Inbox by Gmail - Reinventing the Inbox

23 Oct 2014

http://www.google.com/inbox/

The new app from the team isn't technically just an email app, at least if you ask them. It's called "Inbox," and it's being released as an invite-only system that works on the Chrome browser, Android phones, and iPhones. It feels completely native and fast on all of those systems. But it's a native and fast app that does something 10 degrees away from what you'd expect an email app to do. My first impression of Inbox is that it's really great, but a little weird.

The basic idea is this: it's still a app, but instead of giving you the traditional list of emails, it tries to intelligently give you more information so you don't have to even open them. Google Now-style info cards appear right in line with your message list, including things like flight times, package tracking, and photos.

It also tries to intelligently "bundle" emails into groups that you can quickly dismiss. So instead of having those annoying category tabs in , you have all your promotions and whatnot collapsed down into a single line in your Inbox. You can drill in and "pin" the ones you want to save and then dismiss the rest. Google is also applying its algorithms to automatically parse out things like phone numbers and addresses when you need them.

- The Verge

@Lizerotica

23 Oct 2014

Anyone remember Google Wave and how that was going to "reinvent email".

If it works, then great. Users of already have seen this in action to some degree with google helpfully reading the contents of your email to help you organise your schedule and look at some helpful adverts from their sponsors. Privacy nuts will have a field day with this innovation.

I don't know about everyone else but i'm using email a lot less than say 10 years ago (ie before social networks).

Warning: The opinions above are those of an anonymous individual on the internet. They are opinions, unless they're facts. They may be ill-informed, out of touch with reality or just plain stupid. They may contain traces of irony. If reading these opinions causes you to be become outraged or you start displaying the symptoms of outrage, stop reading them immediately. If symptoms persist, consult a psychiatrist.

Why not read some stories instead

NEW! Want a quick read for your coffee break? Why not try this... Flash Erotica: Scrubber

23 Oct 2014

I still use email heavily and I'm getting less and less happy with Google's repeated attempts to "reinvent" it. Just give me a nice, clean, easy to use interface and keep it that way. Don't change every 8-12 months, please. I don't need fancy "social" features or Google deciding how my mail should be organized. I'm almost at the point of digging up an old classic IMAP or POP client like Eudora or Thunderbird. Not sure what I'd use on Android at that point, though. Have never looked into what's available beyond the default and Email clients.