A new Gmail inbox • Hacker News Board

Re: A new Gmail inbox

#11

Post by jcfrei » Wed, May 29, 2013, 4:38 PM UTC

pkfrank wrote: post #6

I'm encouraged that they seem to allow you to toggle this new inbox on/off as you wish. In contrast to the "new" compose box which will eventually be forced onto everyone.

I'm just gonna hijack this thread in case any gmail devs are dropping by. the new compose box is a joke - why would you force users to write emails in a small window in the bottom right corner?!

Re: A new Gmail inbox

#12

Post by Ziomislaw » Wed, May 29, 2013, 4:38 PM UTC

good thing I already started to "delete" myself from google.

there are really bent on shooving G+ down ppl's throats.

Re: A new Gmail inbox

#13

Post by ensmotko » Wed, May 29, 2013, 4:39 PM UTC

shared4you wrote: post #8

So, basically Gmail labels have been converted into tabs. One tab per label. I can get rid of labels now.

But there doesn't seem to be an option for custom labels (tabs). You can only choose between Social, Promotion, Updates and Forums at the moment.

Re: A new Gmail inbox

#14

Post by adventured » Wed, May 29, 2013, 4:39 PM UTC

So they're giving me sub folders ("tabs") for my inbox folder. How very 1999.

What Gmail is really doing is adding more layers of complexity. Now they have hard wired folders (inbox, sent, etc), labels (aka custom folders), tabs in the inbox, and importance markers (starred / not).

They're making the same mistake that consumed many of Microsoft's email efforts: adding complexity thinking that's how you add 'power controls' and make it easier to sort mail.

Re: A new Gmail inbox

#15

Post by Nowyouknow » Wed, May 29, 2013, 4:41 PM UTC

kes wrote: post #10

Fuzzwah wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, I'll bite. What do you think the other top 2 products are?

Search. Analytics? Adwords?

Doubtful on both. HN is mostly made up of developers. We let the business folk handle that jazz. I make it work.

Re: A new Gmail inbox

#16

Post by moskie » Wed, May 29, 2013, 4:42 PM UTC

It's not available to me yet, so I'm not sure how exactly it works.... but their example pic showing "Promotions" as one of the tabs is pretty disheartening. The post here says it's customizable, so I hope that is not mandatory.

Re: A new Gmail inbox

#17

Post by johansch » Wed, May 29, 2013, 4:43 PM UTC

jcfrei wrote: post #11

pkfrank wrote: post #6

I'm encouraged that they seem to allow you to toggle this new inbox on/off as you wish. In contrast to the "new" compose box which will eventually be forced onto everyone.

I'm just gonna hijack this thread in case any gmail devs are dropping by. the new compose box is a joke - why would you force users to write emails in a small window in the bottom right corner?!

I guess the rationale is that they let you navigate your gmail in the background, flipping back and forth between conversations etc, while composing the new mail.

I just wish the compose box was freely movable. On a very large screen it is indeed awkward to type in the bottom right corner only.

Re: A new Gmail inbox

#18

Post by leecbaker » Wed, May 29, 2013, 4:43 PM UTC

jcfrei wrote: post #11

pkfrank wrote: post #6

I'm encouraged that they seem to allow you to toggle this new inbox on/off as you wish. In contrast to the "new" compose box which will eventually be forced onto everyone.

I'm just gonna hijack this thread in case any gmail devs are dropping by. the new compose box is a joke - why would you force users to write emails in a small window in the bottom right corner?!

I appreciate the ability to browse around my inbox while writing an email, and I suspect that is why the change was made; however, I wish they had left in the ability to compose from the old compose window.

Re: A new Gmail inbox

#19

Post by lallysingh » Wed, May 29, 2013, 4:43 PM UTC

jcfrei wrote: post #11

pkfrank wrote: post #6

I'm encouraged that they seem to allow you to toggle this new inbox on/off as you wish. In contrast to the "new" compose box which will eventually be forced onto everyone.

I'm just gonna hijack this thread in case any gmail devs are dropping by. the new compose box is a joke - why would you force users to write emails in a small window in the bottom right corner?!

I felt the same way at first. Then I noticed two things:

(1) I could write several messages at once. Useful if you want to look things up, and keep multi-tasking.

(2) I can refer to other messages while writing one.

Re: A new Gmail inbox

#20

Post by rayiner » Wed, May 29, 2013, 4:43 PM UTC

Wait, are these categories fixed? If so, more proof that gmail is now made for kids: "We get a lot of different types of email: messages from friends, social notifications, deals and offers, confirmations and receipts, and more."

That doesn't remotely begin to describe my inbox, but then again I haven't been in high school for a long time now. Where is the tab for "bills"?