So Where’s the Browser-Free Gmail Client?
By Rico, 11:11 am Fri Feb 15 2008 - Editorial - 9 Opinions
The speculation on the existence of an offline Gmail client began September last year, and was widely covered.
But we at Technograph aren’t interested in browsing through our Google Mail when not connected to the Internet. We’re practically connected to the net 24/7 anyway.
What we’re really looking for is a Gmail client that doesn’t run on a browser. A well-designed browser-free Gmail client would run faster and take less toll on the system, while providing the same Gmail functionality that has won many converts.
Such a standalone application would let users use browsers for browsing and lessen the number of windows they have to keep open. We think it’s a good idea (Disagree? Tell us why below), so we’re wondering why those passionate open-source communities and Google haven’t considered implementing it.
Luis Cruz
6:06 pm Fri Feb 15 2008
Offline Gmail client? I call that Thunderbird.
I use my browser for browsing, and on top of that, I manage several gmail accounts in one window. If I go offline, I still have messages from the last 30 days (I set to auto-delete older messages) on hand.
Best of all, I won’t be tied down to one mail service. I have one program that can handle any POP or IMAP client I have access to.
Slightly OT, but this is the same reason I (used to) use Pidgin / GAIM instead of YM, ICQ, GTalk, and all the other IM clients. My client isn’t tied down to any specific service provider.
Rico S.
12:12 am Sat Feb 16 2008
There are moves toward this direction, but not as you might expect.
The first one would be Google’s Google Gears, which enables web applications for offline use. Google developed this technology and was rolled out on Google Reader; there was no word, but I’m sure Gmail would be a candidate for implementation.
Another is Mozilla’s Prism. It’s an open-source project to bring web applications closer to the desktop. (not gmail-specific)
http://labs.mozilla.com/2007/11/prism-prototype-now-available-on-mac-and-linux/
http://labs.mozilla.com/2007/10/prism/
The Technographist
6:06 am Sat Feb 16 2008
Luis: We have no problems with Thunderbird, but we’d miss Gmail’s conversations structure. To date, nobody’s been able do it out of a browser, for some reason.
Rico S: Oh yes, we’ve heard about Google Gears. But in our humble opinion, the project is emblematic of Google’s insistence that everything run on a browser.
Steve C
6:06 am Sun Apr 27 2008
A nifty little application called Mailplane. It’s been around for a little while now. I can’t believe no one has mentioned it here. It is pretty much EXACTLY what you are looking for. Only thing is, it’s not free. You can try it for 30 days then you have to buy it for $25. Totally worth it IMHO. Check it out.
http://mailplaneapp.com/
free
7:07 am Sun Jul 27 2008
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Yahoo! Comes Out With Browser-Free Webmail Client
7:07 am Sun Jul 27 2008
[...] There’s perhaps another reason for more people to start using Yahoo Mail. Thanks to its acquisition of Zimbra Inc., Yahoo was able to recently release a version of its popular web mail service that works without a browser. (Why is this important? See “So Where’s the Browser-Free Gmail Client?“) [...]
Steve
6:06 pm Wed Dec 16 2009
An old thread I know, but as its ranked high on Google, here is a possible solution:
http://www.sourcebits.com/geemail/. Not tried it yet though.
Steve
6:06 pm Wed Dec 16 2009
Actually, just tried it, and without the Labs add ons its not very good for me. No Folders4Lables, Superstars or Multiple Inboxes makes it pretty basic.
I suppose Google Chrome can be used for GMail and Firefox for everything else.
Rico
10:10 pm Wed Dec 16 2009
Thanks for the info man!