Entered CNET Catalog: 07/22/2004
SKU:
Manufacturer: Google
User opinions
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User Rating: 
5/10
Addressing emails needs work!
Pros: Mailbox size
Cons: Difficult and confusing addressing system
User Rating: 
8/10
Probably The Most Reliable In Many Ways
Pros: Autosave while typing up an email. Good Spell-Check implementation.
Cons: They use "labels" not folders. Compose text area is too small (screen real estate wasted on the right side).
User Rating: 
10/10
Now has 2.7+ GB worth of storage- couldn't ask for any more in a free email account
Pros: 2.7+ GB, Gmail Chat, Google Calender, Labels feature, Ease of use
Cons: Nothing, its perfect
User Rating: 
9/10
The best online e-mail service
Pros: easy to use' and fast interface.
Cons: once (for two days) my e-mails doesn't get to their destination.
User Rating: 10/10
Oragization without organizing
Pros: 2690 mb ATM and rising, searchable, very accurate report spam, labels to simulate folder organization
Cons: Invite required (but they are easy enough to get if you brouse around google groups)
Nonetheless gmail has proven supeiorour to all other clients. Also one of the features that i am slowly discoving the use for is the contact list. It is just perfectly set up.
User Rating: 9/10
I love gmail!
Pros: being able to reply at the end of the email, instead of opening a new window, conversation sorting, new group mailings, WEB CLIPS!
Cons: address book is still underdeveloped in comparison to other features, outgoing/incoming message size could be better (but in comparison to other emails, isn't bad)
User Rating: 9/10
Great! space and search: deadly combo!
Pros: space, search, labels
Cons: I somehow miss folders, interface needs improvements
User Rating: 9/10
It doesn't get much better than this.
Pros: currently over 2.6gb of storage
Cons: none really...
User Rating: 
3/10
Labels suck, we want folders
Pros: Tons of storage
Cons: C'mon, we want folders
User Rating: 9/10
Gmail is AWESOME!!!
Pros: Continuly increasing storage space, Gmail DOES have free POP3 access and works w/ Outlook Express, Almost no spam
Cons: You have to get an invitation
User Rating: 10/10
Great email service, great searching functions
Pros: https at login, ease of search, archiving is easy, organized by conversations
Cons: organization of alerts is not good
I personally think that https at login is important.
I like the ease of searching.
I like the organization of emails by conversation.
Archiving is easy, but deleting a message is an extra click. I know that google thinks you don't need to delete, that you can save everything. But that just clutters up your archives. For example, I have alerts on chrom. I am interested in the metal, but much of the alerts are about chrome auto accessories. This clutters up search results.
User Rating: 10/10
Great email service, never underestimate Google.
Pros: Great Layout - Clean and Simple, Loads fast on slow Connection, 2GB+ storage, Search through emails, Rich Text Formatting, Time Stamps, Labels and Folders, Auto Save's email drafts, No Ads!
Cons: I could not find any!
Google has changed the Internet in a very positive way. It holds the worlds largest, most efficient search engine and now they've introduced this. GMail leaves other email services in the dust by offering 2GB+ of storage. This means never having to delete a single message, which is very nice for me because I am one of those people who collect things just for the sentimental value. It's going to be nice looking back through my Inbox and reading all of the conversations between my friends and I and remembering that day.
With the 2GB of storage, people are bound to never use the trash bin. How will we sort through all of our messages? GMail has a built in search function to search through EVERY SINGLE EMAIL! This is great if you're looking for an email on a particular topic. If you don't have hundreds of messages in your inbox, you can sort your emails by topic yourself. Adding labels to messages is like putting them in your own folder. You can have unlimited labels and unlimited amount of messages in each one. They work just like folders and are very efficient and great. If you're someone who has annoying friends or relatives who like to send you forwards, you can set a filter for these emails. Basically, you go to filters, and type in FWD: in the 'subject' box. Then select an action. Any emails containing FWD: in the subject will automatically be added to any label you supply. This is very useful!
When sending email you can use Rich Text Formatting. This means you can add colors, change fonts, add hyper-links and images, and more. Using RTF allows your emails to have a specific look and scheme, each email you send will match your mood. When you receive messages, the date and time is displayed on it. It even has like a countdown feature. Example: Date: Oct 7, 2005 3:25 PM (21 Hours Ago) This isn't neccesary but it's nice to have it there if you need it.
