Gmail New Look Issues

[Kenneth Ayers]

One issue I have with the new look is how emails/conversations are indented so that the sender's picture-icon can stand out on its own in what becomes a mostly wasted space left-column.  Most of my contacts and senders don't have a picture defined so all I see is a default silhouette icon.  Even so, if we must have the sender's picture icon displayed, can't it just be the email header that is indented to make room for the picture rather than the whole email or conversation?

Another issue, the show details is now implemented as a temporary pop-up that disappears as soon as I click elsewhere on the screen, whether it be to scroll the page or display another email in the conversation.  I don't often need to show details but sometimes I like to do so and I prefer the old implementation where the details remain visible until I choose to hide them again.

[Kenneth Ayers]

I just noticed that the new look for Google Groups, where I'm typing this post, bears a striking resemblance to the new look for Gmail, especially if you've chosen the plain white theme in Gmail. 

I guess it makes sense that the new looks for both should be a common look, but I think that's why I'm not that thrilled with the new look in Gmail.  Gmail is looking more like an online bulletin board with sender's icons resembling bulletin board member's avatars.

Even though conversation view already simulated a bulletin board discussion, Gmail emails still looked like emails. You could view the email headers and make them stay if you liked.  It's not an important issue, just an aesthetic preference, but I like my emails to still look like emails to some degree.

[Jeff Grossman]

Since this is just a users group, I would recommend hitting the link at
the bottom right which says "Send feedback" and list out your
suggestions. I don't think anybody from Google monitors these groups.

Jeff

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[Kenneth Ayers]

I've already done that, but I thought that the issues we Gmail users have while using the New Look version might be worth discussing amongst ourselves in our group.  I know I'm curious what issues other members may be having and whether anyone else agrees with mine.

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[Jeff Grossman]

Yes, you are correct.  My apologizes.  I mistakenly took your e-mail as trying to provide feedback to Google via the group.

Jeff

On 11/5/2011 2:31 PM, Kenneth Ayers wrote:

I've already done that, but I thought that the issues we Gmail users have while using the New Look version might be worth discussing amongst ourselves in our group.  I know I'm curious what issues other members may be having and whether anyone else agrees with mine.

On Sat, Nov 5, 2011 at 9:23 AM, Jeff Grossman <je...@stikman.com> wrote:

Since this is just a users group, I would recommend hitting the link at the bottom right which says "Send feedback" and list out your suggestions.  I don't think anybody from Google monitors these groups.

Jeff

On 11/5/2011 9:20 AM, Kenneth Ayers wrote:

One issue I have with the new look is how emails/conversations are indented so that the sender's picture-icon can stand out on its own in what becomes a mostly wasted space left-column.  Most of my contacts and senders don't have a picture defined so all I see is a default silhouette icon.  Even so, if we must have the sender's picture icon displayed, can't it just be the email header that is indented to make room for the picture rather than the whole email or conversation?

Another issue, the show details is now implemented as a temporary pop-up that disappears as soon as I click elsewhere on the screen, whether it be to scroll the page or display another email in the conversation.  I don't often need to show details but sometimes I like to do so and I prefer the old implementation where the details remain visible until I choose to hide them again.
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[James Breen]

My mistake was ever agreeing to push the upgrade button with regards to the Internet Explorer upgrade of Gmail. I was happy as a clam as it was. Easy to use, fun to type. Now? I cannot even use Internet Explorer at all. A huge blue box comes up over my incoming emails.....disabling my view at a glance of my recent mail...or any mail for that matter. I switched to another browser. FireFox. But...it does not have all the cool stuff Explorer had. My fault? I don't think so. Should have left well enough alone. Jim, Pocono Mountains, Pa.

[Sarah]

If you are talking about having moved to Gmail's "New look" you should be able to undo it, until it becomes a permanent feature.
Help says:

"I want to go back to the old look":

Eventually we will retire the old look, so if you don't like the new look, please make sure you've tried changing the density settings and theme. If you want to go back temporarily, look for the gear icon next to the < > at the top right corner of your inbox. Click the gear and choose Revert to the old look temporarily.

