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Google to offer gigabyte of free e-mail
April 1, 2004
The Mountain View, Calif.-based Web giant on Friday plans to double the free storage on Gmail from 1GB to 2GB, said Georges Harik, Gmail product management director. After that, Google will add a yet-to-be-determined amount of extra storage daily, with no plans to stop.
The move highlights the seemingly inexhaustible storage needs of a small group of heavy e-mail users, and the sharply falling costs of online storage. Lifting predefined storage caps for Web-based e-mail could have broader ripple effects, Harik said, changing the way people think about quotas from something that is set in advance to something that grows with the user.
"We wanted to make sure we have a plan in place for when people reach their storage limit," he explained. "We don't want people to worry that they might run out."
Google first broke the e-mail mold on April 1, 2004, with an announcement so bizarre that many assumed it was an April Fools' Day joke. Gmail's 1GB of free storage at the time was widely thought to exceed the lifetime needs of most e-mail users. By contrast, rivals such as Yahoo and Microsoft offered about 10MB of storage, seeking to charge customers who wanted more.
A slew of imitators scrambled to match and even exceed Google's free 1GB storage offer, transforming the Web-based e-mail business.
In addition to its gargantuan storage capacity, Gmail distinguished itself from rivals by scanning the text of e-mail messages to serve up contextual advertisements--a plan that raised a short-lived furor over potential privacy violations.
In the first year of service, Gmail defied expectations, Harik said. The privacy concerns have amounted to little or nothing, he said, but the storage capacity became a pressing concern when some heavy Gmail users came close to using up their preset limit.
"One gigabyte did seem like a lot, but it turns out there are a lot of heavy users of mail," he said. "They send attachments, share photos. It all adds up." He said Google discourages customers from using Gmail as a vast storage locker for music and video files. He said Google does not disclose the storage patterns of its users, but said a small but not insignificant number of users were close to exceeding the 1GB limit.
Gmail will remain in a beta, or public test phase, for now, Harik added, putting to rest rumors that the closely watched service might be released officially in the near future. He said plans for new features could hold back an official release but gave no timeline.
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P.S. My account's limit is only up to 1072 Mb right now.
I hate to think I might have to use Intnernet Explorer to use Gmail!
If GMail offers POP services, like the first reply suggests, then it'll fit into your plan fairly nicely.
You might take a look at http://www.mail2web.com
Its a free service that lets you check any email account that offers imap or pop access. You can even run it over SSL to keep out prying eyes.
"You are currently using 3 MB (0%) of your 1337 MB."
Having a 1337 mailbox is something kinda geeky but would be funny for all the geeks at Gmail...
You are currently using 23 MB (2%) of your 1386 MB.
So far I am most impressed with my Gmail account, and the price is definitely right.
Steve Hynes
Also, most people are now getting 100 invites when they run out of the current allotment. AND Google randomly offers Gmail to the search engine visitors (saw it mentioned on C|Net)
Privacy concerns? What exactly do you find troubling, the way the text ads are generated or their data rention policies? If it's the text ads, it little worse than other email providers scanning for viruses in that it's all done by software. If it's the data rention I would advise you to consider using encryption software like PGP for senstive email or avoid directing senstive email to a Gmail account. I would point out that emails are sent sent in clear text(unless you use a service like Hush mail or you encrypt them)meaning any server along the way has full access to them.
The only thing I can think of... is that Google is making it easier to keep tons of ancient and worthless junk.... like the answering machine that is always full because the owner hates to delete messages. Does ANYBODY handle 2GB of email in a day? a week? a month? Who out there actually has a REAL USE for this much email space? Anybody?
My gMail is now at 2076 MB's and still climbing, What the heck am I gonna do with all this?
I guess I can store more apps and *cough*cracks*cough* there to use from wherever I need to rather than toting around a silly usb flash drive.
And as for IMAP support?
IF you are using a free service and expect to get what most paid services dont offer, you need a reality check.
I would like to see a "synchronize account" option for pop3 so it updates like hotmail will through outlook express.
The Gmail account I have is eight times the size of my Comcast mailbox, and yet I pay nothing for it. I don't think I'll ever understand Google's business model, but they have my respect and admiration for doing what they do.
I am also a Mac enthusiast, but when it comes to email and
searching, Google has everyone beat...including Apple.
My Google email storage capacity increases AS I USE IT and it is
more now than when I started this morning.
As others have said, Google is simply amazing.
Just to think only a year ago hotmail offered 2mb. They never once thought about the customer(email users) yet MS gets loads of money from their banner ads. Ever tried to put a banner ad on hotmail? Yet instead of thinking about the people that gives them the dough, they kept pressing us for more money so we could buy more storage from their spam/filt infiltrated email.
Thank you google for catching Microsoft and yahoo with its pants down!
Once google has its IM, I would clean un-install ms messenger and hotmail would be forgotmail.
It is great that they offered 10mb attachment size which also prompted yahoo&MS to increase theirs from a measly 1mb.
I think its time that google raised its attachment limit to 20mb or even 50mb. I know it is not necessary for photos and such, but sometimes it could be quite handy for short videos >10mb that I would like to send to family and friends.
- need a Gmail address
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by doublechoco
August 30, 2006 5:40 AM PDT
- can u invite me for a Gmail address
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Reply to this comment
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(51 Comments)my Google Acc is "double_chocoz@yahoo.com" and email is "doublechoco@googlegroups.com"
thanks alot