Wow, as a "free" Hotmail user myself, I was shocked to learn that Google is launching a "free" email service of its own that puts Hotmail's 2mb "free" limit to shame! No more deleting spam email on Hotmail every 30 minutes just so I can receive more email. You ever wonder if Microsoft purposely fills the spam folder or sells our hotmail addresses? ok, maybe that's just conspiracy talk. But I just may have to switch from my Hotmail to Google.
Check it out.
Google Gets the Message, Launches Gmail
User Complaint About Existing Services Leads Google to Create Search-Based Webmail
Search is Number Two Online Activity – Email is Number One; "Heck, Yeah," Say Google Founders
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - April 1, 2004 UTC - Amidst rampant media speculation, Google Inc. today announced it is testing a preview release of Gmail – a free search-based webmail service with a storage capacity of up to eight billion bits of information, the equivalent of 500,000 pages of email. Per user.
The inspiration for Gmail came from a Google user complaining about the poor quality of existing email services, recalled Larry Page, Google co-founder and president, Products. "She kvetched about spending all her time filing messages or trying to find them," Page said. "And when she's not doing that, she has to delete email like crazy to stay under the obligatory four megabyte limit. So she asked, 'Can't you people fix this?'"
The idea that there could be a better way to handle email caught the attention of a Google engineer who thought it might be a good "20 percent time" project. (Google requires engineers to spend a day a week on projects that interest them, unrelated to their day jobs). Millions of M&Ms later, Gmail was born.
"If a Google user has a problem with email, well, so do we," said Google co-founder and president of technology, Sergey Brin. "And while developing Gmail was a bit more complicated than we anticipated, we're pleased to be able to offer it to the user who asked for it."
Added Page, "Gmail solves all of my communication needs. It's fast and easy and has all the storage I need. And I can use it from anywhere. I love it!"
Today, a handful of users will begin testing the preview version of Gmail. Unlike other free webmail services, Gmail is built on the idea that users should never have to file or delete a message, or struggle to find an email they've sent or received. Key features of Gmail include:
Search: Built on Google search technology, Gmail enables people to quickly search every email they've ever sent or received. Using keywords or advanced search features, Gmail users can find what they need, when they need it.
Storage: Google believes people should be able to hold onto their mail forever. That's why Gmail comes with 1,000 megabytes (1 gigabyte) of free storage – more than 100 times what most other free webmail services offer.
Speed: Gmail makes using email faster and more efficient by eliminating the need to file messages into folders, and by automatically organizing individual emails into meaningful "conversations" that show messages in the context of all the replies sent in response to them. And it turns annoying spam e-mail messages into the equivalent of canned meat.
According to Page and Brin, Google will make the preview test version of Gmail available to a small number of email aficionados. With luck, Gmail will prove popular to them – and to the original user who sparked the idea.
Those interested in learning more about Gmail can visit http://gmail.google.com.
Technorati
Del.icio.us
Slashdot
Digg
twitter
Tom,
The privacy advocates are up in arms about Google using software to search through your e-mails. Stay tuned from an article on http://www.tmcnet.com coming soon that will discuss this in detail.
You don't think Hotmail (a.k.a Microsoft) can't read your emails if they wanted to?
From what I understand Google will have computers searching for keywords in your email and then displaying advertisments next to the email you open. I say so-what. As long as a human being isn't reading my personal/private emails and determining the displayed ads, who cares?
Half the ads displayed will probably be about purchasing Viagra or Cialis due to all the spam I'm sure.
I don't see what the problem is really. If Google wants to make a few bucks off of a "free" email service, and they're giving me 1 gig of free storage, then by all means they can display "keyword-based" ads.
But like I say, as long as it's not a human being reading my email
Imagine a train of thought that goes so far off the mark it ends up here, in a comments section of a site that was the first listed on a search for link:www.gmail.com on google.
Bedtime soon methinks....
The gmail ads are normally a bit off topic about what the email is about. I'm more worried about how whenever you click a link in hotmail the little frame appears above, that could watch all the pages you visit.
Google are the biggest scammers on the net,
First they are trying to get a monopoly on searches
Then they create a pop up blocker, however they SELL the unblocking code to advertisers so thier pop up is not blocked
And no they create GMAIL to get a monopoly on SPAM
SCAMMERS!!!
Google are the biggest scammers on the net,
First they are trying to get a monopoly on searches
Then they create a pop up blocker, however they SELL the unblocking code to advertisers so thier pop up is not blocked
And no they create GMAIL to get a monopoly on SPAM
SCAMMERS!!!
Hotmail did not yet increase its free account storage for all users its shame to MSN to keep us with 3MB in some Areas while Google gives more than 2000MB Yahoo! provide 1000MB MY question until when Hotmail will remain freezed?? wake up MSN keep your customers other providers gives 1000 times what you offer
vali free 2000MB
if any 16+ girls out there please add me: jon4life@hotmail.co.uk
Why does hot mail shut me down every day saying I have reached my maxium in a 24hr period? Len Keith.