Oct 16, 2004 06:39 PM
1708 Views
(Updated Oct 16, 2004 06:39 PM)
I was elated!!!! I was jubilant!!! When I got the invite from gmail (I could get it only after a lot of trouble). I had heard and read so much about gmail in the papers that I was most anxious to lay my hands on it.
The process of opening the account was simple. I clicked on the link that I got with the invite and a few questions like name etc were asked and voila!! Account is ready to use.
The interface is squeaky clean. No extra graphics files. No useless adds in banners. The interface is traditional Google, White background and extremely simple with no flashy design. I suppose Google?s beauty lies in its simplicity and functionality.
It takes some time to log in because it downloads a 250kb JavaScript file that contains the entire interface. After that it is blazingly fast!!!!! It took almost no time to open the compose windows and all the other windows after the login process was complete. It was a radical difference and I actually did not mind the initial slight delay as other providers take the same time for downloading useless graphics.
Now for the best part (its functionality). Google mail is simply the most innovative and functional free e mail service provider in a long time. The interface is simple but the mail system is brilliant. There are number of new features that are not found anywhere. I will list them and explain it to you guys.
Search- I could search all my mails. Simple but brilliant. I wonder why no one has ever thought of this before but this got me hooked. I can now quickly read the message even if I remember any words from it. Simply brilliant. It has made my life better.
Labels- Google has got rid of the folders that we see and now you can apply labels. It?s a similar thing but with a difference that now you see all the mails in inbox but if you look in a particular label you fill see the mails under that head.
Space- All must be knowing about it now. 1 gb !!!! what will I ever do with that.
Conversations-Another Great innovation. It displays your mails with one person under one head as a conversation. It is brilliant because I can now refer to my and his earlier mails with him. Very nice thinking.
Their overall structure- its very nice to use gmail. Very nice additions here and there will make your life a lot simple. Like as soon as you send an email to a person not in your phonebook is adds it. And when you are typing a message it displays the addresses(like your browser url auto complete).
I have been using it for 3 months now and I really liked it. The only reason I do not use it for my primary mail is because it does not offer pop3. I use myrealbox.com because of that (which again is very good, it does not offer functionality but pop3 and speed does it for me). Otherwise, a brilliant system.
I know that there have been some controversies about it regarding privacy. I read it and it was sort of ambiguous. But they say that only machines will read our mail and show relevant advertising. I don?t what they are up to but I like Google and their founders and I think that they are ethical people who would not do such a thing. But who knows.
By the way I have a few (3) invites left and I can?t decide what to do with them. Anyone who does not have a gmail account and want one can e-mail me at nikunjm@gmail.com.
