Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Gmail Users: Is Apple's "Mail" App Good Enough or Do You Prefer The Offline Browser?

HappyDude20

HappyDude20

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jul 13, 2008
3,688
1,479
Los Angeles, Ca
Simple basic question here. I'm curious as to if "Mail" may be right for me.

For the longest time i've been using Gmail and also the offline lab feature that allows me to access my gmail via the web browser. Rather than me going into a big explaining here i'll just mention i'm befuddled on whether to stick with Gmail's offline use or switch things up to Apple's Mail; reason in doing so is i've recently been noticing how some apps like OmniFocus play nice with Apple's Mail.

Also having a Gcal account and using it I can't but help and prefer Gcal tenfold over iCal. But Gcal's offline use sucks for me when using Firefox. It's always a gamble when I'm offline and want to check my Gcal, sometimes it works and other times it doesn't. I'm not a big fan of iCal but have it always sync'd with Gcal so am currently using iCal...and am thinking about using Mail now. I just feel I enjoy Gmail's search, starring and folder system.

Plus I think I remember that when I include my account in Mail I see it downloading the 3GB's of Mail I have..and even though i'd assume Gmail would do the same, I never see where it goes which rests uneasy with me..

......

......Go!
 
Mail + Gmail = fine for me

Woof, Woof - Dawg
pawprint.gif
 
I didn't adopt Apple Mail until Snow Leopard and the MS Exchange integration. Now I route both my Gmail and Exchange accounts into my one Apple Mail inbox. When I compose a message in Mail, I choose the account I want to send it from using a drop-down box. Extremely convenient.

As a side note, having both iCal and Address Book sync up to MS Exchange as simply and fluidly as they do as well is an very impressive feature as well.
 
I use Mail.app and Gmail without anyproblem, when I'm at work, i use gmail online web, but when I'm at home, I use the apple application.

Indeed, i have syncronized the Mail.app and iCal with iPhone as well, so google is the backend for all my data :D. when I add an appoinment in iCal I can edit it and see it with my iPhone, using Thunderbird in Windows or in Google Calendar web page.

Everything is in sync :D
 
I used Mail.app for quite a while until just recently. I decided to actually go to an all web-based gmail experience. Mail.app became too much to try and use when I have 5+ email accounts setup through it. It was getting pickier and pickier about my outgoing mail settings. Might work a charm for you though!
 
To have your email fully integrated into your OS, is something you will always value. Especially when you'll know instantly when a new message is received with the unread mail badge on the Mail icon in the dock.

Also, if you're an iWork user, you'll learn to love the two click steps to share a document through Mail.

For me, the Apple Mail app is good enough.
 
Gmail (IMAP) + Apple mail app works great for me. Also, I use the mail app on the iPhone to check my Gmail, no problems. Google has created detailed instructions on how to set up Mail app for Gmail. You can set it up for IMAP, and then you can do both tasks: use the Mail app and use the browser interface if you access the internet from some other computer.
 
nomar383 said:
I used Mail.app for quite a while until just recently. I decided to actually go to an all web-based gmail experience. Mail.app became too much to try and use when I have 5+ email accounts setup through it. It was getting pickier and pickier about my outgoing mail settings. Might work a charm for you though!
Click to expand...

+1

I really like the Gmail web interface. Didn't use Mail.app since the Tiger days, I think. But then, I never liked Mail :)
 
krimsen said:
+1

I really like the Gmail web interface. Didn't use Mail.app since the Tiger days, I think. But then, I never liked Mail :)
Click to expand...

With my dozens of labels I found it was becoming a pain to drag them over to the left in Mail.app all day. The move to label option in gmail is convenient. And I have ALL my other email accounts forward their mail to my gmail account and have the "send mail as" option enabled in that account for all of them. Very easy to manage once it's set up. The only thing I don't like is the gmail notifier app I use now, it seems to be a little slow on the uptake sometimes. Mail.app notified me instantly when I got a new email.
 
I just recently started using Mail in SL and have both a gmail and yahoo account. I LOVE the Mail program, it has really helped having the mail program integrated into the OS and I love the way so many apps are integrated now, iCal and Address Book in particular.
 
nomar383 said:
With my dozens of labels I found it was becoming...
Click to expand...

what he said. But the notification issue does not bother me, as I have my browser open all the time and can see the tab caption change when a new mail is coming in.

One thing I sometimes miss is the Address Book integration with my groups set up.
 
The only problem I ever have with Mail is when I send large images. It resizes them for my clients, so I tend to use the web interface to send large images.
 
I just started using Fluid. This is like the best of both worlds, a stand alone app for gmail web mail. I get a badge when there is new mail, and with a script a "beep". I also use it for google reader.
 
Mac Mail, plus a Gmail RSS feed via Vienna (or any other RSS reader... yes, Gmail has an RSS feed) for my inbound Gmail messages. Works wonderfully.
 
As Google have decided to silently kill off off Google Gears for mac, Mail.app is the only way to go. Offline Gmail is at the moment not available for Snow Leopard (don't get me wrong though, I'm aware of the clumsy workarounds). Until Google decides to go full html 5 (the rumoured reasons for killing off Google Gears), Mail.app is the only decent alternative for offline viewing.

I use both when I'm online. Mail.app doesn't do search too well (as each email turns up a couple of times), nor does it handle labels.
 
I only use the web interface when I'm away from my computers (i.e in the lab at the U). Otherwise I use IMAP and Mail on all of my machines. I have many email accounts and I value having them all in one place instead of having to go to 5 different places just to stay up-to-date with my mail.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back