Forum Discussion
Reading list
how can you even add something to the reading list when you are offline? it's impossible.
so first you need an Internet connection to find your content on the web and to add it to the reading list, once added, the reading list will use that Internet connection to save that content locally.
it's the same for collections. you need Internet access to find something on the web and add it to the collection. so once you've added all your contents to your collection, don't disconnect, spend 1 more minute online, export your collection to Word or Excel online, then disconnect your Internet connection.
2. why do you say not everyone has access to Word and Excel online? it's a free service from Microsoft. Everyone can use it with just a free Microsoft account.
having Microsoft account is also a requirement for reading list and collections.
Yes, an internet connection is required to add something to the reading list, but once it's on the reading list, you can go offline and are able to read it without an internet connection. An example would be, while I'm in a plane.
Yes, everyone with a Microsoft Account, who lives in a country where Word Online and Excel Online are available to that country can access Word Online and Excel Online WHILE THEY ARE ONLINE.
However, the two issues are, for my case, I am not allowed to use a Microsoft Account at work (they actually block this completely) which means I cannot use Word Online and Excel Online (AGAIN, WHILE I'M ONLINE). I use Edge with my Azure AD account to sync my Reading List.
However, even IF I could use a Microsoft Account, I STILL CANNOT USE WORD ONLINE IF I DO NOT HAVE AN INTERNET CONNECTION. I don't know why you think Word Online works offline. The word ONLINE is even in the name Word Online. I don't think you understand what we are trying to say here about offline reading.
- You just made me even more glad I have mine with that comment, Phillip 😊😉
Cheers,
Drew
Sent from Windows Mobile :mobile_phone:
Phillip Frabott wrote:You and I will just have to agree to disagree.
I don't really agree nor disagree, I just simply pointed out the possibilities that could happen.
Drew1903 wrote:
Phillip,
You know we are on the same wavelength. As I had said, they don't belong in the same discussion. They are 2 distinctly different animals with different reasons and purposes. Reading List MUST be in Edge C, having nothing to do with Collections.It's not a war game where you are trying to team up lol, we are just peacefully talking about tech.
"Sent from Windows Mobile" - Your making me jealous! I miss my Windows Mobile!
- Don't worry, I've been working with Microsoft enough to know it.
once collection gets all of it's features, it can be a fine replacement and better one for reading list. - Phillip,
You know we are on the same wavelength. As I had said, they don't belong in the same discussion. They are 2 distinctly different animals with different reasons and purposes. Reading List MUST be in Edge C, having nothing to do with Collections.
Cheers,
Drew
Sent from Windows Mobile Now your speculating on what I'm saying. I'm not saying that at all. In fact, I've already said previously (read up) that collections has a place in Edge. I just don't believe that it serves the same purpose as reading list. In fact, I find them to be very disconnected features of Edge. One has nothing to do with the other.
Just because they "can" roll 2 features up together, doesn't mean they "should". In fact, since the vision that Microsoft has already alluded to about what they think collections is, shows that it does not have a place with reading list (or vise versa if you prefer). The vision of each feature is different. Trying to force collections to be something it's not (reading list) will not only destroy the fundamental value of what collections is, but will also try to force reading list to be something it is not. The "old" Microsoft went this route for many of their products and it ended up in failure. My hope would be the "new" Microsoft will have learned the lessons of old, and not repeat themselves. If Reading List is to be replaced with Collections it will be evident that Microsoft still has much to learn. (learn about the failures of Internet Explorer and it's full history to understand what I mean)
I will also make an assumption (since I don't have much to go on other then your own words) that you haven't been around Microsoft long enough. Give it time. You'll figure out they don't listen very often.
- Well that's just assumptions.
because there is the potential. so why not?
why making different half baked features instead of focusing on just one of them to make it perfect and then in necessary, move to the next project/feature?
you are assuming that collections are done and now we should move on to the reading list. but that's just rushing. nothing is finished, it's far from it.
what is collections now? nothing practical. no sync, no decent export options, lots of features missing etc etc. so you want them to abandon it and start making reading list?
I've seen Microsoft listening to peoples feedbacks and actually applying them. And there in is the reason for all of my posts. To voice concerns. But I've been around Microsoft long enough to know they they do not do a very good job at listening to people. Only years after something has been made do they finally add things in. An example would be Groove. They never did add all the great features Groove had to SkyDrive/OneDrive. To this day, OneDrive is missing 80% of the features.
