My new computer (YAY!) came bundled with Vista Home Premium. Now, I dealt just fine with any previous Windows revamps. I had 3.1, 95, 98, and most recently, XP. They took a bit getting used to, especially 98 to XP, mainly because of the fancy new user interface and the million little bells and whistles Microsoft tacked on. But I still dealt with it, and never had any real issues that couldn't be solved by playing around with the security settings. I would get into how much I hate Service Pack 2, but I think excessive profanity might not go over so well here.

Vista appeared to be no different. Everything was basically the same as when I had first used XP, only a bit more flashy. Besides the frustrating task of re-downloading every program I use, there wasn't anything largely irritating about it.

That is, until I installed my webmail.

Vista has gotten rid of Outlook on new systems, and replaced it with Windows Mail, it's "successor". What does it promise? According to the welcome e-mail I recieved, "a variety of new features designed to make your e-mail experience more productive and fun, while helping to reduce risks and annoyances such as phishing and junk e-mail."! (PS, also a million bugs and no option to download Outlook again should you not wish to use this damn thing.)

I guess I could also call this post a kind of alert to anyone who has sent me an email to my webmail address. I've recieved messages, but I get an error when I try to send them. Settings are fine, server is fine, everything is f-i-n-e. So I set out to search for a remedy to my problem, via Google. What did I find?

PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE WITH WINDOWS MAIL AND/OR VISTA IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM.

I was staring at posts bydozens of peoplewith the exact same problem I was having. Of course, you get the obligatory, "hurr you put the settings in wrong, it's not the program hurr hurr I work for Microsoft I am correct" post here and there, but throughout my search I have yet to actually find a solution to this e-mail issue.

My big issue with this, besides NOT BEING ABLE TO SEND E-MAIL, is that they have replaced Outlook with Windows Mail on new systems with Vista, without having worked out such a problematic bug. There's jumping the shark, and then there's pole-vaulting the freaking thing. Windows Mail is still in Beta, and it feels like Vista is too. Why am I stuck dealing with an e-mail program that doesn't even work properly yet, when I could have been given THE OPTION to download it if I so desired?

Well, I do not desire. It's 5am, I'm annoyed, I don't like Windows Mail OR Vista, I want Outlook back, and if one more person tells me to make sure my settings are correct I will send them a punch in the face through my other working e-mail account.

I would normally write such an issue off, but it really irks me to find that so many people are having the same problem, and those of us that are, really had no choice in the matter. We were given a bugged application from the get-go and no official solution. So I vent, and you read it!

Also if anyone could help me out with this issue, please comment or send me an e-mail. I can't reply *cringe* ...but I can still read it. I also made the second image in MSPaint, because I don't have Photoshop installed yet. Pity me... no really, I'm serious. :(

Photo courtesy ofronaldhennessyon Flickr.