So now here it is 3 months later and I am finally upgraded so I figured I would talk about what I like and don't like about SmartZone
What I like:
- The interface is designed to work like Microsoft Outlook. So there is now all of that cool drag and drop and right-click functionality. Very intuitive and easy to use
- I can still access my old address book and saved email folders.
- My email box in now increased to 10 Gigabytes in space.
What I don't like:
- I can no longer access secondary email accounts from the main page of my primary account. I have heard they are bringing back this functionality in a future release but it is not really that big a deal for me. I just turned forwarding on in my secondary account and have emails forwarded to my main account.
- There seems to be a bit more advertising on the interface. I remember a little ad within the old interface but there seems to me more of it with SmartZone.
- When I was logged on this morning the interface seemed to be a little slow. It seems fine now so I am now sure if it was a connection issue or an issue with the Comcast servers.
I think just like any new software it is going to take a little while to get used to SmartZone. Some things work a little differently like needing to double-click an email rather that single-click to open. Of course with all of the new functionality I am sure that SmartZone is going to be really slow on older computers. My two home PCs about a year old and my work PC is newish as well so I have seen no performance issues. Luckily, Comcast has released a SmartZone Lite version of the software for this very issue. I haven't used it yet but it can be accessed under preferences.
So overall I am very happy with SmartZone. After reading the comments in the Comcast Support forum I was expecting issues but for me the upgrade has been pretty painless. Working in the software industry myself I know how hard it is to keep everybody happy when you release new software but I think Comcast has done a pretty good job with this one.
6 comments:
Thanks for the valuable feedback! I will make sure that it is passed on to the appropriate department. Hopefully, you'll see more improvements and features in the near future.
Best Regards,
Mark Casem
Comcast Corp.
National Customer Operations
We_Can_Help@cable.comcast.com
Comcast has done a pretty good job with this one.
You're kidding, right!?
The advertising is annoying and I don't see why there should be any, period. This is not gmail or Hotmail or some other 'free' email. Don't we already pay enough for their service and now we have to be subjected to more advertising? Just give us a good interface without the frickin' advertising.
The ability to access the secondary email accounts was something that should have been in the initial release not something for the future. Why take away something that we had previously? Forwarding is not an option for all users.
Latest New at the bottom of the screen. When I'm accessing my email I don't care about the "Latest News" just want to read my email. Get rid of it.
Weather - Again why do I care about the weather when reading my email. I can look out the window and see what the weather is like. You would think they would know where I live based on my credentials and the weather would display the proper city.
SmartZone Lite isn't much better. Still advertising everywhere you look. At least no news or weather.
I agree the advertisment on the right hand is a nightmare and causes everythign to load slowly.
The worse thing is you don't even have the option to turn it off. It only turns it off temporarily, but as soon as you click on another email it reloads the ad before it loads your email.
It's taken me so long to check my email via web (I don't use Outlook, I need to be able to access email from anywhere)that it's rendered this service useless to me.
It's shameful that we already pay so much for the service, and now it's slow and spammed with ads. Like the previous person said, I expect this from free email accounts, not a paid account.
Needless to say, I'm not going to let Comcast make anymore money off me and am just going to have my email forwarded to gmail and let them make the money from the ad impressions until I switch to a new ISP.
I guess I don't really see what the big deal is with the advertising on SmartZone. Sure it is a little irritatating at first but after a cuple days you don't even notice they are there. With the economy as it is today companies are doing all they can to earn an extra buck.
I have not noticed that the ads are slowing down my email at home or at work. I assume you are using an older computer, which is probably why it is so slow.
If you do suspect that it is the ads that are slowing down SmartZone why not install an ad-blocking software and see if that helps.
I can't stand the ad on right side - especially for the price I'm paying Comcast. Going to migrate to Gmail - a much cleaner interface.
perhaps we need to understand what we are paying for...what we are paying is not the email but rather the comcast high speed internet...the email (smartzone) was just a free package/feature and as you see it is a pretty nice email program...i understand your frustrations about the ads...but let us just be thankful that this kind of program is part of our service..i mean one of the free features...
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