Often times I type very long letters or reviews. (like this one =p) If by chance I'm right in the middle of typing a report or a long letter and my computer freezes or browser crashes or power goes out- GMail automatically saves your messages. You can go back later and finish what you were typing. This is great!
Most email services like Yahoo! and hotmail have advertisements or banners at the top of the page and sometimes are even nosey enough to insert them in emails you're sending. GMail's only ads are on the side of the screen. They're not graphical, which means they blend in with the page and aren't distracting. GMail does not automatically insert text ads in your emails and has no pop ups. Way to go! =)
In conclusion, GMail is a great service and works like a dream. Although it's only in it's BETA stage, it works well enough to be a final release. The only bad thing I found was that people cannot directly sign up for an account. If you liked my review or want to try out GMail, email me at casey.smth@gmail.com and tell me your opinion. I might send you an invitation so you can try it yourself. GMail is great!!!
User Rating: 9/10
hola que tal
Pros: hola que tal
Cons: hola que tal
User Rating: 10/10
Simple, easy, shows part of the message next to the Subject automatically.
Pros: Blocks Spam by u entering Key Words such as Win
Cons: I can't find any cons to it
spam mail. It scans all incoming email for whatever word u give it, and Blocks that email, sends it to ur Spam box. Looks deep into it into the actual message of the spam.
like if u type in the word rich, even if its way deep in the paragraph of the spam mail, its blocked, and sent to ur spam folder, instead of ur inbox.
User Rating: 
6/10
Just average...
Pros: Lots of space.
Cons: Nothing extraordinary or revolutionary about it.
User Rating: 9/10
Ecellent E-Mail
Pros: Large storage (over 2gigs), organizes your emails and replys, never have to delete e-mails if you don't want to. Free POP 3 Acess
Cons: Have to be invited
User Rating: 
2/10
2: Terrible
Pros: nothing really
Cons: It does not have cool features like Yahoo! does and Gmail reads your e-mail.
User Rating: 3/10
Counterintuitive and Annoying
Pros: lots of space
Cons: Grouping of messages, "edit subject" feature
User Rating: 9/10
Almost perfect email system with great features
Pros: Great look and user-friendliness, tons of storage space, good features
Cons: Need an invite to use GMail
Overall, an wonderful email server.
Recently, I encountered a small error with logging in w/ Gmail. I emailed Gmail FIVE times to get help. They won't give me any help. The Gmail tech support is TERRIBLE! If you have a question w/ gmail, look elsewhere. They are not going to help you!!!
(I still love gmail. the chance that you will even encounter a problem is small)
User Rating: 2/10
Dont Do It!
Pros: thread view
Cons: delays, delays, delays, delays!!!!!
i've been using gmail for a few months now. the first couple of months were OK. the thread view style was a bit hard to get use to, but once you're used to it, you'll love it! the service was great at first but for the last couple of months, they've been having MAJOR issues with delivery. not so much the sending part, but mostly the receiving. i use this account on a daily basis and was happy with the service. but then my emails started coming in late. someone would email me and it would be 30 minutes or 1 hour later til i actually receive it. oh, thats NOT the worse part! i've had delays up to FOUR...yes i said FOUR hours! and some of these emails are important emails i needed to attend to right away! anyway, i've read in Google groups that a lot of members have had similiar problems. but it seems that even all the complaints are not being addressed. two months later and everyone is still having the same problems.
if you are not in a hurry to attend to your emails, then gmail is good for you! DO NOT use this service for business!!!! at least until google can fix this problem.
User Rating: 8/10
Designed to read & write e-mail with as few inputs as possible
Pros: Interface is well-planned, intuitive and utilitarian
Cons: As of Aug 2005, the beta version hung when sending attachments and sometimes during other tasks about 20% of the time
Gmail's layout and color scheme are strikingly similar to Yahoo's. It's likely a nod to Yahoo. Imitation is the best form of flattery and both have a Stanford pedigree.
The first difference between Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail is utility. The first screen you see after signing onto Hotmail and Yahoo is a summary page. Yahoo?s tells you how many new e-mails you have and bolds the folders where they are. Hotmail?s summary page shows you how many new e-mails you have and summarizes how many of your emails are from senders with addresses in your contact book, and how many of your emails are from senders whose addresses are not in your contact book. A summary page might seem useful in theory, but in practice, it means an extra click to see who an email?s are from, and another click to read it.
