So...
I submitted a trouble ticket, and here is the sum total senior tech support specialist response:
"The default mail application in Windows 8 is not standard e-mail client and avast! doesn't support it."
Hmm. Looks like there's a new sheriff, uh...standard...in town, sonny.
Oh, well... if Avast wants to stay a retro AV tool... guess I can
leave them to it.
Maybe I'll suggest something more forward looking in my response. At least, that they respond with a more forward looking answer in the future... like "we're working on it"... but... I'm left to guess, they're not.
I'll edit this if they provide a better answer.
And... a few days later, another answer...
"We are trying to find a solution, but it will take some time."
Alrighty, then.