take some pointers from gmail

arw4f · 24 Jun 2004, 11:20 PM

I'd never really consider leaving FM for Gmail. No matter how cool, a free provider cannot match all the features of a paid service. Even if they give way more storage!

Anyway, I'd love to see the FM interface tweaked to take some of the cool features from Gmail. In many cases the Gmail interface is faster than Fastmail!

Perhaps, a totally different FM interface could be designed and each user could have the option of choosing their interface type. I realize that's a lot to ask, but I thought I should at least bring up the idea.

bplat · 24 Jun 2004, 11:23 PM

Right. So anyone not running Internet Explorer can go and find some other provider? In case you haven't noticed, GMail is using those dreaded ActiveX components I thought had been buried years ago.

-...ert

Ilja · 24 Jun 2004, 11:46 PM

I can access gmail with Safari on OSX without any problems. So what activeX are you talking about?

robmueller · 25 Jun 2004, 12:02 AM

gmail uses quite a bit of javascript, but they use it to good effect to sort of "cache" things and speed things up.

Are there any features in particular that people are thinking of?

Rob

arw4f · 25 Jun 2004, 12:04 AM

gmail works great in mozilla, mozilla firefox, camino, safari and internet explorer. I've tested with all of these. I have not tested with Opera...however if all these others work...then I'd guess it does too.

I'm not saying that FM should do things exactly the same way that GM does them...just that some of the ideas might be implemented by FM...the best way they see fit.

arw4f · 25 Jun 2004, 12:08 AM

Rob, I think the javascript 'caching' feel is what contributes to the speed...as you said.

Quote:

Are there any features in particular that people are thinking of?

The speed appears to be one of the best features. The threading of the message view is cool. The 'inline' reply or forward is nifty too.

Perhaps one of the things that's slowing FM down a little for me is my listing of folders. When I collapse them (and therefore can't view them) things are a bit more snappy. Not sure what can be done to speed that up though.

I will see if there are other specific features I can come up with.

robmueller · 25 Jun 2004, 04:02 AM

I've been finding that the recent speed improvements, the limiting factor is sometimes the rendering speed of my browser.

Go to the mailbox screen, then try chaning to another folder. Generally I see after about 1/2 second the completion bar shows that the document is all downloaded, then it spends about another 1/2 second before it's actually rendered it.

Rob

Ilja · 25 Jun 2004, 04:08 AM

I agree as said here

Gmail is a good example of a slick looking, fast and usable interface. Fastmail should really consider redesigning, since the new 'improvements' only seem to make the matters worse

injinuity · 25 Jun 2004, 04:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by robmueller
gmail uses quite a bit of javascript, but they use it to good effect to sort of "cache" things and speed things up.

Are there any features in particular that people are thinking of?

Rob

I kinda like the ability to label messages by clicking the star thingy in gmail.... its very simplistic yet effective.. thats the only thing I liked about gmails interface..

Jinu Johnson

injinuity · 25 Jun 2004, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by arw4f
have not tested with Opera...however if all these others work...then I'd guess it does too.

<rant>

grrr it doesnt work with me opera... grrrrrrrrrr

</rant>

Jinu Johnson

ayahuasca · 25 Jun 2004, 05:01 AM

Yeah it won't work for me in Opera either. Even if I tell Opera to lie and pretend it's Mozilla or IE Google still knows...somehow.

injinuity · 25 Jun 2004, 05:09 AM

http://my.opera.com/forums/showthrea...ighlight=gmail

bplat · 25 Jun 2004, 05:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ilja
I can access gmail with Safari on OSX without any problems. So what activeX are you talking about?

My bad. I prolly confused it with some other site. It doesn't work with Opera, though. Not just unsupported-- it won't work.

-...ert

ayahuasca · 25 Jun 2004, 06:07 AM

Apparently, it uses ActiveX to determine whether or not you're running IE only. Even if the answer is yes, it doesn't use ActiveX from that point forth. I learned this from injinuity's excellent link, thanks injinuity!

**Sherry** · 25 Jun 2004, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by arw4f
In many cases the Gmail interface is faster than Fastmail!

I can't help thinking that might be because of the smaller amount of users and most may not have near as much mail to load (yet) in gmail as in FM?

Sherry

24 Jun 2004, 11:20 PM	#1
arw4f Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Virginia, USA Posts: 118	take some pointers from gmail I'd never really consider leaving FM for Gmail. No matter how cool, a free provider cannot match all the features of a paid service. Even if they give way more storage! Anyway, I'd love to see the FM interface tweaked to take some of the cool features from Gmail. In many cases the Gmail interface is faster than Fastmail! Perhaps, a totally different FM interface could be designed and each user could have the option of choosing their interface type. I realize that's a lot to ask, but I thought I should at least bring up the idea.

24 Jun 2004, 11:23 PM	#2
bplat Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Netherlands Posts: 507	Right. So anyone not running Internet Explorer can go and find some other provider? In case you haven't noticed, GMail is using those dreaded ActiveX components I thought had been buried years ago. -...ert

24 Jun 2004, 11:46 PM	#3
Ilja Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Posts: 173	I can access gmail with Safari on OSX without any problems. So what activeX are you talking about?

25 Jun 2004, 12:02 AM	#4
robmueller Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 6,102 Representative of: Fastmail.FM	gmail uses quite a bit of javascript, but they use it to good effect to sort of "cache" things and speed things up. Are there any features in particular that people are thinking of? Rob

25 Jun 2004, 12:04 AM	#5
arw4f Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Virginia, USA Posts: 118	gmail works great in mozilla, mozilla firefox, camino, safari and internet explorer. I've tested with all of these. I have not tested with Opera...however if all these others work...then I'd guess it does too. I'm not saying that FM should do things exactly the same way that GM does them...just that some of the ideas might be implemented by FM...the best way they see fit.

25 Jun 2004, 04:02 AM	#7
robmueller Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 6,102 Representative of: Fastmail.FM	I've been finding that the recent speed improvements, the limiting factor is sometimes the rendering speed of my browser. Go to the mailbox screen, then try chaning to another folder. Generally I see after about 1/2 second the completion bar shows that the document is all downloaded, then it spends about another 1/2 second before it's actually rendered it. Rob

25 Jun 2004, 04:08 AM	#8
Ilja Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Posts: 173	I agree as said here Gmail is a good example of a slick looking, fast and usable interface. Fastmail should really consider redesigning, since the new 'improvements' only seem to make the matters worse

25 Jun 2004, 05:01 AM	#11
ayahuasca Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Chicago Posts: 92	Yeah it won't work for me in Opera either. Even if I tell Opera to lie and pretend it's Mozilla or IE Google still knows...somehow.

25 Jun 2004, 05:09 AM	#12
injinuity Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 803	http://my.opera.com/forums/showthrea...ighlight=gmail

25 Jun 2004, 06:07 AM	#14
ayahuasca Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Chicago Posts: 92	Apparently, it uses ActiveX to determine whether or not you're running IE only. Even if the answer is yes, it doesn't use ActiveX from that point forth. I learned this from injinuity's excellent link, thanks injinuity!