TheByte

Alfie

Seems like you don't have to be invited to Gmail anymore. Are Google making it public now or...?
Anyone with info?

Choleric

Since when did you have to be invited?

I signed up a couple times without ever being invited, and that was about a year ago.

Alfie

Back when I got it you had to be invited, maybe two years ago. And today when I visited google.se there was a thingy about Gmail and that you could sign up.

At least this is new to me.

Habitual Speeder

I haven't paid enough attention to notice if it's changed. I've had my account for a couple of years, now...I had to be invited to get it.

Mikael

LOL I don't know how Choleric got signed up but yes, Gmail was opened to all public some days ago. I think I was invited about two years ago. Now it feels less special since it's open to all...

Centurion

What's so special about G mail. Hotmail have seen a year back offered 1gb space.

Michael

Gmail has to be the best internet mail system around. It has an incorporated chat system which is like no other. In addtion, the amount of space you get is just incredible. It truly seems like you will never fill it up.

Gmail indeed was only open to those that were invited. However, at one time Gmail allowed some to sign up. Each person that signed up received about 90 invites. They would go ahead and invite someone. If someone signed up, they would get 90 invites and the spreading of gmail continued. I don't think Google has gone public and here is why: Google knows that if gmail becomes the most popular e-mail service on the internet without ever spending a dime on advertisement, they will really be on top of the world. Addtionally, doesn't it feel good to know that you have a product that has spread by 'word of mouth' than by any other means?

I have gmail and I love it. There are so many things you can do with it and with google adding more and more features as the months pass, you will be able to run your life with gmail. I am not a technological buff myself now do I live on technologies edge, but I know that many have benefited from this.

Choleric

See all I had to do was enter my cell # and then fill out the rest of the standard stuff, and I had an account.

Michael

I noticed that a while ago. They have this weird way of signing people up. Basically you need to have a cell phone. I am no business major, but trying to think of what their goal and/or purpose is by doing the whole text message thing really boggles my mind. Why would they do that? To get cell phone information? They know, maybe, that the majority of cell phone users are old enough to have purchasing power? What is it?

Mirage77

I got my Gmail account by an invite, but now invites are so commonly available it isn't really an "invite-only" thing anymore.

Gmail trumps Hotmail on many counts:

1) It memorises your e-mailed contacts automatically and auto-completes them for you so it's really convenient if you forgot an email. Hotmail on the other hand requires you to fill in the contact's details and what not, plus there's no auto-complete.

2) Gmail is fast, efficient and easy to use. Can't say the same for Live Hotmail... it feels cluttered and stiff by comparison.

3) Gmail auto saves drafts and saves your saved messages by default. Live Hotmail learnt this a while ago but Gmail had the idea first.

Plus many more... I love Gmail.