100% Web-based Email

Today is the day I’ve made the switch to 100% web-based email. Specificallly, I’ve migrated all of my email accounts (and domains) to Google Apps.

Goodbye Exchange… (well, I’m still using Exchange/Outlook to sync my calender and contacts for the time being).

My PC is currently uploading all my old mail (dating as far back as 2002 – which is when I made the switch to Exchange/Outlook) to Google using the Google Email Uploader. Which is a bit slow going since it says it’ll take almost a whole day to complete…. but hey, its about 6 years of email and its free so I probably shouldn’t complain. 🙂

What draws me to web-based email?

• Its free and easy. I don’t have to maintain it… it works… and it works on any computer I walk up to that has a browser.
• Search – its fast and it works. The search on Outlook (even Windows Desktop Search) is slow and clunky and it freezes up the program while its searching.
• Threading. I’ve gotten spoiled with treading on the Gmail interface… I used to use it all the time with Eudora (which reminds me, maybe I should import all that mail from 1993 to 2002 into gmail as well). And now I can have it back with Gmail. (Ya ya, I know that Outlook has threading but it just doesn’t work as well for some reason).
• Mobile – the Google guys got it to work on mobile pretty well… you can choose POP3, IMAP, a mobile web browser, or even their Java app. So basically most phones with internet access can access Gmail.
• Switching computers. I’ve been working from a larger number of computers these days… back and forth from laptop to work and home PC’s… borrowing a few minutes on a buddy’s machine… trying out a new set up or even a VM… so installing Outlook and tweaking it the way I like takes hours to do… no more!

YMMV but it works for me and now I can move on and spend my time and money on things more interesting. 😀

Now what to do about contacts and calendaring… hmmm…