Metro apps notifications on classic desktop

pparks1

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Ok, so I setup the Mail application on the Start Screen and it's watching my gmail account for me. That's all fine and dandy.

Now, I want notifications to show when my screen is locked. I figured this out (but I'm a bit concerned that the thought bubble appears at the top and anybody sitting near by terminal can see my new email (at least the first line of it).


So, if I am in the classic desktop (which I will be most of the time), and I happen to be not looking at my screen when an email arrives, I miss the little popup which shows in the upper right. There is nothing else on the taskbar, status area or otherwise to alert me to the fact that an email came in while I was away.

Is there a way to ensure that these Metro apps more forcefully alert me to the fact that something just happened. A 5 second pop-up which goes away is not going to do it.
 

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You are probably going to need a proper desktop email client for that.
 

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^Yes: I expect that too SIW2, but I wanted to pose the question so that Metro fans could explain to me how to make these brilliant must have apps actually usable.
 

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I haven't been using Mail since Office 2013 was released, so I can't really offer a suggestion. I don't know why, but Mail doesn't have any notifications when I get email whereas Outlook 2013 does. If you can and want to, use Outlook 2013. It's Desktop based obviously, and regardless of what you're in, you still get that little notification toast to come up on the side. That can be disabled though.

I wonder, is Mail pinned to your Start Screen?
 

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^Yes: I expect that too SIW2, but I wanted to pose the question so that Metro fans could explain to me how to make these brilliant must have apps actually usable.

You've clearly indicated that you will be spending most of your time in desktop so why would you bother with the mail app in the first place.
 

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You've clearly indicated that you will be spending most of your time in desktop so why would you bother with the mail app in the first place.
An attempt to use what Windows 8 is providing.

I do have personal email via gmail (primary) , and hotmail (mostly just stuff for my @live account). I would like having something that could "check" both of these for me and tell me when an email has arrived. Right now I do it via my browser, but I have to manually check that by hand.

I haven't been using Mail since Office 2013 was released, so I can't really offer a suggestion. I don't know why, but Mail doesn't have any notifications when I get email whereas Outlook 2013 does. If you can and want to, use Outlook 2013. It's Desktop based obviously, and regardless of what you're in, you still get that little notification toast to come up on the side. That can be disabled though.
I wonder, is Mail pinned to your Start Screen?

At work, I use Outlook. But it's for my corporate email. (I don't want my personal email intermingled here) At home, I don't use Outlook because I'm not willing to pay for MS Office.

By default, Mail is pinned to Start Screen in Windows 8.
 

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    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
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    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
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    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
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    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
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    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
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    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
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I do have personal email via gmail (primary) , and hotmail (mostly just stuff for my @live account). I would like having something that could "check" both of these for me and tell me when an email has arrived. Right now I do it via my browser, but I have to manually check that by hand.

I understand that you want to be notified in Desktop but Metro Mail already indicates when new mail has arrived, isn't it faster just to check your start screen for the indicators than manually check via your browser?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7, Windows 8 RP
You've clearly indicated that you will be spending most of your time in desktop so why would you bother with the mail app in the first place.
An attempt to use what Windows 8 is providing.

I do have personal email via gmail (primary) , and hotmail (mostly just stuff for my @live account). I would like having something that could "check" both of these for me and tell me when an email has arrived. Right now I do it via my browser, but I have to manually check that by hand.

I haven't been using Mail since Office 2013 was released, so I can't really offer a suggestion. I don't know why, but Mail doesn't have any notifications when I get email whereas Outlook 2013 does. If you can and want to, use Outlook 2013. It's Desktop based obviously, and regardless of what you're in, you still get that little notification toast to come up on the side. That can be disabled though.
I wonder, is Mail pinned to your Start Screen?
At work, I use Outlook. But it's for my corporate email. (I don't want my personal email intermingled here) At home, I don't use Outlook because I'm not willing to pay for MS Office.

By default, Mail is pinned to Start Screen in Windows 8.



Hi @pparks1

I completely understand you don't want to pay for office on a home computer - to get the Full version with Outlook isn't cheap - but you could see if your workplace has a "Use at Home" license.

Here you could get an Enterprise VL Office version for absolutely cents -- At my last place I got Office 2007 Enterprise like that for 16 EUR which included a physical DVD. Although that was a while ago I'm sure the same sort of schemes are in place -- and I'd suggest that say for around 10 USD Ms Office is well worth it.!!!

I still haven't yet found an email client that is anywhere near as convenient to use as Outlook -- especially now Gmail can be linked to use Outlook. I use it all the time for gmail.

How to setup an Outlook Gmail account from a Google Gmail email address

or

How to Access Gmail with Outlook - About Email

cheers
jimbo
 

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Hi @pparks1

I completely understand you don't want to pay for office on a home computer - to get the Full version with Outlook isn't cheap - but you could see if your workplace has a "Use at Home" license.
Hey Jimbo,

No we don't offer the Microsoft Home Use Program license at my office. We used to have it, but we decided to not renew our software assurance enterprise agreement for our desktop platform at work and without this agreement in place, we don't get the Home Use Program of office. For 300 Desktops at my office, the Software assurance agreement was nearly $200k a year for the desktops.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
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    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
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    Antec P182
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    stock
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    ABS M1 Mechanical
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    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
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    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
No we don't offer the Microsoft Home Use Program license at my office. We used to have it, but we decided to not renew our software assurance enterprise agreement for our desktop platform at work and without this agreement in place, we don't get the Home Use Program of office. For 300 Desktops at my office, the Software assurance agreement was nearly $200k a year for the desktops.

That's too bad pparks1, we currently have a EULA with MS (definitely not cheap) and I picked up Office 2010 Pro for $10 end of last year right away before someone decides to trim costs.
 

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I agree with pparks1 but I just installed today. Why wouldn't you want notifications no matter what screen or desktop/metro you're in? I have a lot of reading to do because I'm not getting this metro and desktop separation and why IE has no option on the metro side. Very confusing.
 

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This thread is spot on. Thanks OP. I was trying to find some topics that were related to this.

I actually love the apps in the Metro UI.
As far as I understood it kind of Microsofts attempt to make users use these apps instead of downloading malware stuff from the internet etc .
Anyways whatever the reasons I actually really enjoy the apps . But it's true that when on the desktop. I get a notifcation but when missing it I have to manually go back to the metro UI. That's terrible really.
So while working I have to switch back and forth.
There should have been something that shows in the desktop that there are new mails in that metro UI client.
For the moment I keep using my client that I used in W7. But reallllly hope there will be a solution soon. Cause this has not been thought through IMO.
 

My Computer

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  • OS
    Windows 8
I am having to use the outlook.com website pinned to the taskbar and minimized so i get notifications when new mail arrives, not a perfect way but its the only solution i have found so far.
 

My Computer

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  • OS
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