back to article Google makes Gmail search accessible to all comers

Google has released a new Gmail search tool that provides suggestions for messages, attachments and even file names in a move to degeekify its email service. Search Autocomplete is Mountain View’s latest Labs add-on, and also highlights Google’s sluggish response to improving search in its webmail app for all its users. The …

COMMENTS

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  1. Pete

    Great

    Now if they would only implement filter by contact group.

  2. Ciaran Reilly

    Gmail still lacks the simple things...

    That's a fantastic new feature and all, but when will they ever get round to implementing such epic technological achievements as say...I don't know... the ability to have folders perhaps?!

  3. CJ

    DateRange

    Finally, I've been wanting to define a date range to search in for... well, almost since they launched. I don't really like the autocomplete, though I don't know why.

  4. Conor Mullooly

    @Ciaran Reilly

    Try using Labels, then you get the functionality of folders, and you can colour code messages too.

  5. Dave Fox
    Go

    @Ciaran

    GMail doesn't have folders *by design*.

    http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en-uk&answer=10708

    Whether or not it as an acceptable substitute is a matter of personal opinion of course (it is in mine - labels work brilliantly). What really irritates me though is the inability to search using wild card operators!

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Searches being "after all, at the centre of what it does"

    Nope. Google is known as a search engine, true, but at the centre of what it does is sell ads. Being able to target ads to what you're looking for is a massive bonus but really the search thing is actually it's 2nd priority. Search itself, after all, makes no money. People buying ads makes money, with the search being part of the reason.

  7. PC Paul

    What I wish they'd implement...

    What I really want to see is the ability to search for/delete mailing list conversations which I wasn't involved in - for things like Freecycle I want to keep all the stuff I have offered/taken but bin the other 99.99%.

  8. Anonymous John
    Happy

    Gmail Autopilot.

    I'm surprised this hasn't been reviewed yet.

    https://mail.google.com/mail/help/autopilot/index.html

  9. psychochief
    Coat

    cookies anyone ?? O_o

    sorry to be a cynic, but will it work without cookies, hmmmmmmmmmmmmm thought so, never mind, after all it is another beta innit :O)

    mines the one with Opera that clears NEW cookies on exit O_O

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Paris Hilton

    Fine. Yeah. Ok, ...

    I can accept that stuff can be colour coded and a fine and dandy way it might be to do things but (as in BUTT!) it's just an increased workload on the consumer.

    An email app should make it trivially easy to follow an email thread without user intervention.

    Then there is IMAP as IMAP presently manifests itself.

    And issues about local folders, IMAP folders, server folders, application interpretation and generation of possible further folders, webmail variant folders and this seems, at least to me, suggest that search folders (robust search folders unlike Entourage working methods, should be srt of robust and reliable and informative.

    Multiple email addresses accessed from multiple devices with multiple paradigms also accessible from home or commercial networks might benefit from a re-thunk?

    The hardware is out there, the challenge is obvious good luck to the winning candidate (Apple gets my vote but both Apple Mail and iPhone Mail should be further synergised to an exceedingly pleasant level.

    So, how will iPhone 3.X and OS X or OS X++ synergise creatively with pragmatic doability?

  11. Ciaran Reilly

    I know about the labels, but...

    @Conor and Dave, I know all about the raging labels vs folders debate, but I'd like to at least see the option to use one or the other, I imagine it wouldn't be a hard thing to do.

    I do use the labels to an extent, but still find a need for folders. The label system IMO encourages you to leave your inbox littered with crap (which is quite beneficial for Google's data mining no doubt), and just isn't as tidy as folders IMO.

    Would be good to have it as a configurable option.

  12. Ian
    Happy

    @Ciaran I know about the labels, but...

    Try clicking the "Archive" button.

    There's two things I use labels for:

    - using rules to automatically put emails into "folders" represented by labels. In this case, you want to apply a label to the email and then ARCHIVE IT. This will remove it from the Inbox.

    - I read an email in the Inbox and decide I'd like to "file it away" somewhere - just like with folders. Apply a label, and if you don't want it in the Inbox anymore then Archive it.

    So as for your complaint "The label system IMO encourages you to leave your inbox littered with crap", if you use the Archive button, or use rules with the Archive option ticked, you'll find this issue resolved.

    Cheers

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Just wondering...

    Is Google Mail the world's longest running Beta?

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