If your problem is an upgrade to IE,  you uninstall internet explorer, and then just download and install the version you were using before you upgraded?
From somewhere like Cnet, who are trustworthy.

[James Breen]

Dear Boys, Gmail or Internet Explorer must have had their ears burning. My wife boots up my old IE and my gmail is updated, white and no ugly blue box. Pays to beef. Yes? Thanks for listening boys. Jim, Poconos, Pa.

[Sarah]

If you are using IE 9.(Internet Explorer9), this solution should work to remove the blue box. You need to change Internet Explorer's compatibility settings.
1. In IE9, press the Alt key to toggle the main menu bar on.
2. Click Tools and choose Compatibility View Settings
3. Remove google.com from the big text box if it is there (in some versions it may not be.)
4. Uncheck the three checkboxes under the text box - this is very important, or Microsoft will just switch CV back on again next time you start IE9.
5. Restart IE9.

This solution is provided on the official gmail help forum. It is a good place to search or ask for answers to problems.
This is the link to the page: http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/gmail/thread?tid=6d27ec5c05be39e6&hl=en

On 5 Nov 2011 23:54, "James Breen" <recon...@gmail.com> wrote:

[James Breen]

Dear Sarah,

Thanks for the scoop. For some unknown reason....perhaps voodoo or magic I.E reworked my page to get rid of this ugly blue box that was blocking my view of my emails. I am retired Sarah, all these new changes don't do me any good at all. The old g-mail was fine for my needs. As a hobby I write short stories. Mostly War story's from my teenage years in Vietnam. I don't do them on email of course, I use Corel version #8 to do them then re-work them in Word which seems to be publisher friendly. But when published, I receive feed back and if lucky fan mail...or hate mail (grin). So I need I.E. to be as reliable as can be. Even today since it seems okay......gmail has made it difficult as far as the spell check feature being way above my printed text. An extra move that was not needed before. Complainer? Perhaps, but that's my opinion. thanks for your input. Jim, Pocono Mountains, Pa. PS. Did I mention that when I emailed the I.E. webmaster, I got two eager dudes who wanted a $42.00 fee to solve what they deemed My issues. Forget about it. You got to be kidding. (grin). So thanks for the tips. Jim.

[Sarah]

Hello James,
Yes the continual upgrade race can be a nuisance, and at times causes problems and compatibility issues.
I never, ever press the upgrade button until I know what I'm getting, and ideally how to undo it; but I'm usually operating at the edge of obsolescence, so it's more critical to me.
Feedback and complaining is partly what shapes free software; it's always worth telling the provider what you think.
I don't have too much issue with people offering service; it suits many people who don't have the time (or inclination) to learn the admin side of computing and just want to be able to use their device to perform the tasks that they need.
That said, I've never paid for help; whatever your computing problem, the answer is likely to be out there, on the Web, for free; and should it prove difficult to find, or challenging to implement, there are dozens of volunteer help groups, where if you register and ask for help, someone will take you through the necessary process, step-by-step, tailoring their approach to your level of understanding.

[Kenneth Ayers]

Speaking of feedback and complaining shaping free software, does anyone else have any complaints or issues with this Gmail New Look version?  I guess my own complaints are minor.  The new look version functions fine, it's just not appealing aesthetically.  Still I wonder if I'm alone in this or if others have complaints about it too.  Perhaps Google would be open to making some adjustments if enough of us have the same complaints.

Kenneth

[Andy]

> ...  The new look version functions fine, it's just
> not appealing aesthetically.  ...

But wait, it is a GUI interface to an online email program, so
aesthetics is EVERYTHING.

If it didn't function fine, that would be a bug.

If its appearance stinks, then they have failed 100% in creating an
improved visual interface.

