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43Folders.com is Merlin Mann’s website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.

Desktop or web-based email?

After getting used to Gmail 3 years ago, I swore I'd stick to web-based email. With IMAP now available, I set it up last week in Apple's Mail client on my desktop to integrate better with offline storage, emailing links, etc, and found myself changing my ways.

It wasn't easy: The initial download took forever and I had to work at getting Apple's Junk Filters to cooperate. (I.e., still work on the 2 POP accounts I check in Mail while leaving Gmail's already filtered mail alone).

I'm a convert. I used to open a browser window with three tabs: Google homepage, RSS, and Gmail and check it throughout the day. Now I'm in Mail only when I need to be, and ignore RSS and news until it occurs to me to catch up.

I did really like the Gmail interface, with conversations, shortcuts, etc, but I've been trying to make Safari my full-time browser and it wasn't playing nice. I've found a surge of productivity by sticking to the desktop.

How do others find web-based vs. desktop email to impact their productivity?

d43's picture

Re: Desktop or web-based email?

GMail + Mailplane app

Mailplane is here to manage easily my multiple gmail accounts and separate the email app from the browser app.

I have used many email desktop apps and tried billions of systems to organise the flow: pure waste of time.

Now I'm just (auto-)labeling a bit:

  • from wich account the email come
  • what is his sender (Machines, Robots, Humans, UberHumans)
  • does it require an action ? (star it!) And I search for in the big archives. That's all.

I don't rely on one/my computer. I prefer web based apps accessible everywhere (any machine, iPhone...). As I've changed of machine and systems many times, i've seen that I've abandoned all emails that belonged to a desktop app.

And I love the way GMail is made too (recent updates are excellent).

 
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