Threaded conversations & multiple labeling. This just destroys the folder metaphor other apps use.
Labels has to be the most useful feature there is especially when you get to use incoming filters to catch all the mail you want and pre-organize it.
Ask HN: Gmail feature you just can't live without.
11–20 of 39 posts
Re: Ask HN: Gmail feature you just can't live without.
#121. Speed (I think it's faster than Outlook in almost all operations)
2. VIM like keyboard shortcuts
1 and 2 combined makes it a winner for me. :)
Re: Ask HN: Gmail feature you just can't live without.
#13Mute
Re: Ask HN: Gmail feature you just can't live without.
#14Keyboard shortcuts, and auto-filtering to different labels. I'm actually quite obsessive with my filters.
Re: Ask HN: Gmail feature you just can't live without.
#151. label 2. spam filter 3. search 4. thread 5. archive
Re: Ask HN: Gmail feature you just can't live without.
#16Spam filter, IMAP, threads, importing from other accounts (for those in which I can't just set .forward). Search. Mailbox size.
Re: Ask HN: Gmail feature you just can't live without.
#17I use Yahoo! Mail for historical reasons. I receive about 12-20 emails per day. Besides writing and reading emails I use Search - that's the only thing I really need. I also started using folders this year: the folder names are 2005, 2006, ... 2008 :) Current year emails are stored in inbox.
On average day I spend very little time on emails, though.
I have a Gmail account, too, but I haven't found any Gmail-specific features I would use. Conversations or labels are neat and my spouse adores them. As for me I just don't care as long as my search box is working.
Re: Ask HN: Gmail feature you just can't live without.
#18Pop and forwarding.
Re: Ask HN: Gmail feature you just can't live without.
#19Search. Absolutely the most important feature I use.
I use gmail to send myself technical notes constantly. The search feature is invaluable for looking them up again.
Re: Ask HN: Gmail feature you just can't live without.
#20The "send to" feature using Gmail is my favorite. Combined with the ability to turn the email into a Google document it lets me research, write and format articles or web pages without ever leaving "the cloud".