Yahoo email versus GMail

[Christopher]

I've been using yahoo email for years. The new version works so much like a pop or imap that I forget that it is web based at times. It has no storage limit at all, and I have proven that several times over! If you multi-task on yahoo webmail, it opens separate tabs and it very handy. From yahoo chat, which is built in to yahoo webmail, you can change fonts and use smileys, and even chat between your computer and a cell phone for free (on the computer end).

Yahoo has a separate application that a smartphone user can download to give a really cool experience on your handheld like a Blackberry of Palm Treo. This program manages photos, news, contacts, sports, etc. with a carousel interface much like an iPhone.


I have a gmail account, too. Gmail has a limit of 7G, but that is so big that I can't see ever hitting the limit. Gmail will let me forward to another address and google offers a lot of services for free, but it is obviously webmail. The interface reminds me of old mail.com or rocketmail from the late 90's. If you navigate away from your message to look at contacts - you really navigate away from your message and it goes into drafts - no multi-tasking here. The built in chat is even more basic.

The mobile version of gmail is, well, hmm, gee, there isn't one. You have to browse to it using the web browser and it is a stand alone email page.

My big positive with gmail is that they let you use your own domain for free. In other words, my email is chris@firstcenturychristianity.net and it really is that, but it is a gmail. It's not masked or forwarded or anything. Yahoo charges for this, and even charges for forwarding or redirecting. Gmail will even allow pop or IMAP interfacing for free, and yahoo charges for this, too.

Anyhow, I'll clam up now and see what you techies have to say out there. Which do you prefer, yahoo or gmail?

[twila]

Yahoo, because I am the ultimate ignorant one when it comes to tech knowledge, much less understanding all you have just explained. My hat is off to all who do. :)

I feel better now since viewing the poll - 100% Yahoo.

[Aaron]

The mobile version of gmail is, well, hmm, gee, there isn't one. You have to browse to it using the web browser and it is a stand alone email page.

You sure? (https://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=78892) You can use Windows Mobile with Outlook to check your google mail...No need for another mobile client.

[Christopher]

You sure? (https://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=78892) You can use Windows Mobile with Outlook to check your google mail...No need for another mobile client.

Thanks for the link. It didn't dawn on my to try to configure the phone's email app to check gmail.

Does that make a separate account in Outlook or mix whatever is on your phone? I don't want to mix my business and personal email and/or contacts. I also wouldn't want to mix the two on my work server. My IT guys would flip...

[Aaron]

Does that make a separate account in Outlook or mix whatever is on your phone? I don't want to mix my business and personal email and/or contacts. I also wouldn't want to mix the two on my work server. My IT guys would flip...

Not sure, I've not tried more than one on my phone, though by the way it lists my account on there, it seems it would keep things separate.

[Thinker]

On my Sprint Phone, they are kept as separate accounts. No mixing!.

[Christopher]

On my Sprint Phone, they are kept as separate accounts. No mixing!.

How's about contacts, how do they work? Do the accounts get mixed on your Outlook at all?

The fact that gmail allows people to do have pop, imap, and wireless email for free like this is a HUGE plus to me and could put Yahoo in my rear view.

[Christopher]

This link (http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&ctx=mail&answer=75726) is to configure mobile devices for imap, which is the industry standard for synchronizing. This basically matches what you do on your computer with your phone and vice versa in almost real time.

I overheard some business guys this morning who were using Macs comparing gmail on mobile devices versus synchronizing with Mac's mobileme. The very pro-Mac guy was commenting that synch'ing with gmail blows mobileme away. That's saying something as he had an iPhone and a MacBook Air!

[Aaron]

How's about contacts, how do they work?

I think you have an older Windows version than I do, but my contacts aren't stored as 'Outlook Contacts' as much as they are just in my general address book. I haven't messed around with it much to know for sure, but it's probably the same in the older versions.

[Christopher]

I think you have an older Windows version than I do, but my contacts aren't stored as 'Outlook Contacts' as much as they are just in my general address book. I haven't messed around with it much to know for sure, but it's probably the same in the older versions.

Naw, I'm running Windows Mobile 6 pro now. My phone lost its mind and Verizon made me update it. Oh, and it took forever and wiped the dang thing out.

The contacts reference is because my "address book" is really a contacts folder that synchronizes with my Outlook email. When I save a phone number on my phone, it automatically saves it in my Outlook, too. I was wondering if using gmail through IMAP would synchronize my contacts with my gmail address book.

Bringing my personal contacts into Outlook is not that big of a deal and it's already done since my phone numbers are synch'ed. But if my corporate addresses went out to my gmail account, my IT group would have a cow. Sending that confidential info out to some webmail account is, let me say, just a little bit outside of policy...

Fortunately, the contacts don't synch either way, so no problem. Well, unless I need to email someone from my phone and I don't have their address...