Told you so.

Yeah. Its tough to explain why Gmail is so much better, but it really is. I think that’s why they offer the 1gig storage: it’s a checkbox people can easily relate to...

Poor Yahoo and Hotmail. They’re trying so hard to keep people, revamping their GUI, offering more storage. Completely missing what makes Gmail different...

Is there any chance you can be more specific, for those of us who don't yet have it?

Start with Gmail’s spam filter, which is very good.

Then toss in “labels”. Labels are a really innovative concept. Instead of putting each piece of Email into a box for later review (which everyone else does), Gmail lets you put a sticky note on it. Or a bunch of sticky notes, if you wish. Then, if that person (or a similar subject line) sends another E-mail, Gmail will put the same sticky note on it...

The other nice thing about Gmail is the way it handles multiple Emails with the same subject line. Gmail knows that those are the same conversation, and links them into a tabbed thread. You kinda have to see it work, but the fact that I can have 10 emails back and forth right at my fingertips without having to open a whole bunch of mail is a _very_ nice thing...

Thirdly, I have Google’s search engine look through my Email whenever I can’t find one. It’s a minor thing, but that’s nice for piece of mind...

It has a really nice spellchecker. As anyone who has IMed with me can attest, this is a nice thing...

Gmail isn’t really about the physicalitys of storage, which are easily duplicateable. It has simply rethought the whole User Interface behind Email, and made some simple but powerful tweaks. I expect to find the concepts standard within a few years...

Thanks Andrew. Any idea when they're going to open it to the world?

I like the hot keys too.

Calling it a complete re-imagination of email is the best way to put it. This is beautiful stuff. They ought to have Pulitzer Prizes for software design just so these guys could get one.

I still got some email invites going. Any military persons wishing to have one can email me. I have already done 3 of them.

I love my gmail as well. I wonder if it's true...the more you use it the more invites you get?

I may do something similar, although, really, you don't have to DUMP the address, oer se -- you could just have it redirect to gmail. I've had my primary address for going on eleven years now, so I hate to try and make people learn a new one. I'll probably have it redirect.

I can't believe I didn't think of that. %-)

Dean

<backing slowly out of the room>

Sorry, I didn't realize this was a cult meeting.

Seriously -- the only occasion I have to really prefer web-based e-mail is when I don't have access to my home PC. I even disabled the server-side Spam folders in Spam Assassin because I got sick and tired of logging into webmail just to clean out that folder.

You guys are getting scary.

Consider the possibility that the tool is just that good, Kevin. ;-)

Sure -- that's what my friends used to tell me about the stuff they smoked that made that funny smell. ;-)

I'vebeen using it for a bit and so am not really impressed one way or another..

But I'm a very casual email user, hardly any stuff at all.

I don't really get the appeal of local email apps and the hatred of web-based email. Just put a shortcut to Gmail on your desktop and it's really no different than a local app, except it doesn't use your own diskspace and loads and works faster (yes, faster); not to mention the far better interface and features.

One of the secrets is using the hot keys. They're impressively good. Not sure what they're based on, but...

I don't really get the appeal of local email apps and the hatred of web-based email.

Yeah, that's it. Hatred. Not merely my opinion or anything -- I'm a thug. Watch me try to stop you from using Gmail.

[...]

Hateful, isn't it?

:-p

McGehee, I hardly see my use of the word "hatred" as being any worse than your inclination that Gmail fans are brainwashed members of some sort of a cult... We're all here explaining why we like Gmail, it's only you who defensively refuses to explain your slightly-lower-than-indifferent-opinion (is that a better term?) of web-based email.

Webmail has always sucked, 'tis true, but only because they had crappy interfaces, horrendous diskspaces, and they would usually attach some ad or other to emails sent out, and recieved, and such -- none of which have to do with the fact that it's based on the web, just that the services provided happened to suck.

I've used email for 20 years.

This is the best mail app I've seen yet.

That's all I'm saying. You don't agree? Okay. Don't use it. :-)

I’m not fond of Web Based Email. But Gmail’s interface is just that good...

Dowingba,

McGehee, I hardly see my use of the word "hatred" as being any worse than your inclination that Gmail fans are brainwashed members of some sort of a cult...

Are you really that humor-impaired? Or is it only when somebody doesn't share your mania for a brilliantly marketed product that I may or may not choose to try after this whole "Ooh! Ooh! Invite me! Invite me!" slobberthon has faded away.

