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People use the web interface for GMail ? I just have it set up via IMAP on my laptop, tablet and phone. No need to ever use it via the web interface. What woul

by Aaargh20318 7y ago

People use the web interface for GMail ? I just have it set up via IMAP on my laptop, tablet and phone. No need to ever use it via the web interface. What would be the advantage of using the web interface vs. just using a native mail client ?

TheSpiceIsLife 7y ago
The first circumstance that comes to mind is when you don’t have app installation privileges.
- raxxorrax 7y ago
  Thunderbird portable can help you here. But my first step would be to escalate while not having those privileges. Let yourself be put in another network if there are security cocerns.
XelNika 7y ago
> What would be the advantage of using the web interface vs. just using a native mail client ? For a generation of people who have only ever had a single email provider, the web interface works well enough. Native mail clients have disadvantages too. Few native mail clients are cross-platform whereas Gmail's web interface is consistent across devices. The web interface is also very obviously not tied to the device. I know that it merely is out of ignorance, but I can't tell you how often someone has told me that they can't check their email right now "because it is on the computer at home". Not to mention that IMAP/SMTP configuration might as well be black magic to most people.
javagram 7y ago
A lot of native mail clients don’t work well with GMail labels or “archive” feature. Labels are represented in IMAP as individual folders, so emails get duplicated multiple times locally if they have multiple labels. Also, Filters and other settings can’t be managed through IMAP. I used to use Apple Mail with IMAP, but nowadays I split the difference and use Mailplane to access my Gmail on desktop (essentially an application that shows the web app in a window), and the Gmail native apps on iPhone/iPad.
timw4mail 7y ago
Some organizations don't get IMAP permissions

TheSpiceIsLife 7y ago

The first circumstance that comes to mind is when you don’t have app installation privileges.

raxxorrax 7y ago
Thunderbird portable can help you here. But my first step would be to escalate while not having those privileges. Let yourself be put in another network if there are security cocerns.

XelNika 7y ago

> What would be the advantage of using the web interface vs. just using a native mail client ? For a generation of people who have only ever had a single email provider, the web interface works well enough. Native mail clients have disadvantages too. Few native mail clients are cross-platform whereas Gmail's web interface is consistent across devices. The web interface is also very obviously not tied to the device. I know that it merely is out of ignorance, but I can't tell you how often someone has told me that they can't check their email right now "because it is on the computer at home". Not to mention that IMAP/SMTP configuration might as well be black magic to most people.

javagram 7y ago

A lot of native mail clients don’t work well with GMail labels or “archive” feature. Labels are represented in IMAP as individual folders, so emails get duplicated multiple times locally if they have multiple labels. Also, Filters and other settings can’t be managed through IMAP. I used to use Apple Mail with IMAP, but nowadays I split the difference and use Mailplane to access my Gmail on desktop (essentially an application that shows the web app in a window), and the Gmail native apps on iPhone/iPad.

timw4mail 7y ago

Some organizations don't get IMAP permissions