Personally, in my admittedly somewhat limited experience with it, I
find it so badly bad that it's almost not worth talking about.

But maybe that's just me.

I couldn't wait to get out of it and back to the "real" Gmail
interface; and it took me a while to find that extra magic button to
do that. Honestly, why do we need multiple gear icons? Isn't one
"Settings" button sufficient?

Andy

[Robert E. Carneal]

You are NOT alone. I have vision impairments, and if I can't keep the old style, or at the very minimum, adjust the new style to a higher/better contrast I will leave Gmail.

Thank you.

Robert
Genealogy without documentation is mythology! Always SOURCE your work.

[Randy Harmelink]

I was very unhappy with the new look initially. But after changing the "Display Density" and the "Theme", I'm OK with how it looks.

[Marko Vukovic]

Robert

I'm not seeing how the new look could affect someone with visual imparments. If anything, to me it is less cluttered. 

Have you tried any of the themes? Have you tried increasing the zoom (Ctrl + or Ctrl mousewheel-up)?

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[Robert E. Carneal]

I tried two themes.  Both the fonts were fainter, and for me at least, I couldn't tell which email was highlighted.   I have already zoomed up to the maximum level I can before things go distorted.   I am guessing you can probably see a lot better than I can. If that is the case, won't my problem areas be hard for you to see?

I don't know if you work for or test for Gmail. If you do, please encourage an option to remain the old style view. Surely, I can't be alone here.

Thank you.

Robert

[Marko Vukovic]

Hi Robert

No, I have no affiliation with Google. Most of us on here are users just like you. You need to use the Send feedback link at the bottom right of the interface.

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[stefan ketola]

does it really look all that different ? it doesn't to me  - maybe I just don't notice these things much.

Looks a bit cleaner, clearer and tidier but not a massive difference IMHO

It doesn't seem to like IE ehmmmm I think we're on 8 at work - I cant use it at all on that and gamil tells me to update - we're not allowed to do that at work - so I can't really use it , almost at all, at work - which is a big nuisance :(

My websites: 

http://theworldweliveinandlifeingeneral.weebly.com/index.html (NEWEST)

http://oldhamandtameside.blogspot.com/  

www.forgottenplaces.weebly.com

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~Cree Indian Proverb

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference

[Andy]

> does it really look all that different ? it doesn't to me

To me it looks a LOT different.

You say cleaner, I say all one mess, no clear delineations between
message and label lists, etc. I suppose I could spend an hour or so
choosing yet another Theme which works better, but why should I? I
have a Theme already that I like. The new look essentially negates
the features of the theme I had, and turns everything into a light
fog, which for me, is a big negative.

Yes we all have our preferences, which can be difficult to give up
when things change. But is it really necessary to change this much,
in a way that negatively affects the usefulness, and the ease with
which things can be found by eye? Why does some honcho at Google
think this is a step forward?

And I'm wondering if there isn't some reason why this "new look" can
simply be accomplished with a new set of Themes, allowing users to
either keep the older look with their existing Theme, or switch to one
of a number of newer looks?

Andy

[stefan ketola]

it would be nice if all these companies, facebook are by far the worst, allowed folk to continue with a look they like... by all means introduec new looks/enhancements but can they not run old versions alongside the new ?  I don't know maybe they technically can't

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[AK]

Well, it isn't only you. I didn't like the new look either, for several reasons.

First, I find buttons/menus with text a sight easier than icons.

Secondly, grayed-out buttons/menu items are far more intuitive than "disappearing" ones.

Third, combining Mail, Contacts & Tasks into one drop-down makes no sense.

All in all, it looks like an interface designed by committee at Microsoft. For me, it's been a leap backwards. This appears to be a change for the sake of change, rather than any user experience improvement.

BTW, once upon a time, I used to design software, UIs included.

Just my $0.02....

[phil]

I find this new "look" to be terrible.Can't find drafts;hard to get to sent mail, lost command by email to print only the last email ( not the whole wretched string).

