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Topic: Collaboration

New version of Gmail being tested

Summary: Gmail was launched on April 1, 2004, and has revolutionized the way many of us use email. The interface has remained largely untouched since it launched, but get ready, it's soon to undergo a change in what they describe as a "New Version".

Garett Rogers

By Garett Rogers for Googling Google |

Gmail was launched on April 1, 2004, and has revolutionized the way many of us use email. The interface has remained largely untouched since it launched, but get ready, it's soon to undergo a change in what they describe as a "New Version". Only a select few people have access to use the new interface -- mainly employees and trusted people outside the company called "Trusted Testers".

Unfortunately, there are no leaked screenshots to look at yet, but if you are one of the lucky few testers, I would love to take a peek.

How do I know they are working on a "New Version"? Well, Google lets every-day users who are fluent in both English and another language translate small snippets of English text into the language of their choice. This is how they can offer services in several languages without spending a dime on professional translators. Unfortunately, exposing sensitive information in this manner makes it hard to keep a secret.

One of my readers, who wishes to remain anonymous, stumbled across an interesting snippet of text (which I confirmed exists) spilling the beans on a new version of Gmail that is either currently being tested, or about to be released to testing in short order. It's small, but telling -- here is a screenshot of the text he was asked to translate.

gmailnewui1.png

What do you hope the new version of Gmail has in store for us? Do you think the transformation will be as large as the one Google Docs recently went through?

Topics: Collaboration, Browser, Google

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50 comments
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  • What if...

    What if it's a text for "new version of a mail" - or something in another language?

    But I can't wait to get my hands on a new version, if there is.
    shaheer.a.khan@...
    Reply Vote

  • RE: New version of Gmail being tested

    Google's current email interface is old news. More to the point, the concept of indexing the inbox and then using filters to sort email into pseudo folders was first used by Opera. You can still see it today in Opera's M4 email package which is embedded in its browser. Plus, both Microsoft and Yahoo have released new versions of their web based email offerings. Microsoft faced reality by offering a "classic" version as well as the new one with various bells and whistles. Yahoo struggled with its acquisition of Oddpost way back in 2004 and just this summer finally began rolling out the revised product from beta. Frankly, the only "improvement" in the Yahoo product seems to be removal of the "beta" label. So, there is a three way race and now it is Google's turn. Don't forget Google is now offering online collaboration centers based on a combination of Google Docs and Gmail, plus other software tools. It seems to be aimed at enterprises. Will the brainiest software engineers on the planet enhance usability or will they go for more geek toys? Only market share will tell.
    djysrv@...
    Reply Vote

  • Exchange

    How about exchange capability for an enhancement to their Google office/mail/calendar offerings?

    Exchange and imap would realy put a nail in the coffins of several mail hosts, while offering additional functionallity.
    ygthb@...
    Reply Vote

    • Why?

      IMAP and POP support allows access via every and any modern email client. What benefit would Exchange support provide? This is not a rhetorical question. I really want to understand.
      khurtwilliams@...
      Reply Vote

      • Full functionality!

        Pretty much for the same reason I haven't bought an iPhone: full functionality. I can IMAP my mail from Exchange, but I don't have a fully active connection with my calendar, tasks, GAL, etc. If Google could truly Exchange, I could finally merge my Google calendar with my company Exchange calendar.

        All that is not to mention...I cannot IMAP on GMail right now, can I? Well, then I have to use OWA to see my Exchange mail!

        On the other hand...if you send an appointment invitation from Outlook over Exchange to a GMail user, they can import it into their calendar...it's a nice workaround, I suppose.
        zdnet@...
        Reply Vote

        • IMAP bad, POP/SMTP good.

          I loathe Outlook for starters, and .Mac as well (another IMAP server).

          Give me a simple user interface, the ability to save mail on my PC (as opposed to J Random Server), and the option to blow that mail away when I'm done with it. That would be GMail or any other POP/SMTP server.
          gypkap@...
          Reply Vote

      • Exchange

        Exchange has the magical power of putting IMAP, calendar, address book, and other interesting/unused (by me) features. All over one *proprietary* format that only Microsoft knows. It'd be nice, except it'll only work on exchange, and you'll have to pay to use it. (most likely (I doubt google wants to do that though)).
        kamahl928
        Reply Vote

  • RE: New version of Gmail being tested

    I tried to make a "voicemail" label recently and it told me that was a reserved label. Maybe there will be integration with Grand Central.
    beau.raines
    Reply Vote

    • RE: New version of Gmail being tested

      That is a likely scenario -- but the voicemail label is already being used for voice messages sent though Google Talk.
      Garett
      Reply Vote

  • RE: New version of Gmail being tested

    Shouldn't I (or we) be suspicious of this with the reference to 'pig latin' in the alleged screenshot? Humor perhaps?
    jealex2@...
    Reply Vote

    • reference to pig latin

      That one has been around for a while - if you go to Google's Language Tools and have a look around you can translate stuff into Pig Latin, Elmer Fudd and Klingon to name but a few...
      You can even set Pig Latin as your default language setting in Google preferences, with "hilarious" results ;-)
      A_Selby
      Reply Vote

  • RE: New version of Gmail being tested

    I sure hope the new version is better then the regular one is. I hate using gmail because if I delete an email I no longer need I never receive emails from that person. Plus there is no way to save an email in folders like Yahoo and Hotmail have. Hotmail was used for work, but in March something happened to my account and everything was deleted. So I got fired for that happeneing.I would hope the new verison is better and safe to keep messages from where I work.
    msperling
    Reply Vote

    • huh?

      No offense, but this sound like a case of user error to me. You shouldn't stop receiving emails from people unless you mark a message from them as spam.

      --dhc--
      dhclapp1@...
      Reply Vote

    • Huh? x2

      Agree... if you're relying on a web host to save your work related email, that's just asking for trouble.

      OTOH... GMail saved my life once. My IT department wiped my laptop during a routine install, and forgot to back up my Thunderbird folders. Since I didn't have the "delete from POP server" bit set when downloading all my mail, Gmail's archive had every piece of email I'd sent since creating my account 18 months ago.
      efolesen@...
      Reply Vote

    • Gmail being tested

      "my account and everything was deleted. So I got fired for that happeneing."
      I doubt that's why you got fired! But in any case Microsoft made many changes to Hotmail! Provided you had an older account and were using office 2003 you could have saved all that to your computer and backed it up using export to PST file weekly monthly or what ever!
      aussieblnd@...
      Reply Vote

  • RE: New version of Gmail being tested

    Well, if they do do an update, I hope they include the option to send a text message when emails from certain addresses are received. Right now the only I option I have would be to add a filter to forward them to my aol acct and then set my aol acct to send a text when I receive the fowarded message.
    Sukiyaki
    Reply Vote

  • RE: New version of Gmail being tested

    Include the ability to reply to emails without including the whole text from the previous emails. presently the only way to do this is to delete it in the reply,

    sam
    colpittj@...
    Reply Vote

    • New version of Gmail being tested

      I agree it most aggravating to have to delete other mail receipents from the mail and then forward it.
      teacher244@...
      Reply Vote

  • Doesn't proove anything

    For all we know they could be adding text that explains you need a "newer version" of your current browser. Not only that, but it seems unlikely that they would use the text "newer version" in a newer version to describe said newer version. I'm no linguist, but as far as this breaking news goes, I think I'll wait for further evidence before getting all excited about Gmail 2.0
    petethechop@...
    Reply Vote

  • RE: New version of Gmail being tested

    Is this a joke? Does google translate to PIG LATIN?
    glenbeer@...
    Reply Vote
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