iCloud vs Gmail: what is the best?

[MasterHowl]

I switched to iCloud from Gmail about 6 months ago, and I've never looked back.

iCloud pushes onto OS X and iOS, whereas Gmail doesn't. Another big draw is the user interface of iCloud Mail when I have to access my emails from a machine that isn't mine. I've always found the Gmail UI absolutely horrendous, whereas the iCloud one is almost exactly the same as the Mail App in Mac OS.

 

[AGX]

Actually i'm testing Outlook and iCloud and I think that Outlook is a very good email service and OneDrive, with 30 GB of space... is a good solution!

Your experience?

 

[reese2147]

Actually i'm testing Outlook and iCloud and I think that Outlook is a very good email service and OneDrive, with 30 GB of space... is a good solution!

Your experience?

I've been a big cheerleader for outlook on this thread and will continue to be. Its a very solid service that integrates nicely with Apple hardware.

 

[AGX]

I have see that Outlook, offer in alternative to the .COM national TLR:

-like .DE / .FR / .ES /. IT etc...

Do you think that the functionality are the same of the .COM or not?

I have found:

name.surname@outlook.de

 

[azukre]

Only function I prefer iCloud over gmail is the push function. However, gmail has a lot of functions that many people needs. eg Auto forward.
Another thing I don't like Google scan my emails for marketing purpose.

 

[impaler]

Only function I prefer iCloud over gmail is the push function. However, gmail has a lot of functions that many people needs. eg Auto forward.
Another thing I don't like Google scan my emails for marketing purpose.

iCloud allows forwarding too.

 

[AGX]

Di you think that a .COM and a .DE outlook Account have the save fun fuom or is better the .COM?

Thanks

 

[S.B.G]

Di you think that a .COM and a .DE outlook Account have the save fun fuom or is better the .COM?

Thanks

Are you asking if the .com or the .de have the same function? If so, yes, it's just a different top-level-domain. .com is commercial and .de is the country code for Germany.

 

[Kentuckienne]

I have more than one gmail account. Name changes, personal vs business .. some are now just forwarded to active accounts because now and then something comes in that got overlooked in changing from one ID to the other. I have Mail configured to download so I don't care about push to the desktop. No limit on storage for all practical purposes and very easy to find an old message. Two factor authentication for security. Google Voice for a free phone number with forwarding via text message. Check it securely from anywhere, easy to check multiple accounts. Seems the main issue is "they look at your stuff". I use the Mail client for 99% of mail reading, so I see no ads, and the ones I do see online I ignore ... you want to worry, go look for your name on one of these sites like Spokeo. Go on, look now. You probably saw your name, address, age, other people in your household, all kinds of information you don't want advertised, and that was for free. Pay the $30 or whatever for even more details on anyone in the database without their permission.

I had a .me account that Apple killed, I hate that I got locked into an AppleID that I can't change, my yahoo ID got migrated to hotmail and probably they'll make me change it again ... through all this change Gmail has chugged right along, losing no email, forcing no changes, and being free. Would have to be a real compelling benefit for me to give it up, and I haven't seen that. Am I missing something here?

 

[fortheus]

You need to try outlook.com

Great UI. Account aliases, integration with other social media, advanced server side rules

 

[McGiord]

I have more than one gmail account. Name changes, personal vs business .. some are now just forwarded to active accounts because now and then something comes in that got overlooked in changing from one ID to the other. I have Mail configured to download so I don't care about push to the desktop. No limit on storage for all practical purposes and very easy to find an old message. Two factor authentication for security. Google Voice for a free phone number with forwarding via text message. Check it securely from anywhere, easy to check multiple accounts. Seems the main issue is "they look at your stuff". I use the Mail client for 99% of mail reading, so I see no ads, and the ones I do see online I ignore ... you want to worry, go look for your name on one of these sites like Spokeo. Go on, look now. You probably saw your name, address, age, other people in your household, all kinds of information you don't want advertised, and that was for free. Pay the $30 or whatever for even more details on anyone in the database without their permission.

I had a .me account that Apple killed, I hate that I got locked into an AppleID that I can't change, my yahoo ID got migrated to hotmail and probably they'll make me change it again ... through all this change Gmail has chugged right along, losing no email, forcing no changes, and being free. Would have to be a real compelling benefit for me to give it up, and I haven't seen that. Am I missing something here?

The email client is a personal choice. Who you trust better?

I don't trust google to sell my personal information. I prefer Apple to watch over my info as of today they don't make money by selling it.

 

[reese2147]

You need to try outlook.com

Great UI. Account aliases, integration with other social media, advanced server side rules

Plus a million to this.

 

[Kentuckienne]

There's two kinds of trust.

