GMail annoyances
Recently GMail annoys me more than it pleases me. I feel that the only reason that I’m keeping it around is for it’s amazing mail search tool. Beyond that I find it one of the most annoying mail systems I’ve used.
My primary desktop platform is Windows (Outlook mail client) and the Mac (mail.app.) My primary mobile device is the iPhone and iPad. Occasionally I’ll be spotted using a Windows Mobile device.
Things that I do not like about GMail:
- Deleting a message from the mobile client (iPhone, Windows Mobile, etc) simply “archives” a message and doesn’t delete it.
- When I attempt to view picture attachments on the iPhone (using the Exchange Activesync protocol) the picture often does not download, forcing me to go and use the Mobile Web interface. This brings me to this problem.
- The mobile web interface often doesn’t show inline images, leaving me to guess what is supposed to be in the message.
- Using the Exchange ActiveSync protocol to get “push” e-mail on your iPhone is spotty. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. (Minor issue, but still)
- Often, moving a message to a “folder” results in an error that “my operation could not be performed” or something like that, once again forcing me to go back to the mobile web interface.
- Labels / Threaded views do not play well with desktop and mobile clients through the IMAP interface. This often throws my Outlook client (PC) or my Mail.app client (Mac) into fits.
It’s a short list, but it’s a list of minor issues that are front and center during my daily work-cycle.
I love GMail search. I can find a message from anytime with minimal effort. I can do this on the desktop as well using Windows Search against my Outlook database or on the Mac using Spotlight. But, these desktop solutions don’t help me when I’m on the road and using a public PC.
Do any of you have an alternative to GMail that you use?
Update: Additional blog articles that also find issues with GMail ..
http://www.intuitive.com/blog/gmail_on_apple_iphone_sucks.html
http://theblogthatnoonereads.davegrijalva.com/2007/07/03/gmail-sucks-on-the-iphone/
http://www.welcometofreshmanyear.com/b/archives/1255