Let me just ask you HotCake, what makes you think that Collections is/can be a replacement for Reading List? Why do you want it to be a replacement? Why do you not want to have them as separate features? You've been very vocal about reading list being consumed by collections but you really haven't explained yourself. So I'm asking.
- Yes, of course they will have to, you shouldn't think of collections in its current state as a finished product. it's not even enabled by default, people can only enable it via flags, even on Canary it's not there by default.
Look at this thread, more than 1.5 months old
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Discussions/Edge-Collections-Feature-request-and-bug-problem-report/m-p/818507
collections have lots of potentials and it's only in the early stages.
yes you shouldn't be forced to buy extra stuff but again collections are not final so be sure that things will definitely change (in a good way) sooner or later. They will have to make Collections work very closely like how Reading List does. Unfortunately in it's current state (even ignoring offline for the moment), it doesn't. When exporting, it doesn't export a copy of the web page, only a link to the web page. They will have to have to be sure that collections, if replacing the Reading List, works exactly as reading list works today, no exports, no extra software, just Edge, with full offline page downloading. This is my point of contention. It doesn't. Now, if they are planning to make a radical shift in how collections works, and it can be done in a single click just as reading list does, no clunky interfaces, no having to specifically choose from a long list of collections, no having to set up special offline collections, it just works without extra setup, then that's fine. I just don't see that happening, at least not any time soon.
My response about countries was mostly related to your notion that every country had it (meaning 100% of all countries on planet earth). I figured you were not aware that this wasn't the case. Either way, it doesn't change the fact that I and most of my colleagues do not have access to Office Online because our company specifically bans it from use. We are only permitted to use installed Office Products which my current position does not allot to me at this time. I should never have to buy or use extra software for built-in features, which collections would have to do if it is to replace Reading List. I'm still with the others that these two features are separate and should not be combined.
- 1. I'm not ignoring anything.
2. If/when collections support offline availability, then they can do what Reading list would do. (pay attention to the part when I say "If/when", I'm not saying "now"). I didn't mean that collections support offline functionality right now. that and Reading List are still not available and just ideas.
3. that site says: "All Microsoft Online Services are unavailable in Cuba, Iran, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Sudan, and Syria. "
I don't see any problem there.
are you from one of those countries?
if yes then this forum is considered an online Microsoft service too and technically you shouldn't be using it.
if not then don't worry about it. keep using Microsoft office online and if you ever decide to travel to one of those countries, download your office docs to your computer. problem solved I was using capital letters to point out parts of my argument that you were ignoring. Mostly the fact that I was specifically talking about offline availability of full site pages, which is what Reading list supports.
I had a friend of mine earlier today test out the export option on collections. It does not even come close to how offline mode works in reading list.
When you add something to the reading list, after a moment it will cache an offline copy of that page. You can then be offline (which I find myself in alot during my travels) and allows me to view the entire content of the page without any internet access at all.
Collections only provides a word document with a link to the online-only web page. This is not even close to the same thing as the reading list, which is what I, and several others before me were pointing out. Collections is not, and never will be, a replacement for Reading List, which is the most vital part of Edge for a person like me.
And BTW, there are several countries that do not have Word and Excel Online. Since you brought it up, most notably would be Iran, Sudan, and Cuba. There are several others. If you would like more information on this please visit the Microsoft Exports page located here. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/exporting/overview.aspx
You can also reference the Microsoft International Availability page to see which countries Microsoft software and services are available, and notice the lack of several nations from the list. (Word Online and Excel Online are covered under Office 365) https://products.office.com/en-us/business/international-availability
Yes that's how reading list works, my point was that you can use collections the same way. collections and reading lists both have the same restrictions regarding Internet connection availability.
when you add something to the reading list, depending on your connection speed, you have to wait for the browser to download it for offline usage.
when you add something to the collection, you can do this part manually, by exporting your collection to the Word or Excel online and then it will be available for offline usage.
Do you know any countries in which Word or Excel online is not supported?
okay now you mentioned your issue, that's good. the thing is, these export destinations for collection (Word and Excel) are not all of it, the team is still working on adding more options and formats to export the collections to. including but not limited to: Email, OneNote, offline Office products etc. maybe they will add an option in the future to mark a collection to be available offline.
I don't think and never said that Word online works offline, please read my above reply.
