Reading list

Brass Contributor

From the old Edge I´m missing most is the Reading list function. I have used that from the beginning and it has been a lifesaver in my work. Please add it to this new Edge as well

67 Replies

@HotCakeX 

 

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

@Phillip Frabott 

Phillip,

Having read the exchanges here about Reading List... I must say you are spot-on in regard to the Off-line part.  When Reading List came to Edge, one of the very "big deal" aspects of it that excited people was the fact that its items could, still, be accessed/read whilst Off-line.  Absolutely, you're dead right.

And thus another reason Reading List & Collections do not/can not equate. 2 different things, different functionality and reasons to exist.  As previously stated, they don't belong in the same conversation, BUT, Reading List DOES belong in Edge C!

Cheers,
Drew
thVY64FD02.jpg

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
Reading list and the offline feature of collections are still in the air, just ideas.

we are suggesting how the those features could be shaped moving forward.

Read more here: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Discussions/Collections-feature-request-Let-us-mark-a-collect...

@HotCakeX 

 

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.

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-...

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.

@HotCakeX 

 

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.

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.

@HotCakeX 

 

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.

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
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.

@HotCakeX 

 

You and I will just have to agree to disagree.

@Drew1903 

"Sent from Windows Mobile" - Your making me jealous! I miss my Windows Mobile!


@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.

 


@Phillip Frabott wrote:

@HotCakeX 

 

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.

You just made me even more glad I have mine with that comment, Phillip :smiling_face_with_smiling_eyes:;)

Cheers,
Drew

Sent from Windows Mobile :mobile_phone:

@Ari Suominen 

 

It would seem that they have GA scheduled for January 2020. And reading list is nowhere to be seen. Disappointing. I'm hoping the "new edge" is not forced to replace the old edge. This feature must be in edge.

 

But honestly, it doesn't surprise me that they didn't put this in. As I've said before, Microsoft fails to listen to it's users.

@Phillip Frabott 

Phillip, it is there, in a manner of speaking, recently.  Go to Import under Favorites & you can select & bring over your Reading List from Edge. Mine WAS in Other Favorites, but, I moved it into the Favs Bar... made it so I could be rid of Other Favorites.

Cheers,
Drew

@Phillip Frabott 


@Phillip Frabott wrote:

@Ari Suominen 

 

It would seem that they have GA scheduled for January 2020. And reading list is nowhere to be seen. Disappointing. I'm hoping the "new edge" is not forced to replace the old edge. This feature must be in edge.

 

But honestly, it doesn't surprise me that they didn't put this in. As I've said before, Microsoft fails to listen to it's users.


 

Hi,

The first stable channel release of the new Edge insider is is January 15, true. but that's not the date when it is going to replace the Edge classic automatically and forcefully.

Microsoft will use a later date to do that, most likely when Edge is more feature rich.