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Mail.app - why use it over Gmail's web interface?

A

Ahheck01

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 7, 2006
494
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This is by no means a "new" topic, as both the Gmail interface and Mail.app have been around forever, each increasing in simplicity of use and features since their inception.

I have a blackberry, but also use the gmail web interface. I've been noticing many productivity freaks stating that they use Mail.app, and I don't understand why? The way gmail handles conversations is much neater and tidier, and the instant search is fantastic.

The only thing I can see is the use of folders, which Gmail can nearly do with tags.

So what am I missing? Can Mail.app increase my productivity and efficiency? Or would I just be downloading extra junk to my hard drive to be viewed and managed in a less efficient way?

Thanks!

-Evan
 
Ahheck01 said:
This is by no means a "new" topic, as both the Gmail interface and Mail.app have been around forever, each increasing in simplicity of use and features since their inception.

I have a blackberry, but also use the gmail web interface. I've been noticing many productivity freaks stating that they use Mail.app, and I don't understand why? The way gmail handles conversations is much neater and tidier, and the instant search is fantastic.

The only thing I can see is the use of folders, which Gmail can nearly do with tags.

So what am I missing? Can Mail.app increase my productivity and efficiency? Or would I just be downloading extra junk to my hard drive to be viewed and managed in a less efficient way?

Thanks!

-Evan
Click to expand...

About the only reason I use mail.app instead of the web interface is that it's easier to deal with attachments. Drag and drop, etc.
 
I have multiple email addresses together in one place in Mail

Woof, Woof - Dawg
pawprint.gif
 
Cos it's there, simple to use, and doesn't require me to dial up to the internet to see my mail and pre-write some.
 
cmaier said:
About the only reason I use mail.app instead of the web interface is that it's easier to deal with attachments. Drag and drop, etc.
Click to expand...
I like the way google deals with attachments better.

MacDawg said:
I have multiple email addresses together in one place in Mail

Woof, Woof - Dawg
pawprint.gif
Click to expand...

bobr1952 said:
That is a good reason for me too since I can choose which mail service I want to use to send the email--all the contacts are right there.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that's why I use it too, but I prefer Thunderbird over Mail.

flopticalcube said:
Spotlight
Click to expand...

cmaier said:
google's web-based search is more useful than spotlight
Click to expand...
Google search can't be beaten and you can't compare spotlight to it at all. Spotlight can't even call itself a search over google's search, IMHO, of course.
 
I use mail because I use both my personal account and school account in one unified interface without having to log in constantly when I want to check my mail.
 
2 gmail accounts, university email account and hotmail all in one place with Mail app.
 
If I were using gmail as my primary or only account I would most definitely use the gmail interface, primarily because mail.app (and all other desktop apps that I know of) does not handle the gmail tags very well IMHO. Although similar to IMAP folders they are not the same, and gmail handles them well. For example, Archive and Delete are 2 separate operations in gmail, but mail.app only had one (delete) but it is mapped to gmails' archive. When I delete an email I want it gone, I don't want it to remain forever in All Mail (but I would like that option). I got so frustrated with mail.app and its inability to deal with this gmail "feature" that I finally gave up and went with MobileMe and had my gmail account forwarded.
 
Well what I like to do is just close the mail window, and leave the app running, it uses almost no resources and still receives mail so it shows the notification badge which I like. Its also easier to manage attachments, you can drag pictures in and out of finder or your desktop into the message which is nice. Spotlight also searches within mail, which I know some people like although I personally dont use it. Whatever works for you.
 
I almost always use Mail.app, since I have a Gmail IMAP account set up anyway. I have a few reasons why.

  1. I find the interface much more clean and elegant, while the Gmail web interface is somewhat cluttered.
  2. I can still move and label messages, except I can do so in a more user-friendly fashion.
  3. I can set up multiple accounts and browse them at the same time. No logging in and out of Gmail; every message is at my fingertips.
 
Gmail's web interface doesn't come close. With Mail:
  • I check 6 email accounts simultaneously
  • Can search all accounts, if I don't recall to which account an email was sent
  • Can read and compose emails when offline
  • Have a backup of all my emails, in case Gmail is down or any account has problems
 
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