Here’s a super-quick Outlook 2013 tip for anyone with a Touch-enabled PC running Windows 8…
Incidentally, If you have a multi-touch laptop like the Lenovo x201 Tablet or X220 Tablet, you may find that after Windows 8 is installed, it won’t see that the screen can see multiple touch points … so pinch/zoom etc won’t work.
To resolve, go into the System Control Panel applet by either pressing WindowsKey + Pause/Break, or just type Computer into the Start Screen, then right-click on the icon, and choose Properties from the menu at the bottom). Once there, click on the Windows Experience Index link and then run or re-run the assessment then run Windows Update.
That should sort it out.
Now, Outlook 2013 will allow you to do a number of things with touch, most notably navigating around an email (swiping up & down to scroll) or smoothly zooming in and out on text (pinch/stretch forefinger and thumb or use any other two fingers for added panache) to increase the text size – something that’s highlighted to you slap in the middle of the screen.
Navigating around an application designed for mouse interaction isn’t always easy, though, and although it has shied away from large-scale touchification, there is one cute addition to Outlook 2013 that is worth switching on if you ever let your finger do the pointing, rather than the mouse.
If you click on the little down arrow to the side of the Quick Access Toolbar that’s visible in Outlook, and 
select Touch Mode, then it will add a new icon to the toolbar which literally just spaces things out a bit more – meaning it’s easier to tap folder names from a list, or icons on the Ribbon, using a fat finger rather than a skinny mouse pointer.
Definitely worth having a look if you’re a touch friendly user.
PLUG: A group of Microsoft staff, friends and Microsoft partners (collectively called “Project 100”) cycled from Edinburgh Castle to Buckingham Palace a few weeks ago, to raise funds for 5 different and worthy charities. We’d love it if you could support us – thanks!