Don't know why google can't follow the ' if it's not broke,don't fix it' maxim.

no one should be forced, by google or anyone else to HAVE TO accept change from what they like.

p

[Bradley Curtis]

Phil,

Join the "Wake up Google Team" I agree with you completely, and I added a whole lot more

when I went to try to get Google's attention. See below. I got this from an earlier post to the 

G-Mail users group.  I will try to forward the whole thing to you...In the meantime...follow the link and let your voice be heard

Best to you

Brad Curtis

  Here's the feedback survey link to let Google know what you think about the New Look:
https://support.google.com/mail/bin/request.py?hl=en&contact_type=postpone
(There's a text box in the middle of the survey to tell them what changes, specifically, you want to see. That site also states, "Gmail’s new look is coming soon to everyone." If you don't like the New Look, NOW is the time to click that link.) 

p

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[John Blake]

I don't understand ???

Gmail, (new look),  running on Chrome Browser, looks and works fine.

Very uncluttered and easy to use.

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

Just my 2 cents worth.

John

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[Richard Carlson]

I agree----I'm an old geezer, non-techie, and I'm gradually coming to like the 'new look' using chrome.

REC

[Marko Vukovic]

I don't get it. Drafts is on the left, where is always was, under Inbox, Starred, Important, Chats, Sent Mail, Drafts. I for one enjoy the increased real estate offered by the new interface. It's quite easy to simply mouse-over to the left and have access to all my labels. Sure there's no text descriptions on the buttons any more but mouse over them and voila, there they are. Learning them is quick and painless.

If I click the drop-down arrow next to the reply button, to the right of the message date, and then click Print, it prints only the one message.

Change is inevitable, and since the interface ultimately belongs to Google, they can do with it whatever they want. You can always vote with your feet.

p

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[Jeff Grossman]

I agree completely with you John.  I have been using the New Look Gmail since they allowed us to turn it on and have had no problems with it at all.  I use it with Chrome and Firefox.  They did move a few things around, but pretty easy to figure out where they are.  I like how all of the Google sites are looking the same, makes things easier for me.

But, as you stated everybody has their own opinion.  Google is never going to make everybody happy.

Jeff

[Jeff Grossman]

Maybe the Drafts label is turned off.  Go into settings and then Labels, and make sure Drafts says Show.

Jeff

[Sean Murphy]

    Same here.

[Allan Lobeck]

where is the contacts when the menu is up?

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[Jeff Grossman]

I am not sure what menu you are referring to, but to get to your contacts, click on the word Mail above the Compose button on the left. A menu should come down with a Contacts option.

[adagioinb]

You aren't the only one who finds the 'new' look aesthetically
unappealing. In fact, it is almost useless to me. For some reason my
eyes just want to skip over the icons (archive, delete, etc), as
irrelevant blobs of ugliness, and keep looking for the pretty 'shiny'
buttons that (usually) said plainly upon them what they were designed
to do. Hoping maybe I might like it better, I'll switch to the new
look, get the willies while I try to accustom myself to it, and
usually in the same session switch back to the 'old' look to actually
get things done with my mail.

And the new look doesn't play nice with my favorite 'theme' the tea
house. the pagoda on the left obscures the left-side navigation menu.
Annoying at best, slowing me down, at worst, while I search for labels
that now blend into the background.

but what has really driven me to participate in this list is the
inability to make 'chat' go away. I have ABSOLUTELY NO USE FOR CHAT.
and I cannot make it go away. I log out, log back in, and there the
bloody thing is again. I've been through all the user settings, but
there isn't one that completely disables it. And even if I compress
it, and move it back down the column as far as I can, the next thing I
know, it has crawled it's loathsome self back up, obscuring labels and
other things.

For years I only used POP3 mail, not liking most web-mail interfaces.
But I liked Gmail, and have mostly abandoned POP3 and a standalone
email client. But this upgrade may make me rethink this choice.

