Gmail

[Zyth]

Most of you probably know by now that Gmail, the email service by google is coming - and it has 1gb of storage space amongst other features. I've managed to get ahold of a pre-release account, and I can tell you that is really good. The built in spam filter is excellent, and the 1gb storage space is unsurpassed.

I'd highly recommend gmail as a free email service.

As for google scanning your emails for keywords to use to target you - this isn't much of a problem as it only changes the ads you see. The ads are just like google ads on the right side when you do a search, apropos.

[ejda]

I dont have gmail but have heard lots about pro and cons of the service. I have
heard it is designed to have *powerful* search capabilities (they suggest not deleting any email but this looks kinda suspicious, since it seems google is trying to do a large scale info gathering using Gmail, orkut and ...) . By the way yahoo
increased the storage of its free email to 100Mg to compete with Gmail apparently.

[tharun]

Well that Gmail thing is pretty nifty. I'm a bit of a sucker, I paid my.. hmm.. $20.. or maybe a bit less.. and I get 2gb from yahoo for a year instead. I think the free service is 100mb which isn't too shabby since most of those free email services were offering about 10mb until recently. Hotmail is going to be doing 250mb from "the autumn" (thats "Fall") for free, which is also pretty good.

Anyway I am happy with yahoo, I tend to skip from country to country so the web access is very important, and 2gb for like $20 or whatever it is.. is.. well.. cheap as chips. I can mail myself a few hundred mp3s if I want I guess, then download em wherever I am! Oh you get the pop3 access, and virus scanning and shit in there as well too which is nice I guess.

-tharun

[Reisel]

I think I'm going to skip Gmail. The storage space is massive, which is certainly nice, but the way I understand from what I've read, they keep all your emails whether you delete them or not. I just don't like that.

http://news.com.com/Is+Google+the+fu...3-5187543.html

Most web based email services have their problems. There's no doubt about that. I think the 1 GB space is supposed to mean, "You'll never have to delete an email again!" or in other words, "Why bother because we'll have copies anyway." Don't get me wrong...I love Google. They've provided some great services, but this is one that won't be for me. Maybe I'm just way too paranoid of a person.

When it becomes widely available, I may consider using it for various mailing lists and things I'm on, but I probably won't use it for any personal correspondence.

[Gesslar]

Site talking about GMail.

http://gmail-is-too-creepy.com/

[Kraxe]

Until I'm a politician, criminal or celebrity, I don't think anybody is going to be remotely interested in the contents of my emails, no matter how salicious or perverted they get.

If I ever find out that I am being personally filtered, mmmm, just gives me shivers of anticipation to be that important!

[Aristotle]

Does anyone know how to get a gmail account by the way?

[Deryk]

I think it's by invitation only at this point.

[Vidare]

From the Gmail page, in the 'About' section....

3. How do I sign up? When can I get a Gmail account?

We're currently only offering Gmail as part of a preview release and limited test. We don't have details on when Gmail will be made more widely available, as that depends in part on the results of the test. If you're interested in receiving updates on Gmail, submit your email address using the form at the bottom of this page. And you can check out a sneak peak of Gmail here.


-*If there's any way to actually get a Gmail account, I couldn't find it on the site.

[Aristotle]

Yeah I know the "official" situation, but I've also heard there are tons of ways to get those invites. I just don't know what they are.