, something of a failure. Naturally, any concepts built on the branding foundation, for example, the “write once run any device platform” slogan for Windows 10 App Model are stuck in the same branding muck.

Hopefully Microsoft is working on re-writing Acompli as a Windows 10 App. The MARCOM disconnect doesn’t stop with Outlook 2016, and Outlook App for mobile. Nor is Microsoft the only ISV guilty of this guile. Facebook is another. I can’t get Facebook “Live” to run on the desktop. Curious.