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Why? To completely remove anything from your life that happens to have Google as a part of it would be so inconvenient. Gmail is objectively an amazing email ap

Why? To completely remove anything from your life that happens to have Google as a part of it would be so inconvenient. Gmail is objectively an amazing email app on both desktop browser and mobile. No search engine can come close to Google. Lots of great apps like Google Docs, Calendar, and Translate exist to make your life easier for free. Google Maps is kinda annoying with Uber ads but its navigation and UI is so nice to use. It seems obtuse to just refuse to use a web service just because it happens to be made by Google.

komali2 10y ago
There's uber ads on google maps? Is this a slow rollout or something? I haven't seen this, and it's not like I have adblocker on my phone.
- rmxt 10y ago
  At least on Android and the Google Maps app, when one requests mass transit directions, UberX is often given as a potential route. Gives a fare quote and a trip time, IIRC.
kazagistar 10y ago
This article is not specifically about google, only the title is...
techsupporter 10y ago
> To completely remove anything from your life that happens to have Google as a part of it would be so inconvenient. How so? I don't use any Google services (even search) and don't feel the least bit inconvenienced. Microsoft's suite has those same things (Excel, Word, and OneNote are all available through a web page if that's your thing), translations are widely available (Bing and Dictionary.com), alternative maps (I like Here Maps, it even lets me download entire countries or regions for offline use), and so on. I must be the only person on the planet who doesn't like Gmail, so I'll just leave that one alone.
- prplhaz4 10y ago
  I'd say the "better-ness" of Google services these days is strictly the fact that everyone already uses them (which is critical for something like instant messaging). Individually they are (IMO) no better than most alternatives. Unless I'm real serious about a certain tool, the one I already have is the one I'm likely to start using - and most of the adult internet right now probably already has a Google account - and I'm pretty sure the kids are still signing up w/them, so no end in sight here...
aarpmcgee 10y ago
The website itself does a great job at explaining the "why"
rmxt 10y ago
Most of the submitted page is devoted to the answers to your question.
k-mcgrady 10y ago
>> "Gmail is objectively an amazing email app on both desktop browser and mobile." I was Mac Mail and Mail on iPhone with 2 Gmail accounts and 1 Exchange/Office365 account. Works great and much better than having to switch between accounts in a browser. I've also always found the Gmail app on iOS awful to use (Inbox is quite good though). >> No search engine can come close to Google. DuckDuckGo comes very close in my opinion. >> Lots of great apps like Google Docs, Calendar, and Translate exist to make your life easier for free. My Mac/iPhone also come with a free calendar that's much nicer to use. I pay for Word rather than use Google Docs as I find it much nicer to use a desktop app than a web app. Also - they don't exist to make our lives easier. They exist to collect our information and make Google more money. >> Google Maps is kinda annoying Agreed. UI has got worse of the years. I use Citymapper multiple times per day along with Apple Maps occasionally. I still use Google services regularly but they certainly aren't the best at almost anything apart from search. They often come out on top because short term, they are free to the user. Long term maybe not so much.
l-p 10y ago
> Gmail is objectively an amazing email app on both desktop browser and mobile. Hum. I would not say "objectively". I can't stand gmail, it does not come close to what I can do with Thunderbird and K-9, and I'm not doing anything complex. A webapp still can't compete with a native client. > Lots of great apps like Google Docs, Calendar, and Translate exist to make your life easier for free. Google services are not free, your privacy may be worth an app or two, but mine sure isn't. I'm giving a talk next week on how to get rid of Google so I would not say I'm being impartial here.
- mitchty 10y ago
  Indeed objectively is easily an opinion. And I'd like to see that talk if you could, I'm still in the migration process of migrating off gmail. Its slow though as I have to change a ton of logins to use my own domain that gets stuff sent to fast mail. So nice having regular email on a domain I control.
  - l-p 10y ago
    Slides are short, in French, and I only briefly mention gmail as it's the easiest thing to replace. Also, not much you can say in a 10 minutes talk.

komali2 10y ago

There's uber ads on google maps? Is this a slow rollout or something? I haven't seen this, and it's not like I have adblocker on my phone.

rmxt 10y ago
At least on Android and the Google Maps app, when one requests mass transit directions, UberX is often given as a potential route. Gives a fare quote and a trip time, IIRC.

kazagistar 10y ago

This article is not specifically about google, only the title is...

techsupporter 10y ago

> To completely remove anything from your life that happens to have Google as a part of it would be so inconvenient. How so? I don't use any Google services (even search) and don't feel the least bit inconvenienced. Microsoft's suite has those same things (Excel, Word, and OneNote are all available through a web page if that's your thing), translations are widely available (Bing and Dictionary.com), alternative maps (I like Here Maps, it even lets me download entire countries or regions for offline use), and so on. I must be the only person on the planet who doesn't like Gmail, so I'll just leave that one alone.

prplhaz4 10y ago
I'd say the "better-ness" of Google services these days is strictly the fact that everyone already uses them (which is critical for something like instant messaging). Individually they are (IMO) no better than most alternatives. Unless I'm real serious about a certain tool, the one I already have is the one I'm likely to start using - and most of the adult internet right now probably already has a Google account - and I'm pretty sure the kids are still signing up w/them, so no end in sight here...

aarpmcgee 10y ago

The website itself does a great job at explaining the "why"

rmxt 10y ago

Most of the submitted page is devoted to the answers to your question.

k-mcgrady 10y ago

>> "Gmail is objectively an amazing email app on both desktop browser and mobile." I was Mac Mail and Mail on iPhone with 2 Gmail accounts and 1 Exchange/Office365 account. Works great and much better than having to switch between accounts in a browser. I've also always found the Gmail app on iOS awful to use (Inbox is quite good though). >> No search engine can come close to Google. DuckDuckGo comes very close in my opinion. >> Lots of great apps like Google Docs, Calendar, and Translate exist to make your life easier for free. My Mac/iPhone also come with a free calendar that's much nicer to use. I pay for Word rather than use Google Docs as I find it much nicer to use a desktop app than a web app. Also - they don't exist to make our lives easier. They exist to collect our information and make Google more money. >> Google Maps is kinda annoying Agreed. UI has got worse of the years. I use Citymapper multiple times per day along with Apple Maps occasionally. I still use Google services regularly but they certainly aren't the best at almost anything apart from search. They often come out on top because short term, they are free to the user. Long term maybe not so much.

l-p 10y ago

> Gmail is objectively an amazing email app on both desktop browser and mobile. Hum. I would not say "objectively". I can't stand gmail, it does not come close to what I can do with Thunderbird and K-9, and I'm not doing anything complex. A webapp still can't compete with a native client. > Lots of great apps like Google Docs, Calendar, and Translate exist to make your life easier for free. Google services are not free, your privacy may be worth an app or two, but mine sure isn't. I'm giving a talk next week on how to get rid of Google so I would not say I'm being impartial here.

mitchty 10y ago
Indeed objectively is easily an opinion. And I'd like to see that talk if you could, I'm still in the migration process of migrating off gmail. Its slow though as I have to change a ton of logins to use my own domain that gets stuff sent to fast mail. So nice having regular email on a domain I control.
- l-p 10y ago
  Slides are short, in French, and I only briefly mention gmail as it's the easiest thing to replace. Also, not much you can say in a 10 minutes talk.