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What's the next big free email service after gmail?
- Thread starter jfremani
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Agreed. Such a ridiculously large user-base to draw from that I can't imagine it failing.
Facebook reckon they have over 500 million "active" users and Wikipedia has Gmail down as nearly 200 million accounts used every month. On that basis, even if only 2 out of 5 Facebook users decide to get a Facebook email address when they launch it proper (has this happened yet?), they'll at least match Gmail. Obviously not the way for enterprise, but are certainly placed well to replace Gmail and Hotmail for personal email.
Interesting to see how it turns out!
I thought Yahoo had the most users, followed by Hotmail? They were established long before Gmail.
Obviously Gmail offers the best service by far...
I'm not a fan of free email (for the most part). I don't like gmail because it scans your emails to deliver targeted marketing. I never liked hotmail, the tools just seem klunky and UI was awkward. I'm sure MS has improved it since I used it but I was put off by it and so I don't use it.
I'm not sure there will be the next big free email service. Facebook may come out with one , and they may be successful to a degree only because of the depth and breadth of facebook users but as for a stand alone service I'm not sure there will be a next big one. I think the sector has mature beyond the point where another competitor can come in and set up shop.
I'm not sure there will be the next big free email service. Facebook may come out with one , and they may be successful to a degree only because of the depth and breadth of facebook users but as for a stand alone service I'm not sure there will be a next big one. I think the sector has mature beyond the point where another competitor can come in and set up shop.
Unfortunately, it's probably going to be something related to Facebook.
Ugh.
I wouldn't be upset at all if Facebook disappeared.
Ugh.
I wouldn't be upset at all if Facebook disappeared.
Looks like Facebook have just enabled facebook email. Or at least for me anyway, my facebook email is roadbloc@facebook.com
Doubt I'll ever use it. MobileMe mail is fine for me.
Doubt I'll ever use it. MobileMe mail is fine for me.
If face books gives me an email service it would become nothing more than a junk email account that I never will use.
I currently have 4 active email accounts I use and that I know of at least 3 others that I have an account for but I do not use them any longer.
4 active are
primary - gmail account. Been using it since 2005.
Older SBC account- that is mostly a carry over but now I use that one for a message group.
Another Gmail address - Used for junk email sign up so I do not have to have them cluttering up the main.
School email address - School gave it to me. Used for school stuff only and use it to by pass the still attachment filters for when I am emailing stuff into the teachers.
Those are my actively used ones.
I have at least 2 gmail accounts I no longer use. and another school email address no longer used. facebook would just get added to that this list.
I currently have 4 active email accounts I use and that I know of at least 3 others that I have an account for but I do not use them any longer.
4 active are
primary - gmail account. Been using it since 2005.
Older SBC account- that is mostly a carry over but now I use that one for a message group.
Another Gmail address - Used for junk email sign up so I do not have to have them cluttering up the main.
School email address - School gave it to me. Used for school stuff only and use it to by pass the still attachment filters for when I am emailing stuff into the teachers.
Those are my actively used ones.
I have at least 2 gmail accounts I no longer use. and another school email address no longer used. facebook would just get added to that this list.
Things can only move so far forward before the general populace will turn tides and move backward. The next big thing in mail is therefore smail. It's that sweet combo between Email and Snailmail, and works like this: You type a smail, print it, print a stamp that says all smostage (smail postage) paid, and you stick in your smailbox. The smail carrier then picks it up 27 times a day, types it into a portable computer and sends it to another smail carrier who prints it off (along with all the smeaders - which are like email headers but for smail), prints off another official smostage stamp that says all smostage paid, and delivers it the recipient. What makes it fun and exciting is that sometimes your smail will get lost in smyberspace and you won't get it at all!
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Amazingly, Facebook will probably go for something like this... introduce another product no one needs yet everyone will want.
I have a Gmail account, only because I need it for Analytics. For all serious email, I host mh own at my own domain. It's cooler, more private, accessible anywhere, and less prone to spam.
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Amazingly, Facebook will probably go for something like this... introduce another product no one needs yet everyone will want.
I have a Gmail account, only because I need it for Analytics. For all serious email, I host mh own at my own domain. It's cooler, more private, accessible anywhere, and less prone to spam.
Amazingly, Facebook will probably go for something like this... introduce another product no one needs yet everyone will want.
As I have just mentioned, they already have. They've integrated the chat, private messages and Facebook email into one big... thing.
Attachments
I don't think anything is wrong with gmail. Most people love it, for me personally, I'm not a fan of targeted marketing and the need to scan my emails to produce that. I also don't like the web interface for the email. I think there are better web client interfaces out there.
well the adds from Gmail are something I never read but I am always using some client to read my email. That being outlook or my phone.
Now I can see them using that info to help direct ads for good search for when I am logged into the iGoogle system.
That's your opinion. I still prefer my Yahoo mail. If I didn't already have a Gmail account when I got an Android phone, Google was pretty much going to require that I make one up on the spot. Gmail on that phone doesn't fetch (like I could tell my iPhone to do) & the built in mail client doesn't recognize my Yahoo accounts. I had to download the dedicated Yahoo mail app. This kind of crap is Android fragmentation.
here is a better question. Do you know of anyone who likes the web interfence of any email service over a your preferred dedicated email client?
Takes some getting used to. They're going after the younger users who practically live on Facebook and for non-business stuff prefer Facebook mail over email. It's a bit different to standard email in functionality; think of it more as a way of reading and sending email in the existing Facebook network.
Their philosophy is, you shouldn't have to remember how best to contact someone. You just select your friend or relative (who's on Facebook) and send the message; if they're at home, they can pick up the message on their computer, and if they're on the go, they can also pick up their messages on their smartphone or by SMS. Each user chooses how they want their messages to reach them, to suit how they live your lives.
In reality, this doesn't have a lot of use for those who don't use Facebook regularly or for those who don't have many contacts who use Facebook regularly, but I imagine for a lot of students and teenagers, young adults, with their smartphones and friends all using Facebook, there's strong appeal there.
Strange how they've merged instant messaging into private messages, though. Doesn't really work.
I've stopped using the Mail app on my iMac and Macbook and soley use the Gmail web interface when checking mail on my computers.
Having said that, I read most of my e-mail on my iPhone or iPad using the built in mail apps.
I have never really used the Apple Mail app so not really fimilure with it. As one of my windows computers was always my handling Email running outlook. I am a huge Outlook fan and I have been using it to handle my mail on my computer for since 2003.
my aging macbook kind of got caught with my desktop handing email and then a smart phone. Followed by me getting a new dell laptop for school which became my new work horse.
That being said for the past 2 years I hardly ever read email on the computer any more as it was always on my blackberry and now my Atrix.
Like you I have pretty much moved on to mobile devices for reading my email.