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Google G-mail, the 1GB free mail service which is currently in a public beta, is adding _proper_ POP access. Don't be alarmed if you can't access it immediately, the service is being introduced in phases. Read on for our take on this, for screenshots of G-Mail POP help, and for information on how you use gmail from your mobile. |
Update: Links corrected, YPop! information added thanks to Anon, Gmail mobile access thanks to Nokia Rocks
Google G-mail, the 1GB free mail service which is currently in a public beta, is adding _proper_ POP access.
POP, or Post Office Protocol, lets you download messages from Gmail's servers onto your computer so you can access your mail with a program like Microsoft Outlook Express or Netscape Mail, even when you aren’t connected to the Internet. This has been available unofficially for awhile, first with PGtGM and later with GPopper. The problem with these free programs is that they potentially reduce the market google has for selling this additional service. Indeed, there is already speculation that Google might charge for POP access as it reduces their ability to display proper AdSense advertisements, the other option is to inject text ads into email, much like hotmail and yahoo already do.
It must be noted that while there is a hotmail POP utility, no such utility exists for Yahoo mail, which charges for POP access. Indeed, GPopper is the only free utility. Our prediction is that Google will not charge for pop access, but instead inject text ads much like it already does - an easy way to do this would be to add an extra html wrapper over all messages, a trivial task. This would mean that the target market for GPopper will totally evaporate.
Update: This is partially; an open-source GPL'ed application YPOPs! allows Yahoo users to use POP access for free. However, our prediction remains; that Google will include context sensitive ads eventually.
The larger question, at this point, is where G-mail is going. The status of their Beta is now such that almost everyone who wants a gmail account already has one. (Either that, or I live in a parallel universe where bunnies are fluffy and g-mail invitations are aplenty.) The service also works fairly well, there has been only one serious outage. It seems that there is almost no point in keeping the program in Beta, except, perhaps the extant privacy issues. Other Google programs have been kept in Beta for similar legalistic reasons: Google News seems to be in perpetual, lawyer-induced beta. Of course, the exclusivity might simply be to limit exposure to those using g-mail simply as a file repository - see GMail Drive, or even as a complete online backup system. Arguably, though, the number of invitations floating around means that even this may be possible right now.
In any case, we must register our strong approval for the magnificently fast g-mail interface, and hope it remains that way.
To use gmail on your mobile:
Set up two mail accounts on your phone: One for receiving , and the other one for sending. This is necessary because receiving requires SSL, while sending requires TLS, and both can't be used in the same account on your phone. Input these settings:
Incoming Mail (POP3) Server – requires SSL: pop.gmail.com
Use SSL: Yes
Port: 995
Outgoing Mail (SMTP) Server – requires TLS: smtp.gmail.com (use authentication)
Use Authentication: Yes
Use STARTTLS: Yes (some clients call this SSL)
Port: 465 or 587
Account Name: your Gmail username (including '@gmail.com')
Email Address: your full Gmail email address (username@gmail.com)
Password: your Gmail password
