> 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

> 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.