| An improved user interface including a new sidebar, better mail processing tools including a vastly improved Out of Office feature, and widgets are some of the features available to people upgrading to Lotus Notes 8. The Domino Web Access interface (also known as iNotes) has also been redesigned and now closely resembles the new Lotus Notes mailbox look and feel. In addition, Webmail users now have the option to switch to a "lite" version that was designed for older computers or those with a slower Internet connection.
IBM released Lotus Notes and Domino 8 in August of 2007. Information Technology Services started the roll out of Lotus Notes 8 in the first week of July of 2008, following months of internal testing, and a month long pilot involving 150 selected users. Over the next four months the entire campus will be given the opportunity to upgrade to the latest release of Lotus Notes.
Upgrading
Lotus Notes 8 will be distributed to all users between now and November via the SmartUpgrade feature following the schedule posted on our Web site atwww.uwindsor.ca/notes. It is important to realize that when you are prompted by SmartUpgrade, you do not have to perform the upgrade right away. You can defer it to a later time, if you prefer. However, we are hoping that by the end of this year all users will migrate to the new version.
If you do not wish to use the Smart Upgrade feature (not recommended for users with slow Internet connection), you can download Notes 8 installation files or order a CD from our SoftwareDepot Web site at www.uwindsor.ca/softwaredepot.
Before you upgrade you should take a moment to review important information related to Lotus Notes 8, particularly about the minimum hardware requirements and differences between the Standard and Basic client configurations. Please note that even though IBM’s minimum memory requirement for Notes 8 Standard is 1 GB on Windows XP and 1.5 GB on Windows Vista, IT Services recommends 2 GB or more of memory installed on your computer to run Notes 8 Standard for an optimal performance. If your computer does not meet those requirements, you can still upgrade to Notes 8 and run the Basic client which requires the same amount of memory as Notes 7 (ie. Minimum of 512 MB, recommended 1 GB).
IT Services also recommends that if you have Notes installed on more than one computer, you should upgrade all of them as soon as possible to avoid any problems.
IT Services is trying to make the transition to Lotus Notes 8 as easy as possible for the campus and has and is offering a number of "Lotus Notes 8 Preview" courses during the months of July through October. People who are interested in obtaining the highest productivity possible from Notes are encouraged to sign up for a course at www.uwindsor.ca/clsregister.
New Features
Notes 8 standard is sporting a new more intuitive and sharper looking graphical user interface (GUI). A vertical preview pane (similar to MS Outlook) in addition to a horizontal preview pane are now available. You can get quick access to your databases using the Open button menu that replaces the Bookmark bar. You can view your inbox by conversation, where threads of related e-mail - even those that have been deleted - are grouped together for a clear view of the topic under discussion, and replies that have been made. You can open e-mail messages in individual tabs (default setting) or separate windows.
A new side bar was added to the right hand side of the Notes window. It includes several collapsible panels that come out-of-the-box, and you can add your own if you want. In there, you will find Sametime Contacts, Day-At-A-Glance (mini-calendar), RSS Feed Reader, and My Widgets. It is the last one that allows you to add additional panels to the side bar, such as Google Gadgets (see iGoogle.com) that can be installed as Lotus Notes widgets.
Multilevel undo, inline spellchecker, and ‘Windows-style’ document selection (no more check marks), give Notes 8 a more Windows-like application experience. You no longer have to run a spellchecker before sending your messages. Notes 8 checks your spelling as you type your text and highlights misspelled words so that you can make corrections right away, just like MS Word. You can now use Ctrl and Shift keys to select multiple messages (documents).
There are some dramatic improvements to the Out of Office feature. It is no longer an agent scheduled to run every 6 hours, and it now responds immediately to each message, turns itself off without you having to do it upon your return, and can respond to every message not just once per sender.
The calendar interface has been improved as well. You can now see unprocessed meeting invitations and rescheduled/cancellation notices in your calendar (so called "ghosted entries"). An improved scheduler feature allows you to select meeting times based on the availability of all or just selected invitees.
The redesigned Personal Address Book that is now called Contacts, allows you to maintain a variety of personal and professional data for a contact, including a photograph, and to organize them in related groups and categories. You can display a simplified view of a contact with just those fields where data is entered. Access contacts through sorted lists, or a view of business cards that show basic contact information. Use contacts to address e-mail and meeting invitations, and chat via integrated instant messaging. View all recent collaborations with a contact to quickly find needed information.
Getting Help
Should you have any questions/concerns regarding the Notes 8 upgrade or if you require assistance with the upgrade process, please contact the IT Services HelpDesk. You can reach the HelpDesk at 519-253-3000, ext. 4440 or at HelpDesk@uwindsor.ca.
More information about Lotus Notes support, including the full upgrade schedule and links to the frequently asked questions, is available at www.uwindsor.ca/notes.
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