4 ms·

Why is an extra app necessary? Is this only about bringing a different UI to the table compared to the default Mail app? What am I missing?

by ugh 15y ago

gkoberger 15y ago
As someone who used Android (with GMail) for a few years and recently switched to iPhone, it's painful to lose archiving, labels, starring, priority inbox, complete thread history and a good search. Additionally, the UI for threading GMail has is much better than the native app.
- ugh 15y ago
  (Mail allows you to archive. Starring works, too. Labels map to folders, depending on how you use them that might be good enough or not. Search is pretty great with iOS5, not sure what Gmail is doing better there. From what I remember Gmail’s search has always been pretty horrible. Maybe that has changed.) I can understand why you might want the priority inbox. That, however, doesn’t seem like a very big deal to me.
  - gkoberger 15y ago
    There's a difference between being able to do something, and being able to do it with one click.
    - ugh 15y ago
      That depends on how exactly you use something, does it not? If you rarely use something but it takes up space all the time then that’s a problem, especially on a phone.
      - joshma 15y ago
        While you're asserting that it's not so useful to you, at the same time you're hinting at why others may appreciate it (if they use it frequently).
  - afshin 15y ago
    Search is great with iOS for the messages you already have, but it doesn't work at all for "continue search on the server". If the Gmail app fixes that, it's a major feature.
    - guan 15y ago
      “Continue search on server” works for me, although it is slow and the UI is clunky: I have to first navigate to the All Mail, then search for something, then click “Continue search”. I’m sure this would be much easier in a native Gmail app for iOS.
  - jaxn 15y ago
    Starring works? I don't think opening a message and then moving it to the "starred" folder works. The android app allows you to star directly from the message list. The great thing is that if people want a minimal mail app, Mail will be their choice. I just want a choice that allows me to use my preferred workflow.
    - ugh 15y ago
      It didn’t work before iOS5. Now you can flag emails directly – which in turn stars them.
- NiekvdMaas 15y ago
  Don't forget attachments, for me it's a real dealbreaker that you can't attach files to an email message on iOS (due to the security model limitations). Unfortunately a native app isn't going to solve this.
  - canes123456 15y ago
    Of course you can attach files, but you need to do it from the app that contains the file.
- joelhaasnoot 15y ago
  The Android app has its own fair share of troubles though. It's not very good in actually receiving the email. The email it gets is fine, otherwise though it has to "sync" everything. I can't just turn on email syncing and get my emails in a PUSH way, it's still delayed. When I press update it generally takes 1-2 minutes over 3G to actually update.
  - vetinari 15y ago
    Check, if the Settings | Accounts and Sync | your gmail account | Sync Gmail setting is turned on. If it is, the Android app has no problem with push email. It has worked for me since G1.
mlinsey 15y ago
I'm so dependent on Gmail-specific features that aren't in The mail app that I use the Gmail mobile web interface exclusively, despite the drastically decreased responsiveness from using a web app. This will be a breath of fresh air.
- Angostura 15y ago
  Such as? (honest qusetion)
  - hellweaver666 15y ago
    Priority inbox, stars etc
  - cfq 15y ago
    Labeling, search, archive vs. delete.
krolley 15y ago
What I gleaned from the article is that the author wants push notifications from gmail. That doesn't appeal to me, email is not a phonecall. It shouldn't be disruptive. I want to get emails when I have time to check them.
- singular 15y ago
  You can already get push notifications (via mail) - http://www.google.com/mobile/sync/ http://www.google.com/mobile/sync/.

Why is an extra app necessary? Is this only about bringing a different UI to the table compared to the default Mail app? What am I missing?

by ugh 15y ago

Why is an extra app necessary? Is this only about bringing a different UI to the table compared to the default Mail app? What am I missing?

gkoberger 15y ago

As someone who used Android (with GMail) for a few years and recently switched to iPhone, it's painful to lose archiving, labels, starring, priority inbox, complete thread history and a good search. Additionally, the UI for threading GMail has is much better than the native app.

ugh 15y ago
(Mail allows you to archive. Starring works, too. Labels map to folders, depending on how you use them that might be good enough or not. Search is pretty great with iOS5, not sure what Gmail is doing better there. From what I remember Gmail’s search has always been pretty horrible. Maybe that has changed.) I can understand why you might want the priority inbox. That, however, doesn’t seem like a very big deal to me.
- gkoberger 15y ago
  There's a difference between being able to do something, and being able to do it with one click.
  - ugh 15y ago
    That depends on how exactly you use something, does it not? If you rarely use something but it takes up space all the time then that’s a problem, especially on a phone.
    - joshma 15y ago
      While you're asserting that it's not so useful to you, at the same time you're hinting at why others may appreciate it (if they use it frequently).
- afshin 15y ago
  Search is great with iOS for the messages you already have, but it doesn't work at all for "continue search on the server". If the Gmail app fixes that, it's a major feature.
  - guan 15y ago
    “Continue search on server” works for me, although it is slow and the UI is clunky: I have to first navigate to the All Mail, then search for something, then click “Continue search”. I’m sure this would be much easier in a native Gmail app for iOS.
- jaxn 15y ago
  Starring works? I don't think opening a message and then moving it to the "starred" folder works. The android app allows you to star directly from the message list. The great thing is that if people want a minimal mail app, Mail will be their choice. I just want a choice that allows me to use my preferred workflow.
  - ugh 15y ago
    It didn’t work before iOS5. Now you can flag emails directly – which in turn stars them.
NiekvdMaas 15y ago
Don't forget attachments, for me it's a real dealbreaker that you can't attach files to an email message on iOS (due to the security model limitations). Unfortunately a native app isn't going to solve this.
- canes123456 15y ago
  Of course you can attach files, but you need to do it from the app that contains the file.
joelhaasnoot 15y ago
The Android app has its own fair share of troubles though. It's not very good in actually receiving the email. The email it gets is fine, otherwise though it has to "sync" everything. I can't just turn on email syncing and get my emails in a PUSH way, it's still delayed. When I press update it generally takes 1-2 minutes over 3G to actually update.
- vetinari 15y ago
  Check, if the Settings | Accounts and Sync | your gmail account | Sync Gmail setting is turned on. If it is, the Android app has no problem with push email. It has worked for me since G1.

mlinsey 15y ago

I'm so dependent on Gmail-specific features that aren't in The mail app that I use the Gmail mobile web interface exclusively, despite the drastically decreased responsiveness from using a web app. This will be a breath of fresh air.

Angostura 15y ago
Such as? (honest qusetion)
- hellweaver666 15y ago
  Priority inbox, stars etc
- cfq 15y ago
  Labeling, search, archive vs. delete.

krolley 15y ago

What I gleaned from the article is that the author wants push notifications from gmail. That doesn't appeal to me, email is not a phonecall. It shouldn't be disruptive. I want to get emails when I have time to check them.

singular 15y ago
You can already get push notifications (via mail) - http://www.google.com/mobile/sync/ http://www.google.com/mobile/sync/.