Gmail preens the superfluous to give you an interface that?s intuitive and refreshing. Losing the summary page that Hotmail and Yahoo use is one example. Seeing your Gmail inbox without having to click where Hotmail and Yahoo force you to click once or more is a tremendous boost to efficiency and ease-of-use that make understated Gmail so comprehensive and evolved. Once you sign into Gmail, your email is right in front of you. You don?t need to reach for your mouse to see what you want to read. If you think one or two clicks don?t make a difference, consider pop-ups and the resources the software industry devotes to eliminating the need for extra clicks. Chances are you took several minutes to find and download a pop-up blocker to spare you the extra effort. You might have even paid for it. In the aggregate, a mere one click, thousands of times, adds up to serious time and aggravation. You will appreciate the clicks you save when you peruse Gmail, especially when you consider the time you?d wait for every new page to load if clicking through Hotmail and Yahoo.
Once you?re in your inbox (as soon as you sign in), Gmail demonstrates its evolution again. More than 2/3 of your screen is composed of the messages you signed on to see. There are no distractions. The interface is utilitarian. Its focus is reading and writing e-mail, and that?s what you?re there to do, after all, not machete your way through needless clicks and ads about paying for fewer obstacles like with Yahoo, where your inbox messages only fill 1/3 of the screen and two thirds are filled with ads and menus ? again, making you reach and scroll more.
Gmail?s hotkey shortcuts are intuitive and they work. To write an email, hit C for Compose. You can Tab back and forth between the fields for To, Subject, body, send, discard, etc. To go to your address book, hit G then C for Go Contacts.
Contrast this with Yahoo. Yahoo?s shortcut key for writing email is Ctrl+Shift=P. Right. For some annoying reason, Yahoo won?t let you Shift+Tab from the body of your email back to the subject. Yet again, you have to reach for your mouse.
The coup de grace: Gmail gives you more storage for free (an ever increasing 2470+mb, as of 2005 Aug 7 Sun 13:45GMT) than the 2,000mb Yahoo makes you pay for.
Gmail?s in beta. It hangs on sending files periodically. About 30% of the times I?ve tried to send files over 5mb, it?s taken me 3 tries. Comparable Yahoo attachments go through without a hitch on the first try.
Hotmail is an excellent decoy address for sites that make you register -- like CNET's user reviews.
User Rating: 9/10
Best email program out there
Pros: Everything
Cons: It will take a while to get used to the ads
and that takes some time to get used to.
User Rating: 10/10
Blows other email services away
Pros: Huge storage, easy to use, searchable archive, no large/annoying ads
Cons: No cons to report.
User Rating: 9/10
excelllent
Pros: more space, u never need to delete anything
Cons: no notepad like yahoo has
User Rating: 9/10
great service
Pros: 2 gb Plus!!!
Cons: Nothing, just perfect
User Rating: 8/10
My favorite freemail
Pros: Huge storage, message "labels", POP3 access, no promos or tag lines added to outgoing mail
Cons: No easy way to export contacts, no way to make mailing lists
User Rating: 9/10
Simply the best
Pros: POP access using email apps, email forwarding, message threading
Cons: message threading can be confusing if you're not used to it
User Rating: 
4/10
Simplicity... but on the plain side
Pros: post & reply stacking, new, nice, easy
Cons: no frills what so ever, even the colours are bland
I now have a gmail account too. I was well excited to try this mysterious, special ivitation only service.
My initial reaction was... huh, is that all there is? I scanned through the settings, the help files and found that was all there was. A very basic, plain format, and to me that is a huge negative.
I like the reply format, the space, but come on, this is supposed to be or was hyped as the be all of web email, NOT! The pity is that even the likes of yahoo and outlook offer some rich formatting and or a better font selection.
So if I want an easy to use, huge amount of space so that I never have to worry about deleting, that should be my main email account. Most users will want their main email account to offer some style, so that they can personalise there messages.
I'm not talking about incredimail, but how about some icons, a decent colour panel and 25 fonts with various sizes, not small, medium and large.
However, it is new and there are some nifty features, so if you are happy with the boring black and white, you will no doubt like this. In the mean time I'm hoping and looking forward to improvements.
User Rating: 10/10
Just the perfect match
Pros: 2+ GB of mail storage and counting, simple to use interface, very fast.
Cons: Invite required.
