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Alternative Email Client Sparrow Acquired by Google

This blows chunks

I don't care what you say. The message was pretty blunt and very clear...Sparrow is dead. It's very likely Google will scrap the Mac and iOS apps and fold Sparrow into a future version of Chrome.

This is not a good thing. The best mail app on the Mac/iOS just got dead.

I am so sick and tired of large companies taking awesome apps and trashing them. Fu**ing sell outs!
 
Small White Car said:
No, you made that up.

My original statement was that companies using our data in annoying ways is annoying and that Apple is less annoying than Google.

Maybe I didn't word it clearly enough. My mistake.
Click to expand...

Well now you're just quoting me:

It isn't as annoying as Google (i.e. ads), but Apple does it through their own ventures they make money off of (i.e. iTunes recommendations).
 
ELMI0001 said:
I know we're all Apple Fanboys/gals but if you don't think the information you feed Apple isn't being used to market you, then you are being naive.

It isn't as annoying as Google (i.e. ads), but Apple does it through their own ventures they make money off of (i.e. iTunes recommendations).

Both companies use information you provide them to market products/services to you and both companies profit from it.
Click to expand...

I dont believe "we're all Apple Fanboys/gals" as I'm not, for one, and usually when people start posts like that it's to appear a 'devoted' user. Apple and Google have very different business plans, certainly not new info. Google's clients are advertisers, not users.

Your example of iTunes shows the difference. When I am in iTunes, my previous purchases show me options, within the app I'm already in, without taking me away from page I'm on. If I don't want recommendations, I turn the Genius option off. End of issue.
 
Email from Sparrow "An update from the Sparrow team"

This is a email I just got from sparrow.

What sticks out is "...we do not plan to release new features for the Sparrow apps."
Hello,

We're excited to let you know that Sparrow has been acquired by Google!

You can view our public announcement here, but I wanted to reach out directly to make sure you were aware of the news. We will continue to make available our existing products, and we will provide support and critical updates to our users. However, as we’ll be busy with new projects at Google, we do not plan to release new features for the Sparrow apps.

It’s been an honor and a pleasure to build products for all of our wonderful users who have supported us over the years. We can't thank you enough.
We look forward to working on some new and exciting projects at Google!

Dom Leca
CEO
Sparrow
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
I've been using Sparrow on iOS and Mac for several months. I agree it's over hyped, but it is a more elegant and logical solution for Mail overall.

I am a gmail user, have been since about 3 months after gmail launched, and I love gmail, but I'm not big on some of Google's practices that go along with it.

Then again I can't bitch because it's free and works great.

I can bitch about sparrow and now I will. I spent the money on the apps and for them to straight up say they will no longer add features is kinda crappy. I admit at first I got the desktop client from less than legal sources but after about a week of using it I paid them and got it through the app store because I thought it was a really nice piece of software with good people and a good mission behind it. Now it's unfortunate that it's fate is going into the unknown.

I'll probably still use it because i like it better than other solutions.
 
CylonGlitch said:
I'm sorry, but with this move, I can't use Sparrow. I'm not a fan of Google's tactics, now they can more closely monitor our emails.
Click to expand...

I've never used Sparrow despite hearing good things about them...but now I won't even THINK of using a Google-owned Sparrow...the only thing worse than this would be to see FB buying Sparrow.
 
Don't be fans of any company, you live for yourself. If it is a good product, then use it without care about if it comes from google. Google didn't kill your mother.
 
writingdevil said:
I dont believe "we're all Apple Fanboys/gals" as I'm not, for one, and usually when people start posts like that it's to appear a 'devoted' user. Apple and Google have very different business plans, certainly not new info. Google's clients are advertisers, not users.

Your example of iTunes shows the difference. When I am in iTunes, my previous purchases show me options, within the app I'm already in, without taking me away from page I'm on. If I don't want recommendations, I turn the Genius option off. End of issue.
Click to expand...

I'm not trying to appear a devoted user. I was stating that people seem outraged at the thought that Google may use information to market them. It's not new information. Not to me, not to you, not to anyone.

You're correct, you can turn off Genius just as people don't have to use Google. That would be the end of issue. As Small White Car has said; when they pushed Google+ on him/her, they left Gmail.

I'm not paranoid about the data I'm feeding Google. As another user pointed out; Google doesn't care what grandma emailed me. And through the use of chrome extensions (minimalists), you can block the ads in Gmail.

