Gmail comes to the desktop in gadget form

(Credit: Google)

Google has put out an official Gmail gadget for its Google Desktop product, giving users the option to run multiple instances of different Gmail accounts as standalone gadgets. The tool includes several useful Gmail features like keyboard shortcuts, mail, and contact search, along with the option to star messages. Users can also compose messages in a little pop-out window, which keeps them from having to fire up their browser.

The app is currently Windows-only and requires Google Desktop version 5 or higher, leaving Mac and Linux users of Google Desktop out in the cold. Anyone looking to use Amnesty's Generator program to convert it for other platforms like OS X's Dashboard are also out of luck, as Google has not offered it as an iGoogle, Web-ready widget.

[mrorie]

Checking multiple gmails at one time would be handy (currently I just have iGoogle set up in Firefox and Chrome, and use either browser to check two accounts as needed), but the requirement to have Google Desktop is a bad one; my company has restricted its installation.

[Josh.Lowensohn]

Same here, which is why I couldn't dig in further from my work machine. Having all our files indexed in Google's servers is an IT security nightmare. Too bad you can't get the widget part as a stand-alone product unlike Yahoo's offering.

[close5828]

I still don't get why people trust Google so much w/ their data, let alone e-mail.

[hartman06]

I don't get why end users trust "the cloud" so much...

[Haasbat]

Because Google, "the cloud," or whatever name your culture calls it, is the new world diety, quickly replacing FSM. I can hear the chanting already. And yes, I am a follower.

[idfubar]

What other choice does one have? I'm an infrastructure geek and even I've suffered data loss - isn't Google a safer bet for me?

[emad8080]

thanks

[streamline35]

I'd get it if it didn't require google desktop

[kanstar]

Same here, Google desktop is a resource hungry app. I look forward to Google presenting option for a standalone app for Gmail... what say Google? Will it work like in offline mode? Where will the data be stored like .pst or temporary file till it connects?

[dragonbite]

Won't work on Linux? Oh well, give it time.