Thank you for letting me vent.
adagioinb

but what has really

[Bradley Curtis]

Adagioinb,

I certainly agree with everything you have "vented" , it is justified. In fact, I am back to the Old Google.

If you would like to add your feedback to Google.

   Here's the feedback survey link to let Google know what you think about the New Look:
https://support.google.com/mail/bin/request.py?hl=en&contact_type=postpone
(There's a text box in the middle of the survey to tell them what changes, specifically, you want to see. That site also states, "Gmail’s new look is coming soon to everyone." If you don't like the New Look, NOW is the time to click that link.) 

Good Luck,

Brad Curtis

[adagioinb]

I've given them several pieces of my mind, but I can spare a bit more, I guess!

On Thu, Dec 22, 2011 at 20:29, Bradley Curtis <bcur...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Adagioinb,

> If you would like to add your feedback to Google.
>
>    Here's the feedback survey link to let Google know what you think about
> the New Look:
> https://support.google.com/mail/bin/request.py?hl=en&contact_type=postpone
> (There's a text box in the middle of the survey to tell them what changes,
> specifically, you want to see. That site also states, "Gmail’s new look is
> coming soon to everyone." If you don't like the New Look, NOW is the time to
> click that link.)

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work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. (Phil 1:6 NNAS)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ adagioinb (at) gmail.com ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

[David Gosling]

Hello to all Users of Group,

    I agree with Sarah and understand all the frustrations of fellow users with the changes in Google but we all have to face the fact that technology will not stand still and you have to either run with it as standing still is not an option no more.

I have moved from being loyal over many years  with Yahoo as they have upgraded along with most providers and which all have their  problems.

 I have found the now interconnecting interfaces of Google really useful and a professional alternative to Facebook has been well overdue which means sharing information in all platforms easier throughout the World Wide Web

.

Also what other service is free at the point of use with the colossal investment made by I.T. Corporations

Thank you to everyone all for your exchanges of information and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Technology Glitch-free New Year.

[Sean Murphy]

    I've never been much of a fan of chat either, so I looked around and figured out how to disable it. I haven't yet tested whether the setting lasts beyond the session though. In keeping with the new look's theme of options being invisible until you hover over or click in the right place, , the chat settings are only accessible by clicking on the drop-down arrow next to the word chat, which I don't remember seeing before I hovered my cursor over it. Several options are there, one of which is chat settings. The top item was a couple of radio buttons next to chat is on and chat is off. I clicked off, clicked save at the bottom of the page, and chat was gone. Hope that helps.

[adagioinb]

Thank you for this! So far so good!

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[henry342]

I can generally work around the foibles of the new look, but REALLY
want to increase the font size in Inbox. The default is so tiny!

Any way to do this? I can do it in Compose mode, but not Inbox.

Robert

[Bryan Trill]

If you select Chat off in the Chat menu, it is taken off - or so I found.  Also I increased text size by the spanner menu, zoom. I hope this helps.

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[James Breen]

Dear Brothers and Sisters of Gmail, My feel is that both Internet Explorer and Gmail changes have led us to this total mess up. I am so tempted to dump the entire thing.....I can't put it into words. As you can imagine.....this would make things difficult for my communication between me and my Military contacts. In 2012 if this madness continues? I may dump Gmail completely. As it is....you only get a Webmaster when you pay a large fee. what's up with that? Yo!. I am retired on a fixed income. What up Dudes? Jim, Pocono Mountains, Pa.

[Bradley Curtis]

Hey Jim,

You are right on the money...If we had taken a survey before this madness and expressed all the things we DIDN'T want,  the Google "New Look"

would have been a great success.  It is hard to understand  how the comments from our group could get so little comment from Google. One can only hope for 

some positive change.

Brad Curtis

Just another old retired codger

[Marko Vukovic]

Gentlemen

Ranting here will get you nowhere. We are also just Gmail users such as yourselves and we are here to help each other, not listen to your constant complaining. 

