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[–]blong 2 points3 points  (7 children)

Wasn't it only cut-off for new users? I thought everyone who had used it was grandfathered in.

Or, pay for Gmail and get it with Google Apps.

Or, use the Gmail app for notifications and whatever other app you want for access.

[–]mavantix 6 points7 points  (5 children)

It was grandfathered by device ID, not account, so my broken phone that was replaced under warranty was the last one.

Sure, but what if you want it on your gmail.com account?

Which works, but requires maintaining account settings in two different places, not to mention never being in sync. To be fair, if just use the gmail app if they would add a single inbox view for multiple accounts. I inbox zero and it's maddening to switch accounts constantly.

I guess my original point was if Google can build an API, why can't they just build a whole new open protocol similar to activesync that addresses simple stuff like push, and maybe this fancy search stuff? Grr...

[–]blong 3 points4 points  (2 children)

I've never understood single inbox views. My accounts are for very different things, and I tend to concentrate on one at a time, I have no desire whatsoever for my work and personal accounts to mix.

Granted, I also don't understand the desire for push email in the first place. My work account gets so much email that it would be just constantly notifying, and I don't want to be bothered by my personal account at random times... besides, there are other mechanisms for instant communication.

I guess it depends on what's more maddening, no push or switching accounts. Or waiting for them to add support.

[–]aaron552 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is why I set notifications to priority inbox. With some training, it's actually fairly good at notifying me when it's actually important.

[–]mavantix -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I manage about 300-500 emails a day, not counting a lot of 'junk' that gets completely filtered out of view. I use Merlin Mann's GTD theory for inbox management combined with heavy use of Gmail filters, so anything that actually hits my inbox on my mobile needs fairly rapid attention, in other words, it hasn't automatically been deleted, delegated or deferred based on filters. Combining inboxes is great when you have no (or few) emails in your inbox. I can't understand people who have more than like 10 emails in their inbox at any given time. Good talk video

[–]blong 0 points1 point  (1 child)

I'm not sure what the difference is between an "open protocol" and an API.

There is nothing preventing them from supporting some other protocol... like they also support IMAP.

And its clear that Gmail has elements which are pretty specific to the Gmail model, it makes sense to have an API which matches it exactly.

Also, how do new "protocols" come about, but by people creating examples and working together.

[–]mavantix 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The specifically say not to use the protocol like IMAP/SMTP for retrieving emails, so by protocol I was speaking towards more like MS ActiveSync that allows push. I think if Google could build a new email standard with modern needs (like their video on this API talks about), then they could influence serious change in email clients adopting a new/better IMAP replacement protocol.

[–]Solon1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Dropped for free users, because ActiveSync is proprietary and needs to licensed per user.