After trying it for a month, I really like to have Gmail running in a separate application on my Mac. So I bought a copy of Mailplane.
For a modest $25, Gmail no longer gets lost in my dozens of open browser tabs. Now my webmail is only one click away. It’s integrated with my Mac’s Address Book and iLife and more It feels snappier than in my busy browser. It has some other features I haven’t even explored, yet. Best of all, for me, switching between multiple Gmail accounts is just a double-click.
At the same time, the interface is almost exactly the same as Gmail on the web. Thus, when I do need to check Gmail in a web browser, it’s not confusing; everything is in the locations and arrangements to which I’m accustomed. BTW, this is an example of the increasingly blurry distinction between what is on our computer (aka client) and what is on the Internet (in the cloud) — and how the blending of the two can be a good thing.
If you use Gmail and a Mac, you might give Mailplane a try. It’s free for 30 days. And if you don’t like it, nothing is lost. All your email and settings are still — and will remain — saved in Gmail. I’d try it for a week, to grok the difference.