For me, I was willing to try Sparrow for $0.99 over Memorial Day weekend when they had a sale and over the last 6 weeks I'm not impressed. It had promise, but now it's dead.
 
what a sad piece of news, somehow googled-sparrow just doesn't feel right. Sparrow was unique and different from all the major players but now... only time will tell..:(
 
bagelche said:
Do you? I haven't used it in over 15 years, but I recently saw it mentioned on one of those "who are you, what do you use" blogs.
Click to expand...

On my linux box, yes I do still use pine. Just reminds me of the good ole days when things were simple and you didn't have to worry about all of the software issues of today.

GL
 
If I can get cheaper price or even free for that, I am very happy. When google use some of your information to market them, it is benefit to you also, you can get more information you really want, it is a double win game I think.

ELMI0001 said:
I'm not trying to appear a devoted user. I was stating that people seem outraged at the thought that Google may use information to market them. It's not new information. Not to me, not to you, not to anyone.

You're correct, you can turn off Genius just as people don't have to use Google. That would be the end of issue. As Small White Car has said; when they pushed Google+ on him/her, they left Gmail.

I'm not paranoid about the data I'm feeding Google. As another user pointed out; Google doesn't care what grandma emailed me. And through the use of chrome extensions (minimalists), you can block the ads in Gmail.

For me, I was willing to try Sparrow for $0.99 over Memorial Day weekend when they had a sale and over the last 6 weeks I'm not impressed. It had promise, but now it's dead.
Click to expand...
 
This is said news, Sparrow had a keen eye for design and functionality. While I have nothing against Google as a company, their eye for aesthetics and intuitiveness has always been a huge weak point for them. Sparrow's iOS app is especially well designed, as was the Mac app to a lesser extent.
 
CylonGlitch said:
I'm sorry, but with this move, I can't use Sparrow. I'm not a fan of Google's tactics, now they can more closely monitor our emails.
Click to expand...

With the news that google has taken over Sparrow, I'm now in the process of removing all my Sparrow Mail apps from all my Mac products. Deaply disappointed with the developers at Sparrow, but even more, I feel for people that put money into the company only to be sold down the river by Sparrow. Yes, I too don't trust Google and that is why I'm of too.
 
ELMI0001 said:
I know we're all Apple Fanboys/gals but if you don't think the information you feed Apple isn't being used to market you, then you are being naive.

It isn't as annoying as Google (i.e. ads), but Apple does it through their own ventures they make money off of (i.e. iTunes recommendations).

Both companies use information you provide them to market products/services to you and both companies profit from it.
Click to expand...

Speak for yourself, I cant stand the fanboys. I just like owning apple products because most of them in my opinion are superior. Been burned by windows, osx just works. Love my ipad nothing else comes close. If i see an android that i like in the future i may give it a go after 4 years of iphone. We are not all fan boys even wozniak owns other products than just apples.
 
I think this talk about Google and Apple both using your email information to market/advertise/sell is interesting.

The difference between them(as everyone knows) is that Google relies on ads to make their money. Apple uses their products to make theirs, and their email is not ad supported.

And yes, Apple might be mining personal emails in order to market to the customer, butt Google is mining those emails in order to market the person using the product to their customers(the advertisers). With Google, all that information is a commodity.

If you're using Gmail, try this experiment: send an email to someone using another language and font(something that you normally wouldn't do) and then see how the ads change after that.
 
dgree03 said:
So is email data all you are concerned about? So is this really about privacy or something else?

Do you use the internet? use a land lines? You are being tracked...
Click to expand...

Of course it's about privacy. Why make it easier for companies to track you if you don't have to?
 
I don't know that, but from you, I think maybe it is a bad merge in you memory. But google is not microsoft, and even microsoft is changing all the time. You can't use one thing to cover all the things. Future is uncertain.
Again, if sparrow is better in the future, continue use it, otherwise, choose another one or just don't upgrade. BUT, don't make you choice now PLEASE.

BRLawyer said:
You probably don't know about the Bungie-Microsoft case, do you?
Click to expand...
 
I'm confused... why does Google think it's a good idea to buy a company that makes a quality Mac and iOS, with no support for Android or any other operating system, would be a good fit?

I can't help but feel this must have been a case more along the lines of Google paid Sparrow a crap ton of money so Sparrow would go away. Google's aim is to remain dominant by buying out competition and keeping Apple from acquiring them.

But who knows, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Google actually thinks they see something in the Sparrow team's design philosophy or something that will actually help improve Gmail.
 
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