User Rating: 4/10
Big Problem
Pros: Huge Storage
Cons: Big Problems For Users
The "Forgot your password?" is really easy to get other users email account.
If you have the email address, and you did set your secondary email address, they will only ask you a question that you can easy to change the password.
User Rating: 9/10
Great product to try
Pros: Easy, convient, simple, and huge storage (constantly expanding!)
Cons: Access is down every once in a while
User Rating: 9/10
Gmail has improved since this review
Pros: POP3 access, Web access, and 1GB storage, all for free
Cons: Web interface can be a little confusing
The web interface is a little confusing to new users as some of the information and options are not where one would expect.
Overall, I would consider this to be probably the best free e-mail service around. Far better than Yahoo.
User Rating: 9/10
I?ve surrendered all my e-mailing to Gmail
Pros: Great UI, excellent Spam filter, 2GB storage, "Conversations" ++
Cons: Importing int'l characters is a drag, no filtering of old mails
User Rating: 
1/10
cool features do NOT outweigh privacy violations
Pros: 2 gigs of storage, fast search, flexible filters, masks IP address in headers
Cons: cannot send EXE, erodes US expectation of privacy
User Rating: 9/10
I love the storage space, now its more than 2GB.
Pros: lots of space: 2GB+. lets you organize and keep all your emails
Cons: noooooooooon non non non non non non
User Rating: 9/10
The greatest!
Pros: Excellent organization, easy to access, flawless spam filter
Cons: sometimes navigation within browzer can be a pain
User Rating: 9/10
Definitely a top-notch free email option
Pros: 2.2+ GB of space, auto-completes addresses, emails grouped into threads
Cons: nothing that I've noticed yet
Gmail is great! I have had no problems accessing it via the web (have not tried the free POP3 access). I like the layout of the screens...no huge, obnoxious ads. I use the Gmail notifier at home, and it's works great! Another bonus is that I can use Picasa to send pictures thru Gmail...a very nice feature.
I'd definitely recommend Gmail over Hotmail or Yahoo any day.
User Rating: 10/10
I Love It! It's the best e-mail service that I have ever experienced.
Pros: Free POP Access, 2+ GB of e-mail storage, Rich Text, super fast access, No ads in the inbox
Cons: You need to be invited in order to have a @gmail.com e-mail address.
User Rating: 8/10
Your review is old
Pros: FREE POP-3 access, 1 GB storage, reliable service, stores conversations by "thread"
Cons: No attachments allowed, no virus protection- and it does, after all, collect information about the subject of your mail!
User Rating: 9/10
It's all about the threads!
Pros: Threads - its all about the threads! Works seamlessly between Firefox & IE. Spell check is the greatest ~ I love the methodology Google uses - highlightend words with drop list. Great service!
Cons: Need to be invited! No folders, everything in one bin. Not really integrated into Google's portal. Clumsy contacts lists.
The threads are simply the best, it like looking at Usenet {NNTP aka Newsgroups} through Outlook or Netscape then looking at them through a newsreader that threads the posts. If you find yourself in email banters then Gmail is for you. There is a lot of room for inprovement but Gmail is going head to head with Yahoo! and both are leaving all others in the dust!
Two complaints:
First is the need for an invite. I received mine via a bank of them.
Second is the need to start from the "Contact" list to send a personal message, Yahoo! addressing is infinitely superior.
I looked at other accounts but really do not see where they come close to either of these. When I have emails to certain friends they must come from my Gmail account so that the banter can be kept straight!
User Rating: 10/10
best email service u can get on planet earth
Pros: unlimited storage, message grouping as per subject, automatic address book update
Cons: none :) its the best
RevMe
User Rating: 10/10
Too good and good UI
Pros: Once loaded, speed in navigating, viewing mails etc
Cons: Loading time is high
User Rating: 10/10
Simply the BEST !!!
Pros: too many too be listed
Cons: nope nothin
User Rating: 9/10
Great storage, Easy to Use & Free, Say Again Free
Pros: Storage, Ease of Use
Cons: Pop 3 Interface, invite needed to join
User Rating: 10/10
Keeps getting better!