Fads. Now those I hate.

dowingba: The nice thing about a local email application is that I control it, not Google.

You do realize you're backsliding into the old "use a terminal to access a mainframe" paradigm, aren't you? I still enjoy the "personal" part of Personal Computer. But that's just me. :)

Oh, almost forgot: a whopping 1 gig storage? Big whoop, I have 200 gigs storage over here. Remind me to be impressed someday soon... Heh.

Ed:The above statements were made tounge in cheek, and were not intended start any software-religion wars. Anyone who sees this message as a personal attack is invited sit on their thumb, and spin on it.

You guys who haven't actually sat down and used Gmail for a few days really look kind of silly telling us why our evaluation of Gmail is off-base.

I've used email for 20 years. Dowingba's right: this is faster than most local apps, and the interface is incredible.

Please don't treat those of us who are liking this product until you've at least tried it for a little while, okay? THe first day or two I was underwhelmed too. Now the more I use it, the more I wonder why I'd use anything else---and I've already set things up to use it as my main mail App.

I don't do that because I'm a fad-follower or have stars in my eyes about the Google people.This program's good. Maybe you should ask yourselves why we think this rather than telling us we're silly.

I guess I haven't used my GMail account enough, because I haven't seen anything that will overcome its biggest shortcoming: I can only reach it over the Internet.

I will never use a web-based mail for anything important. The one time I really need immediate access to that email I got last month will be the time that the Internet is down.

Enjoy, folks, but I'll never rely on it.

Dean, you know I'm not what they call an "early adopter." I've only had my DVD player for a year and a half, and my cell phone nine months. And it's only been a few days since I finally chucked IE6 and Outlook Express.

And I've been keeping this hamster-powered computer of mine running on duct tape and chewing gum so long I may have to upgrade to steam power soon.

The gmail is only faster than a local app if you have constant access to the Internet and can stay logged on. If I need a message on my local machine, and I'm not connected to the Internet, I still have access to my messages. (not connected - that's something that's still a very real part of life for those of us who live out in the sticks beyond the reach of DSL and price of Satellite).

Dean, I have to taste a burnt steak to know it's well-done!? Heh.

Ok, so it's not established that Gmail sucks; I'm not interested in bashing it. I just don't see how a remote application can be better than a local one, or how Google can successfully, commercially offer free 1 gig storage to every user. I'd also like to see a web-based app that's faster than a local app on a system that's running 400Mz ram, a 7200rpm ATA-133 hard drive with 8 megs cache using an Athlon XP200+ cpu. :)

As for interface, and flexibility: feh. I'm not interested in fancy bells and whistles, but functionality, and Mozilla 1.6 has that in spades!

But I forget, you like Firebird, the dumbed-down, cartoon-interface email app. Sorry, I'll stick with the industrial strength version... :)

And if you want to impress me, didn't I read somewhere that Gmail is invite only right now, or to that effect? Heck, invite me. I'll check it out.

Uh, Thunderbird's as fast and full-featured as any commercial app I've used, for the things I do (I don't need an appointment calendar orany of that stuff). But whatever. I've used Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, Communicator, and many other mail apps--more than I can count, really.

As for how fast Gmail is: well, the only way you can see it is if you try it yourself.

I don't have any Gmail invites left or I'd give you one. In any case--and gosh I'm getting tired of repeating this but it feels like I have to--I was not impressed with Gmail for the first few days of using it, and then after a few days of really using it I discovered that it's as fast or faster than any app I've used, and that its interface is genuinely innovative and much better than any mail app I've used in the last 20 years.

You don't agree? Hotay, don't use it. But I did not dump all my other email clients and switch to using Gmail exclusively merely because I'm some starry-eyed dreamer, follower of fads, or worshipper of the Google people.

I don't have any Gmail invites left or I'd give you one. Although I'd only do it under the caveat that you use it for a few days before rendering a judgement. Knowing you, Casey, you'd play with it for five minutes, declare it worthless, and never re-open it. ;-)

Andrew Ian Dodge,
I'm in the military, and the discussion here has been intriguing enough that I'd like to try it out. Do you have any invitations left?
Nathan

nathan, run over to downingba's site, and ask him, he might have one more left.

Chris, btw, sent me an invite, but thanks for the thought, Dean! :)

I'll let you know what I think in a while.