Technobabbles I try to sound like I know what I'm talking about. Don't be fooled.

Gmail Development Seems to be Stagnated

In the over three years since releasing Gmail, Google has failed to introduce any major improvements in the last two. After the release of chat functionality way back when, new features (increasing storage doesn't count) have been noticeably absent from the client. Yes, they added integration between Gmail and Calendar and Docs. Yes, they added support for the newest Presentations addition to the Docs suite. Those aren't really new features in the sense we're describing. They're just added conveniences, leveraging other services to make email easier.

Within the client itself, Google hasn't done much at all. Despite the myriad versions of the infinitely-useful Gmail Macros script, the keyboard shortcuts are the same old mildly-useful-but-not-that-convenient ones introduced when they first showed up. The same Quicksilver-ish interface has been integrated into Google Reader, and it would help both product similarity and user productivity if a master Macros version could be found, tweaked to be just right, and made another option in Gmail, perhaps as an "Advanced keyboard shortcuts" option, along with the "Off" choice and the "Basic" mode, which would be the current ones.

Gmail's rumored to have a new version coming up some time in the next several months, thankfully, and the features Garett Rogers found, if they're included in the free version and not restricted to Apps (or worse, Apps Premier), look quite handy. Hopefully, more is in the works, and Google will release all its latest work no later than April Fools' Day, 2008.

In the over three years since releasing Gmail, Google has failed to introduce any major improvements in the last two. After the release of chat functionality way back when, new features (increasing storage doesn't count) have been noticeably absent from the client. Yes, they added integration between Gmail and Calendar and Docs. Yes, they added support for the newest Presentations addition to the Docs suite. Those aren't really new features in the sense we're describing. They're just added conveniences, leveraging other services to make email easier. Within the client itself, Google hasn't done much at all. Despite the myriad versions of the infinitely-useful Gmail Macros script, the keyboard shortcuts are the same old mildly-useful-but-not-that-convenient ones introduced when they first showed up. The same Quicksilver-ish interface has been integrated into Google Reader, and it would help both product similarity and user productivity if a master Macros version could be found, tweaked to be just right, and made another option in Gmail, perhaps as an "Advanced keyboard shortcuts" option, along with the "Off" choice and the "Basic" mode, which would be the current ones. Gmail's rumored to have a new version coming up some time in the next several months, thankfully, and the features Garett Rogers found, if they're included in the free version and not restricted to Apps (or worse, Apps Premier), look quite handy. Hopefully, more is in the works, and Google will release all its latest work no later than April Fools' Day, 2008.