Comments on: Look out, Outlook: Gmail adds in-line images

A new Gmail labs add-on lets you insert images directly into your messages, bringing the Web mail client closer to feeling like a standard software mail service.

[wratbatblue]

Why can't Google give us emoticons? For better or worse, that's what has stopped me from leaving my Yahoo mail behind ages ago. With the addition of this capability, I'll probably do it anyway now, but I still want my emoties!

[Josh.Lowensohn]

Gmail's had emoticons since October :) http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10074527-2.html

[wratbatblue]

Doh! They only did that in October because they knew I would miss it and bring it up now. Thanks for bringing it to my inattention. :)

[jedmmj11]

Hotmail introduced a very similiar feature just recently where you have a sidebar to the right of the email where you can search for photos and videos with live search and add them to the email all from the sidebar (you can also watch teh videos)

[MadLyb]

The UI is still pretty primitive compared to Full Mail Clients, but this is a nice addition.

[rtuinenburg]

Many users are begging for html signatures, but they keep ignoring us.
If they can do this, they can do a simple html signature.

[Harlan879]

There's a Firefox addon that lets you have HTML signatures in GMail: http://blankcanvasweb.com/pages/id_9/n_gmail_signatures/

[Josh.Lowensohn]

Yeah, Blankcanvas is really solid. Esp. if you're sending from multiple addresses from the same account since you can set it to remember work, home, out of the office, etc. based on which one you're sending it from.

[Harlan879]

There's another Labs feature that allows GMail to preview YouTube videos that are linked to in a message. You might mention that in this story.

[Josh.Lowensohn]

Right, good call.

[JasonCe]

Why do I have to edit my email in a web browser? Why not use a regular email client?

For example, with Windows Live Mail client software, I can edit my email anyway I want, including adding pictures. I can login to my hotmail account both via browser and via email client. I can still access my email anywhere I want. Even better, I can read and write my email offline... So I get the best of both worlds.

I don't understand the people who think webapps are going to replace traditional software...
Why would I restrict myself with the limitations of a browser window? Isn't that just thinking "in a box" (the browser window)?

[jaxstephens]

Dude, I'm fully in agreement with you. Generally speaking, the quality of web apps just doesn't compare to a (well-done) rich fat client. The web certainly has its advantages, and I hate keeping up with the installation and updating of normal Windows software, but it has always seemed strange to me for web apps to be confined to the "box" (as you say) of a web browser.

[BOTNET]

Yahoo Mail web app is very close to full desktop app.... but I totally agree with you, there is no reason why Desktop Email App cannot co-exist with web interface if you can use IMAP. We are not talking about some weird app for 200 users, but number 1 communication tool everybody uses - EMAIL

yes one day we will use only web apps with offline caching.... but the quality of web apps in comparison with desktop clients is still really far away

[mattflaschen]

This is an annoyance, not a feature. There is /no/ standard for HTML features (like images) in email. That's why every viewer displays HTML mail completely differently.

[skyscraperjim]

Great news. Next on the priority list should be linked CSS.

[sbram]

This is a huge step backwards. We're already suffering the effects of far too liberal, decades old specs that are ill-equipped to address widespread public usage. (Ever heard of spam?)

Inline images? Build a web site. Send a file? Upload it to a file share site.

These aren't over-wrought answers to questions no one is asking, they are solutions that can serve to wean you off your over-featured software attachment.

[skillingssucks]

You have no idea what you're talking about.

[shoffmueller]

Sbram - in your world, I would have to upload a file to a share site, then send an email with a link to that site so that the recipient can see my file? And in order to send a photo to someone, I first have to build a web site, then send my buddy a link? Try explaining that to grandpa.

You're just kidding, right?