Why don't you outline exactly what problems you are experiencing, and what steps you have taken to troubleshoot and maybe we can help you. 

If you are fed up with Gmail, simply vote with your feet. The rest of us don't need to keep hearing about it.

My usual browser is Chrome but I have tried Gmail with IE9 on both desktop and laptop machines, and I see no difference between that and Chrome. Everything seems to work as usual.

As far as support goes, you don't seriously expect Google to give you Gmail for free *and* provide individual support to you and the other +26,000,000 users do you?

FYI, my old man is 70 years old, still works and happily uses Gmail on IE8 running on an old Win XP laptop.

On Tue, Jan 3, 2012 at 2:47 AM, James Breen <recon...@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Brothers and Sisters of Gmail, My feel is that both Internet Explorer and Gmail changes have led us to this total mess up. I am so tempted to dump the entire thing.....I can't put it into words. As you can imagine.....this would make things difficult for my communication between me and my Military contacts. In 2012 if this madness continues? I may dump Gmail completely. As it is....you only get a Webmaster when you pay a large fee. what's up with that? Yo!. I am retired on a fixed income. What up Dudes? Jim, Pocono Mountains, Pa. 

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[RebootAgain]

Hello & Happy New Year to everybody...  SO FAR, SO GOOD on not having been forced into the New Look yet -- hooray for that. :-)

Hopefully those of us who prefer using the Old Look can do do because Google's been receiving so much passionate negative feedback on their new interface, a la Coca-Cola and New Coke.  Once again, here's the link to their feedback survey to tell 'em what you think about their new design: https://support.google.com/mail/bin/request.py?hl=en&contact_type=postpone 

On Mon, Jan 2, 2012 at 7:47 PM, James Breen <recon...@gmail.com> wrote:

I may dump Gmail completely.

I suspect that threatening to leave Gmail for another provider is the complaint that gets their attention the most!

I only use Chrome and Firefox on desktop PCs to access e-mail.   Just curious: Are there folks out there who use smart phones to access e-mail and find the New Look to be superior on those finger-operated devices?  

It seems to me the ideal solution is to have a permanent choice of Old Look or New Look, just as we can now choose between standard Gmail or basic HTML for a slow connection.

[Sarah]

New look on smartphones:
Mobile devices frequently use gmail app, which has a cut down interface, and limited features. Not all mobile devices can easily access the full "desktop" gmail Web view. Mine can, but doesn't want to play with full set of features.
Unless you have the ability to change your browser's settings (by forcing it to load full version of web pages, not mobile version; or changing the user agent - & not all devices will let you) then by default, you get gmail's mobile view. :(
My phone (HTC desire, Android 2.2, stock ROM) will load full gmail site in browser; but to make some elements of the site function, I need to revert to basic html view.
I don't know if some of the latest mobile devices will give full site functionality.
I'm not thrilled by the new look; but I'm going to have to come to terms with it; but for the moment, on smart phone, the niceties of look, feel & ergonomics are null.

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[Sarah]

More smartphone:
& navigating the full desktop gmail website on touchscreen smartphone with finger...is a constant stream of hitting the wrong link/menu/icon and back button. One could hope the new look might reduce this; but, the app(s) and the mobile site are what have been 'optimized' for mobile devices, so I don't expect the full gmail website with the new look to be great on smartphones. For larger screens, tablets, at least those able to access it, it may well be an improvement.

[Elihu]

Why use the the full desktop? I find the mobile version great for small screens.

[Richard Carlson]

As a retired physician who has Parkinson's Disease, I am grateful for all the freebies which enhance quality of life and the opportunity to stay 'connected'.  Gratitude becomes easier as the maladies of life take their toll.  

Tremor precludes penmanship, but email and the internet

are happily accessible to this old geezer.

Happy New Year!