One - trusting the provider not to misuse your information. I promise that Facebook, and many other services, are making a profit off user info. Google does allow advertisers to present you with ads, but doesn't allow them to see who you are. I accept this because it pays for the service.

Anyone who has a store card, for example a grocery store loyalty card - the store gets your entire purchase history, your name and address as registered, and they use it. Advertiser whose ad you see on Gmail gets nothing.

The better question might be, are they safeguarding your information? Even if a provider isn't selling your data at the moment - do they have it stored in a secure and encrypted manner?

Two - trusting the provider not to lose or discontinue your account and data. Apple discontinued a couple of their services, and they continue to change the offerings. Do you trust them not to raise the price of cloud storage in the future, or shut it off altogether if it turns out to be nonprofitable? Notice how you can't change your AppleID that you used to purchase apps, music, etc?

 

[reese2147]

There's two kinds of trust.

One - trusting the provider not to misuse your information. I promise that Facebook, and many other services, are making a profit off user info. Google does allow advertisers to present you with ads, but doesn't allow them to see who you are. I accept this because it pays for the service.

Anyone who has a store card, for example a grocery store loyalty card - the store gets your entire purchase history, your name and address as registered, and they use it. Advertiser whose ad you see on Gmail gets nothing.

The better question might be, are they safeguarding your information? Even if a provider isn't selling your data at the moment - do they have it stored in a secure and encrypted manner?

Two - trusting the provider not to lose or discontinue your account and data. Apple discontinued a couple of their services, and they continue to change the offerings. Do you trust them not to raise the price of cloud storage in the future, or shut it off altogether if it turns out to be nonprofitable? Notice how you can't change your AppleID that you used to purchase apps, music, etc?

Plus a million to this as well. I am a former user of GMail and never had a problem with how they used my data or scanned my emails for ads. People get so uptight about "privacy" with Google, but quickly forget that (for most) Google is providing a **free** service.

I dropped Google a year or so ago not because of their use of my information, but because I believe Microsoft is providing a much better & more comprehensive service now.

 

[Alrescha]

Apple discontinued a couple of their services, and they continue to change the offerings.

Google does this all the time, as does Microsoft.

Notice how you can't change your AppleID that you used to purchase apps, music, etc?

How is this relevant? Can you change your Google 'id' and not have everything fall to pieces?

A.

 

[Kentuckienne]

Changing, or not being able to change, the AppleID, is an indicator of who has the most power, the end user or the service provider. Google does allow you to have multiple IDs (email addresses) and to set one as a main ID. I can choose to change the ID associated with my Google Voice account, for example, and have, without losing the number.

Apple has NO provision for changing the AppleID. If you choose to create a new AppleID, none of the purchases made on another of your IDs can be transferred. Apple promised to fix this years ago and has done nothing. I read it as an sign of their inflexibility. Apple wants to control my tech environment. In a lot of ways this is good - there are many advantages to having control of both the hardware and software in terms of delivering performance and reliability, but it does lock you in. Apple hardware is more expensive, because there are no generics to choose from. Easier for them to support.

The OP's question, I thought, was about which email service is best, which is a different question than which email client is best. I like Outlook, it's a good client, but now they are moving it to the web unless you purchase a copy for your local machine, and this means purchase regularly, because they have gone to a subscription model for Office. I have no beef with Mail on the Mac, works fine for me. Gmail app is good too, for mobile and for webmail. Can't speak to iCloud's webmail, haven't used it.

I figure that Google has a good offering in terms of price (free) and storage (20 GB, I think) and they've been reliable about keeping it big and free, and they don't force me to use any of their other apps to get that free email. iCloud is free for the first few gigs, then you have to pay, and honestly I don't quite get iCloud. From what I can see, it's like Dropbox: data in iCloud gets replicated on all your devices, and it starts to use up the storage fast. I thought it was cool to have all my phone photos automatically backed up to iCloud, until the storage filled up. Can't delete things off iCloud because it will delete them off my phone, too. So I went and moved everything out of iCloud, copied it to another location, so I could free up space and not loose data. To me, this is just a hassle. I want a backup to be something I don't have to think about. Apple is starting to integrate more and more stuff to iCloud, and while I like the handoff idea I don't like not being really sure about how it works and how to manage it without thinking, because I know I'll goof it up if I have to manage it manually.

That's my only concern about iCloud mail ... what will happen in the future ... as far as availability and price, and what data will I lose if I have to change an iCloud email ID, the way I had to change my AppleID? Maybe this is all moot, as it seems that email is fading away to be replaced by something better, who knows what ...

 

[Rigby]

Apple has NO provision for changing the AppleID. If you choose to create a new AppleID, none of the purchases made on another of your IDs can be transferred. Apple promised to fix this years ago and has done nothing.

