Danny Gorog05 December 2007, 6:25 AM
Google has added some handy new features to Gmail and has let slip that folders for organising your email are on their way too.
Gmail engineers have launched two new features, both of which should make Gmail significantly more useful.
The first change is the addition of coloured labels rather than all of them being green. As the Gmail blog notes:
Until now the label has been a little inconspicuous creature, subtly suggesting categorical associations in its simple green coat. Oh, we've seen the colored label here and there, its precursors surfacing in various experiments and Greasemonkey scripts; but the label has never before been so brazen, so bold. How will it use its new colors? Will it disguise itself with the chameleon's camouflage or clamor for attention with the monarch butterfly's vivid contrast?
Changing a label colour is as easy as selecting the drop down arrow next to the label name and choosing a colour. Personally, I'm not a fan of coloured labels, but lots of consumers love them as it gives them an easy way to identify important messages when they arrive in their inbox.
The Gmail blog also tantalisingly notes that while labels aren't the same as folders they are in fact working on more 'folder-like' functionality.
 Changing a label colour is easy. Select the arrow next to the label name and select your favourite colour |
The second change is the addition of interoperabilty between Gmail chat and AIM. Users of AIM (including Apple iChat users) can now access their buddy list right in the chat window of Gmail. The people you chat most often will rise to the top of your buddy list.
Leopard users who are enjoying the new 'invisible' functionality that iChat 4.0 provides may want to stick with iChat rather than using Gmail, as the latter does not provide the invisible functionality.
 AIM chat is now integrated into Gmail. |
 Buddies appear alongside your Gmail contacts |
It's nice to see Google enhancing Gmail features for users and building on an already great experience.
With plenty of storage (over 4GB for the free Gmail mailboxes and 25GB for Google Apps Premium mailboxes), newly released IMAP support, mobile support, coloured labels and built-in AIM chat, Gmail continues to lead the webmail experience.
The big question however remains, when will Gmail lose its 'beta' moniker?