Live Mail: How did they get this GREAT navigation toolbar?

[lyphe]

Hi guys,

I love my Windows Live Mail ... but hate the menu bar ( ribbon style ) at the top. I was on the verge of downloading another mail app I dislike it so much. But then, I happened across a site that was showing an image of a GREAT looking Windows Live Mail toolbar ... although I have no idea how they achieved it.

Here is the image:
http://s.altrn.tv/s/ede88810-41e0-435f-ad8c-e4389213e3f2_2_full.png

Does anyone know how to achieve this "look" in Live Mail? What I'm interested in particularly is the top tool bar ( new, reply, forward, etc ).

Any help muchly appreciated

Cheers, Lyphe

 

[WiFi Ed]

Might be an old version of Live Mail, based on the dates of the emails in the pic?

 

[boohbah]

wifi ed has nailed it the ribbon is new to live mail 2011

 

[Roderunner]

Hi Lyphe,
What you need to do is remove all Windows live Essentials, reboot then install this. View attachment WLM 2010.zip

 

[lyphe]

Hi Lyphe,
What you need to do is remove all Windows live Essentials, reboot then install this. View attachment 174909

What does that do?

 

[boohbah]

presumably it will give you windows live mail without the ribbon as it is pre 2011.
and give you the bar you wanted.
maybe not !
bit more info please roderunner,
you cant expect folks to install stuff without any info. :huh:

 

[Roderunner]

Sorry for forgetting the description of it. This is what you get.

 

[Imperfect1]

Is it possible that the person with this toolbar minimized (hid) the Ribbon itself, and just has the QuickAccess Toolbar displayed instead? I don't know if that's possible with Windows Live Mail, but that's how I display my MS Office docs and it works extremely well for me because I can access the Ribbon whenever I need it, but don't have to look at it or have it waste precious screen real estate when I'm not using it.

 

[boohbah]

you can minimize the ribbon in wlm2011 and have the quick access tool bar but the items in the tool bar dont display the same way as the OP screenshot, also the items in the quick access are not the same, there is no forward option .

 

[Imperfect1]

you can minimize the ribbon in wlm2011 and have the quick access tool bar but the items in the tool bar dont display the same way as the OP screenshot, also the items in the quick access are not the same, there is no forward option .

Very glad to know that both are possible! So the screenshot must be of a 3rd party app.

 

[SIW2]

Thanks.

I also hate the ribbon interfaces.

Millions of people hate them.

MS obviously do not realize it.

I use that instead.

Roderunner posted the earlier windows live setup app. which should download the earlier version for you.

 

[CreepinJesus]

Very glad to know that both are possible! So the screenshot must be of a 3rd party app.

No, the screenshot is the old version of WLM. That toolbar is useless compared to the Ribbon. If you want menus, just minimise the Ribbon and you'll notice it's actually very, very similar to the old menus...

 

[lyphe]

Well, thanks for trying guys. I want to like WLM, but the interface is just awful and implies that MS doesn't get it ... which is too bad as I've always been a fan.

In any case, I gave up and downloaded Thunderbird. It's great so far and allows skins.

Cheers! Phil

 

[roncerr]

...That toolbar is useless compared to the Ribbon. If you want menus, just minimise the Ribbon and you'll notice it's actually very, very similar to the old menus...

The 2009 toolbar is at least as good as the ribbon. Everything is there under the drop down menus. Minimizing the ribbon does not restore the drop down menus. However the reason I'm delaying the switch from 2009 to 2011 is not because of the ribbon but because of the increased bugginess. The newsgroup posters have complained about the loss of some newsgroup functionality, wierd interactions with IE9, font and signature issues, yet the 2011 version is unfixed since it was declared "out of beta" in 2010.