- Image by Yes, i’m guccio via Flickr
In what was considered by many to be a typical Google April Fools Day prank, Google announced Gmail 6 years ago today…
“On April 1, 2004, Gmail was launched as an invite-only beta, instantly creating a revolution in the webmail space. Googles decision to keep their webmail invite-only kept spammers at bay, leading to the widespread perception that Gmail is spam-proof. While this notion is far from the truth, Gmail to this day does an excellent job of keeping unwanted emails out of your inbox.
Furthermore, by offering storage capacity of 1 GB per user, Gmail dwarfed the competitors which long held the notion that free webmail doesnt deserve decent storage. It was a one-two combination that made Gmail one of the most popular Google services, and solidified its reputation as a kind giant, which offers free stuff where others charge for it.
Right now, Gmail is one of the most popular webmail clients in the world, and besides the giants of old such as Hotmail and Yahoo Mail, perhaps the only one worth mentioning. It offers over 7400 MB of free storage to users, and it has been the foundation for other Google services such as Google Talk, Google Apps and Google Buzz.
Today, Gmail is six years old and its still one of the most important services from Google; many thought that email was dead ten years ago, but today, it doesnt really seem like its going away any time soon.” Source: Happy Birthday, Gmail!
Gmail [and it’s corporate version Google Apps] is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT tool I use for communication — no other product makes me more productive in the critical task of effectively managing email. Here are the top 7- reasons why I love it…
- Available on any internet-connected computer, anywhere in the world, regardless of Windows/Mac/Linux
- You can mess it up by using Outlook or AppleMail as a front end
- Incredible amounts of storage so I can archive, but not delete
- Insanely low price of free with a max of $50 per user per year for Google Apps Premium
- Super effective keyboard shortcuts help me process email quickly
- SEARCH — I can find anything in my inbox with laser-like precision!
What’s holding YOU back?
Todd Lohenry 