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Wasn't Gmail "unlimited" in the early days?

toyg 3y ago
iirc it went from 1gb to 4 to 8, then "unlimited" for a period, then again limited once they started charging for GApps.
brutal_chaos_ 3y ago
Yes it was. It took years before I had a limit. I used to use gmail like google drive well before drive existed. There was even a tool called gmaildrive(0). (0): https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/GMail_Drive https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/GMail_Drive Edit to Add: Apparently the storage wasn't unlimited? At least from a cursory look at Wikipedia. Huh. Memory is a funny thing. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gmail https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gmail
- globular-toast 3y ago
  I'm surprised too, but the screenshot showing "You are are currently using ... of your 1000GB" brings back memories. Maybe it's because back then 1GB of email storage seemed essentially unlimited?
wredue 3y ago
Gmail was unlimited space, and invite only in the early days. The main reason for success was that Google was still generally seen as a not evil company, while other mail providers were garbage/evil.
- gsharma 3y ago
  Initially, people sold these beta invites on eBay! https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/gmail-accounts-go-up-for-bid/ https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/gmail-accoun...
- HNDen21 3y ago
  I remember those, you got 5 of them... later Google Wave also had invites .. which was cool but ended up in the graveyard anyway... Lifehacker's Gina Trapani even wrote a guide to Google Wave but I believe Wave was killed right before after it was published
gsharma 3y ago
Not initially. It started with 1 GB at the time the other popular services Yahoo and Hotmail provided 2-4 MB of storage. Google later changed it to “unlimited” which increased daily by an MB or so. At some point settled at 15 GB.
- htrp 3y ago
  When did it settle in at 15GB?
  - Ekaros 3y ago
    2013 it seems there is blog about combining 10 GB gmail to 5 GB drive and Google+ Photos... https://gmail.googleblog.com/2013/05/bringing-it-all-together-15-gb-now.html https://gmail.googleblog.com/2013/05/bringing-it-all-togethe... Not sure if it was unlimited actually before this point.

toyg 3y ago

iirc it went from 1gb to 4 to 8, then "unlimited" for a period, then again limited once they started charging for GApps.

brutal_chaos_ 3y ago

Yes it was. It took years before I had a limit. I used to use gmail like google drive well before drive existed. There was even a tool called gmaildrive(0). (0): https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/GMail_Drive https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/GMail_Drive Edit to Add: Apparently the storage wasn't unlimited? At least from a cursory look at Wikipedia. Huh. Memory is a funny thing. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gmail https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gmail

globular-toast 3y ago
I'm surprised too, but the screenshot showing "You are are currently using ... of your 1000GB" brings back memories. Maybe it's because back then 1GB of email storage seemed essentially unlimited?

wredue 3y ago

Gmail was unlimited space, and invite only in the early days. The main reason for success was that Google was still generally seen as a not evil company, while other mail providers were garbage/evil.

gsharma 3y ago
Initially, people sold these beta invites on eBay! https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/gmail-accounts-go-up-for-bid/ https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/gmail-accoun...
HNDen21 3y ago
I remember those, you got 5 of them... later Google Wave also had invites .. which was cool but ended up in the graveyard anyway... Lifehacker's Gina Trapani even wrote a guide to Google Wave but I believe Wave was killed right before after it was published

gsharma 3y ago

Not initially. It started with 1 GB at the time the other popular services Yahoo and Hotmail provided 2-4 MB of storage. Google later changed it to “unlimited” which increased daily by an MB or so. At some point settled at 15 GB.

htrp 3y ago
When did it settle in at 15GB?
- Ekaros 3y ago
  2013 it seems there is blog about combining 10 GB gmail to 5 GB drive and Google+ Photos... https://gmail.googleblog.com/2013/05/bringing-it-all-together-15-gb-now.html https://gmail.googleblog.com/2013/05/bringing-it-all-togethe... Not sure if it was unlimited actually before this point.