Due to a very kind person, I got an invite to Gmail a few weeks ago. I signed up, but hadn't had a real chance to use it until just recently. I have to say that I like it. They have some really original ideas that I'd like to see make a move to other email programs. Or even better, have a downloadable version of their code that I can run locally.
The first thing I noticed about Gmail was that there isn't really a concept of folders. Instead they have labels. All of your mail goes into your inbox, and then you can set one or more 'labels' on it. You can then view all the messages in a label. Think of it kind of like how iPhoto/iTunes works where you have your Library and then albums/playlists. It is definitely one of the more original ideas I've seen for email and I hope to see it more.
The thing I'm really trying to figure out is how to fit this into my whole email setup. I currently have all my mail come into my server at home and it all lives there very nicely. I'm using CRM114 for spam filtering which has been kicking ass now that it's done a bit of learning (100% error free (no false positives or negatives) yesterday!), etc. And I use Zoe for archiving my email. The thing is, I like how Gmail does things a bit more than Zoe. But Zoe has the added bonus that it is local to my laptop, which means I can search through my old mail even when I'm not connected to the net.
I definitely think I'd recommend Gmail to someone once it is publicly open. It's pretty slick.
Now playing: The Light Before We Land from the album Hate by Delgados
