There’s no mailing client that is even as half as good as Gmail. It is just brilliant! Really, Gmail is that out of the league. First introduced in 2004, the service has been constantly improving, adding features and continuously making the user experience better. It is my favorite among all Google Apps, beyond the great products Reader, Docs and the Search Engine itself are. I just love it.
And I guess I’m not alone. Most Gmail users would never consider switching to Yahoo, Hotmail, Outlook or any other services. There is really no reason. Google’s mail is just way superior. What makes Gmail that special then?
The Gmail Interface
I really can’t imagine myself using a client without the conversation-styled emails. I’m so used to it already, it’s that much better organized. Especially when it comes to chain emails, when many friends reply, it’s a relief to have all grouped together under the same conversation. It just makes things easy; it’s more comfortable to follow and to reply. It’s a winner and a great innovation from the Gmail team.
Then, the actual organization of emails themselves is easy to do with labels and the search options. Before Gmail, back when Hotmail and Yahoo offered only 2 MB of online space, it was impossible to keep your conversations and documents stored online. Gmail made it all easier. Just forget about deleting or spending time finding your old messages. They are all a few clicks away.
Add to this that the menus are clear and that is simple to navigate and you got a winner. Using Gmail is that easy. Honestly, I made my mom and dad use Gmail and it is the only computer application they are really comfortable with. Presentation is just top-noch.
Gmail Features
Gmail offers amazing features, even back from the old days. The filters are a great tool, as they can organize your emails according to their sender, keywords, subjects and more in a split second. If you want to keep your Inbox free or Facebook notifications, for instance, you just need to set up one filter and the work is done. All the emails will end in the Facebook label. Keep your Inbox clean and the emails where you want them to.
Then, ever thought on having two or even three email addresses? Gmail gives you the possibility of managing them all at the same time and from the same account. You have the possibility of receiving all the emails from all of your accounts into the same inbox. Then, in case you want to write with your work or university address, you are just click away of that with Gmail. They give you the option of “Send as…,” it’s great.
Also…
- You have the possibility of experiencing all these features in more than 50 languages.
- Gmail’s spam filter is excellent. Few times will spam sneak its way into your inbox.
- If you are part of a conversation or chain of mails and want to stop receiving all the responses in your inbox, you can go ahead and “mute” it and Gmail will keep it out of the way and deposited on the All Mail tab.
- Want to read your emails offline? Gmail gives you the possibility of downloading them all as if it were an Outlook client!
Product Integration
Product integration is another thing that makes Gmail excel from all its competition. Fully integrated into Gmail are Google Docs, Calendar, Tasks and Chat, among others. All these make Gmail a very powerful platform when it comes to organizing and planning your day to day life, making you visit Gmail even if you don’t have to write or receive any important mails.
Google Docs makes it possible for you to open all sent documents online, without having to download them into your computer. It makes it easy to read them, write them over and even to share. If you are doing some group work or assignment, Google Docs is the ultimate way to take it forward (at least, until Google Wave is out later this year,) and is a click away from your Gmail inbox.
Tasks and Calendar help you organizing your goals and plans. See what you have to do, at what time and where in the world. Put the addresses and even Google Maps will come to help telling you where it is exactly and the best way to get there. Tasks are a simple, fast and very reliable way of having a to-do list.
In the meanwhile, while you are writing emails, organizing your tasks or reading the documents, on the left or right hand side of the screen (you choose) you can have the GTalk chat client open. Chat with your friends straight from the inbox, without the need to install any new feature!
Gmail Labs
If as if all this was too little, Gmail offers users the possibility of trying the new features they have in the making. Gmail Labs has at least 20 things for you to try, ranging from the offline services mentioned above to many new features, which, among others, include:
- Navigating with Mouse Gestures
- Forgotten attachment detector
- Email translations
- SMS in chat
- Search auto complete
- Custom date formatting
- Youtube, Flikr, Picasa and Yelp previews in mail.
Personalize Gmail to your liking and to your needs with Labs. It’s just great!
How Does Google Profit From All This
Google, in the end, has to make money. It is their goal and the goal from any other company. Instead of leaving spam in all of your email signatures as Hotmail or Yahoo do, Gmail just shows up ads on the right side of the email interface. Honestly, it is nothing for all the free features you receive. And still, those ads are small, almost unnoticeable and, if you want to, some Firefox extensions as Adblock get them out the way!
Still don’t have a Gmail account? Go ahead and sign up now!
Photo credit: rovlls
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