REC

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[Sarah]

The Gmail mobile site, and especially the Gmail mobile app(s) (essentially similar to the new offline web app for Chrome) lack features compared to full Web version. Mobile version limits attachment size.
Both the app & mobile Web site are ok to check mail, and often to send basic replies; but not for things like create hyperlink, insert inline image, rich text, some labs features, etc. I find the full Web version much better for managing my mail, search, filtering...
Mobile is fine for "fast & dirty"; but lacks the power & refinements. The occasions I really need to use the full site are limited; but for me, mobile is not an adequate replacement for my PC, yet.
I'll adapt, and so will Gmail.

One more grudge - I find the mobile app erratic, and often slow to update & deliver new mail. I find new mail in my inbox online, if I access the full site; but it takes longer for it to register if I'm using the app, no matter how often I manually sync. The delay regularly amounts to hours, not minutes. The explanation I have seen given for the asynchronous nature, is that the data for mobile is held on different servers.
Often, the delay doesn't matter much; but I find that when reading & posting to lists or groups, it means I do not get recent posts or replies in a timely manner. So, I reply not having seen the latest posts; but the time stamp (& sometimes position) of my reply makes it appear that I should have seen them. This had made me look & feel stupid/lazy/careless more than once. If I want to be sure I'm up to date, I have to use full web version.

[David Gosling]

Hello Richard,

What a wonderful viewpoint and so say all of us.

[bettyandirwin]

Well said, Dr. Geezer!

[James Breen]

I enjoy reading all of your comments about Gmail. I still however.....strongly feel that this recent change....should be supported by a free webmaster to get us through this. Yes? I was in Gmail heaven until recent changes with no support from Internet Explorer....or Gmail. Worse yet......it did come back full blast within 30 hours,,,,,but got sour within two hours down to the same twisted dilemma. What's up? Get it fixed for Pete's sake. Jim, Pocono mountains Pa.

[James Breen]

Dear Gmail and google friends, Nice to know I am not alone out here in Destruction land known as Gmail. Also good to read that any I-Pads, in my case Kindle Fire apps can and are limited by some restrictions. Been using my Kindle with my email access. Very cool, but you (at least I can't find it) cannot reach into some regular tools such as my Trash and other stuff that I use to re-route some of my contacts. So keep up the great work with dialog about this latest gmail debacle. Jim, Pocono mountains, Pa.

[James Breen]

Sarah, Thanks again for the tips on the gmail apps. Or lack of them on some modern devices. Good to know. Jim, Pocono mountains, Pa.

[James Breen]

About newer gadgets? With my new Kindle Fire .....I can send and receive my emails. Very cool. For a guy I have relatively small hands and fingers but I had to buy a stylus just to avoid hitting the wrong keys which.....sends you out to another Universe if allowed. The stylus helps.  That's my tip from up here in the higher elevations of the Poconos. Jim, Poconos, Pa.

[James Breen]

This is good to know Sarah. Thanks. Jim, Pocono mountains, Pa.

[James Breen]

Dear Doctor Richard,

I do appreciate the new freedoms that the Internet gives us all. I do however there should have been more testing before going public on such a huge even such as Gmail. My prayers go with you with the Parkinson's disease. Not easy to deal with. Jim, Pocono mountains, Pa.

[Jeff Grossman]

James,
On your Kindle Fire, are you using the web browser to access Gmail or are you using the mail application?  I have a Kindle Fire here that I can mess with to see how you can access all of your folders.  I am sure you can, I will just need to mess with it to figure out the correct buttons to hit.

Jeff

[James Breen]

Dear Jeff, I am not sure how my daughter set it up. I think I recall her and her husband installing a wireless router to mimic the already installed gmail access. Tomorrow, I will ask her. As you say, there must be a way to solve this issue. I was concerned also about the spell checker function. My question was answered earlier this morning when I noted it is an ongoing spell checker deal. The typed words run up at the top of the keypad. So this was a relief. Thanks for your help. Your Pocono contact, Jim.

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