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A rundown of the new Gmail

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Re: A rundown of the new Gmail

#51

Anyone able to shed any light on what is Google's strategy regarding the Inbox/Gmail split?

look here: https://www.computerworld.com/article/3269253/enterprise-app...

Quote: "With respect to the upcoming Gmail announcement, there are no changes to Inbox by Gmail," a Google spokesperson tells me. "It remains a great product for users with specific workflows and one in which we test innovative features for email."

My opinion: Does not sound confident for me... it will be a always beta product?!

Re: A rundown of the new Gmail

#52

Am I the only one that dreads new product updates recently? I used to be super enthusiastic about every new update for everything(cool! more stuff!) but Android, Youtube and Windows 10 updates especially have made me extremely jaded - it feels like every update I either lose some functionality or something I used every day has now moved to a completely different place for no good reason. I seriously consider disablin…

I resist updates because so often they are driven not by the need to incrementally improve a product in terms of features and design, but by some "high up the chain" decision to turn a perfectly good product info a "platform", or a tool for ensnaring you ever deeper into the wider platform. See: iTunes, Skype.

These updates are particularly maddening, as they usually involve slick and chirpy new design accompanied by the maddening confusion of trying to figure out if the features you liked are dead or just obfuscated, and the feeling of disempowerment as your previously reliable software starts coercing you into all sorts of stuff you never asked for. It's a rather Orwellian feeling.

I'm not looking forward to trying to figure out what agenda this Gmail overhaul is going to try to push on me.

Re: A rundown of the new Gmail

#53
The original gmail was quite clean fast and efficient to use. Something about recent updates seem to increase obfuscation on the desktop with the intent to make you spend more time in the software. Thankfully the mobile clients have to remain uncluttered.

Re: A rundown of the new Gmail

#54
post #20

Am I the only one that dreads new product updates recently? I used to be super enthusiastic about every new update for everything(cool! more stuff!) but Android, Youtube and Windows 10 updates especially have made me extremely jaded - it feels like every update I either lose some functionality or something I used every day has now moved to a completely different place for no good reason. I seriously consider disablin…

Each year the internet and its services are less and less for hackers and more and more for the general public. This is reflected in how everything is designed. The average person has totally different needs and usage patterns than power users. If you want to avoid this phenomena, where the services you use slowly degrade and lose features, favor products that specifically target power users. Products for the general…

So why can't we have the option of using 'power user' interfaces? Also I doubt that Youtube has ever been for powerusers..

Re: A rundown of the new Gmail

#56
post #20

Am I the only one that dreads new product updates recently? I used to be super enthusiastic about every new update for everything(cool! more stuff!) but Android, Youtube and Windows 10 updates especially have made me extremely jaded - it feels like every update I either lose some functionality or something I used every day has now moved to a completely different place for no good reason. I seriously consider disablin…

Each year the internet and its services are less and less for hackers and more and more for the general public. This is reflected in how everything is designed. The average person has totally different needs and usage patterns than power users. If you want to avoid this phenomena, where the services you use slowly degrade and lose features, favor products that specifically target power users. Products for the general…

"The average person has totally different needs and usage patterns than power users."

There is no average person. Different person have different use cases and preferences. No person wants known liked things to be removed or made less good.

Apple devices are meant for Apple power users. I use Windows and Linux (KDE) and I am uncomfortable and constraint on Mac OS.

There is a reason why people spend (or spent) hours to discover and learn even their phone or TV software.

Re: A rundown of the new Gmail

#57

Am I the only one that dreads new product updates recently? I used to be super enthusiastic about every new update for everything(cool! more stuff!) but Android, Youtube and Windows 10 updates especially have made me extremely jaded - it feels like every update I either lose some functionality or something I used every day has now moved to a completely different place for no good reason. I seriously consider disablin…

This is why I use specific apps for critical things in my life and very rarely change them (even though I regularly try alternatives, just to see if grass is greener on the other side!).

For mail, Apple's Mail.app can't be beat: nothing else works as fast with my E-mail archive dating back to 1994. For programming, I still haven't found anything that beats Emacs.

Using apps instead of letting Google read my mail solves at least part of the problem. The other part remains, however — I dread new Apple hardware updates, as recently their "pro" laptops took a huge dive for the worse. I'm stuck on a 2015 model, waiting for them to regain their sanity and produce actual "pro" laptops with decent keyboards and ports that I can actually use.

Re: A rundown of the new Gmail

#59
post #2

ha - that blog post is 26MB large and makes my laptop cry

Yes, it’s incredible how just the preview images of “related articles” are over 13 MiB in size. That’s pretty dumb.

As is using GIFs instead of actual videos. It’s 2018, damnit.

Re: A rundown of the new Gmail

#60
post #33
post #19

"Finally, a new confidential mode allows you to remove the option to forward, copy, download or print messages—useful for when you have to send sensitive information via email like a tax return or your social security number. You can also make a message expire after a set period of time to help you stay in control of your information." No, thanks. I like my e-mail archive under my own control.

Don't use it then?

Others might send you shit in that way.
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