Pros: growing account size, easy to find emails
Cons: attachments less than 10 Mb only
User Rating: 8/10
Only attraction 1GB storage
Pros: 1GB storage
Cons: lacks in ease of use
User Rating: 9/10
Raising the bar, and then some
Pros: Dynamic web-based application, huge storage
Cons: Not as feature-rich as Y! or MSN
Of course, Gmail is incredible on its own. Appropriate to Google, Gmail is incredibly simple -- and fast. Unlike Yahoo!'s clunky page full of search options, it offers the best way to search: one input field. It also offers intelligent labels, so users can classify an e-mail under several categories, unlike traditional folders.
The only downfall is that it doesn't have a built-in calendar or notepad, though I doubt many use these features.
User Rating: 4/10
Delay in receiving mails
Pros: Easy to search and organize
Cons: Sometimes, the mails get delayed for even days.
User Rating: 10/10
Best Email ever
Pros: Everything especially 2GB storage and custom filters
Cons: None at all !!!
User Rating: 9/10
EXCELLENT!!!!
Pros: Very useful extra FREE! storage
Cons: Had to be recommended by a freind to open an account
User Rating: 10/10
The best e-mail service you can sign up for
Pros: Space, Speed, Archiving with labels, POP, Forwarding, unlimited aliases.....
Cons: Doesn't work on all browsers.
Also you can make several aliases to prevent spam. For ex if your ID is email@gmail.com you can add anything after email+ and submit it to sites, like
email+me@gmail.com email+spam@gmail.com etc
User Rating: 8/10
Great email, lots of fun!
Pros: rich text, spell check, 2 gigs, "conversations"
Cons: beta, need initations
User Rating: 5/10
You are sure that Gmail is best for you?
Pros: Mails are groupe as a conversation
Cons: easily lost account...................... .
§Vichet@2006$!
With my french keyboard, i can easily type this password. I have no secondary e-mail address, that is why i easily lost my account!!!
User Rating: 5/10
Good, in that it's stirred up the rivals
Pros: Large storage, fast service
Cons: After a year in beta, it still has many glitches
IE has many holes, it's a decrepid browser, the others are not perfect but are much safer. If the best that Gmail can do is suggest using IE and disabling my security software I think that's very sad.
I was quite taken by gmail at first, this is by no means the first time I have had similar access problems, the remedies are pathetic, if gmail expects users to drop their security levels I think this is a shoddy response and am not inclined to recommend it to anyone.
It's not up to a program developer to tell users that they can't use security software if they want to use this program, if the developer expects savvy users to stick with it! I understand that program writing comes up against glitches with other software, I have personal experience, gmail's response is for users to sort the problem out when gmail should be doing so, gmail is the new kid on the block.
Ignoring gmail's suggestions I reluctantly used IE to access gmail, then 2 days ago, without taking up any of gmail's crazy suggestions to disable programs that I choose and need to have running, it starts working in other browsers again. How long before a similar situation arises time only knows.
User Rating: 2/10
over-rated
Pros: free, simple, loads fast
Cons: unstable, too many bugs, support team very unhelpful
Conclusion: Gmail has a long way to go, especially in terms of quality of serivce provided. Better to stick to more established providers such as Yahoo and MSN for now.
User Rating: 10/10
Bri lliant
Pros: Brilliant with POP3, Very fast JSP
Cons: HA!None at all
GMail is the ultimate email service. I would like to correct cnet, coz gmail supports pop3. It is also free and going to be future king of email services. Rating? 10/10. Doesnt deserve anything less.
I have used gmail since it was released, and the number of features it offers is increasing by the day. C|Net which I find to be the best in writing product reviews has somehome not updated the GMail review.
Features like POP3 have been there for over 8 months, and what about the 29 languages you can write your mail in. There is a spell checker... and it works like a powerful wordprocessor with rich formatting options.
Best of all is that it does not open up the huge ads that we see in Hotmail or Yahoo! Mail, and is in the form of text links using their adsense technology which is not at all disturbing like the others.
I would still go with my previous rating of 10/10 as its simplicity is spectacular. Hey! Google won't get anything by reading your mails, if you think the search included in the service is disturbing your privacy.
GMail rocks...now it offers virtually unlimited storage too.
User Rating: 9/10
I love it!!!!!!!
Pros: It loads fast not a tone of flash ads in your inbox to clutter things up
Cons: It is still in testing so by the time it comes out it will be fine im sure
User Rating: 9/10
1 GIG! Say it! 1 GIG!
Pros: 1 GIG good look, nice search feature, 1 GIG
Cons: Little Buggy sometimes