I really don't want to get into an "Apple vs Google" pi**ing contest (I think both have great and not-so-great services), but I'd like to point out that you cannot transfer Google Play purchases between Google accounts either. Nor can you merge Google accounts. You can move data from some of their services between accounts, but many are just as much locked to an account as with Apple:

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/58582

The OP's question, I thought, was about which email service is best, which is a different question than which email client is best. I like Outlook, it's a good client, but now they are moving it to the web unless you purchase a copy for your local machine, and this means purchase regularly, because they have gone to a subscription model for Office.

Outlook.com does not require the use of Outlook (the application). It supports IMAP and thus works with any mail client.

 

[Alrescha]

Google does allow you to have multiple IDs (email addresses) and to set one as a main ID. I can choose to change the ID associated with my Google Voice account, for example, and have, without losing the number.

Apple allows you to have multiple Apple IDs, and you can change the one you use for iCloud without affecting any of your purchases in iTunes.

I do not want to get into a contest (for either accuracy or distance) either, but I do think there are facts being left out of the discussion.

A.

 

[Primejimbo]

Changing, or not being able to change, the AppleID, is an indicator of who has the most power, the end user or the service provider. Google does allow you to have multiple IDs (email addresses) and to set one as a main ID. I can choose to change the ID associated with my Google Voice account, for example, and have, without losing the number.

Apple has NO provision for changing the AppleID. If you choose to create a new AppleID, none of the purchases made on another of your IDs can be transferred. Apple promised to fix this years ago and has done nothing. I read it as an sign of their inflexibility. Apple wants to control my tech environment. In a lot of ways this is good - there are many advantages to having control of both the hardware and software in terms of delivering performance and reliability, but it does lock you in. Apple hardware is more expensive, because there are no generics to choose from. Easier for them to support.

You can easily set up to 3-4 more emails for iCloud and log in with those as well. So you can use any of them as the "main" email to log in with

The OP's question, I thought, was about which email service is best, which is a different question than which email client is best. I like Outlook, it's a good client, but now they are moving it to the web unless you purchase a copy for your local machine, and this means purchase regularly, because they have gone to a subscription model for Office. I have no beef with Mail on the Mac, works fine for me. Gmail app is good too, for mobile and for webmail. Can't speak to iCloud's webmail, haven't used it.

personally I like iCloud and outlook web based way more than gmail.. We're not talking about the outlook client, but XXXXXX@outlook.com email addresses.

I figure that Google has a good offering in terms of price (free) and storage (20 GB, I think) and they've been reliable about keeping it big and free, and they don't force me to use any of their other apps to get that free email.

Really? That's why after I signed up for gmail I had to De-activate Google+ and other services.

That's my only concern about iCloud mail ... what will happen in the future ... as far as availability and price, and what data will I lose if I have to change an iCloud email ID, the way I had to change my AppleID? Maybe this is all moot, as it seems that email is fading away to be replaced by something better, who knows what ...

same can be said about any service

I really don't want to get into an "Apple vs Google" pi**ing contest (I think both have great and not-so-great services), but I'd like to point out that you cannot transfer Google Play purchases between Google accounts either. Nor can you merge Google accounts. You can move data from some of their services between accounts, but many are just as much locked to an account as with Apple:

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/58582
Outlook.com does not require the use of Outlook (the application). It supports IMAP and thus works with any mail client.

I found this out the hard way once. Oh well.

 

[Kentuckienne]

Good responses all. Sometimes I hesitate to say something, because I'm not sure of the answer, and then I go on not being sure of the answer. Being enlightened is always preferable to staying ignorant. And I would lose any contest involving accuracy or distance with fluids, so I'll concede right off.

I didn't know about Google Play purchases not transferring, and I don't use Google+ either.

Doesn't iCloud mail count toward the storage limit on iCloud? If I've downloaded mail to the local machine, in the Mail app, would deleting messages from iCloud also delete them from Mail?

 

[Weaselboy]

Doesn't iCloud mail count toward the storage limit on iCloud? If I've downloaded mail to the local machine, in the Mail app, would deleting messages from iCloud also delete them from Mail?

Yes to both.

 

[gjlamb]

I've been a big cheerleader for outlook on this thread and will continue to be. Its a very solid service that integrates nicely with Apple hardware.

Except if you want to use calendar and contact sync on OS X? I also like Outlook.com site for email and integration with Onenote and Onedrive. Problem is that whilst I can add the IMAP account for mail, I can only sync a read only calendar with my Mac and have to find somewhere else to sync my contacts (although I could move everything into my work Exchange account).

GMail and iCloud will do all my mail, calendar and contact syncing.