Gmail ???

[Vincent Trouilliez]

Richard <cms01 at tampabay.rr.com> wrote:
> Wondering if ANYONE, has gone full gmail account, and drop
> Thunderbird ...etc and just using gmail for sending and receiving emails.
> 
> and what are the major advantages, say comparing a ISP service,

I started using a Gmail account recently. Main advantage over my ISP ? 
My ISP was regularly taken over by other ISP's, forcing all users to
change the domain name of their e-mail addresses to suit the name of
the new ISP ! It's such a nightmare to change address that I got real
angry about it. So I chose to use Gmail as it is ISP independent, and
is likely to still be called "@gmail.com" in 10 years. 

> and using a client app say thunderbird compare to a web browser...

I don't use thunderbird (never did), but using gmail doesn't mean you
have to use a web browser ! One of the reason I chose Gmail is beause
it allows POP&SMTP access, meaning I can send and receive mail from
within my e-mail client of choice (thunderbird if you wish, or whatever
client you fancy).

As for reliability, it has been reliable so far (only 3 month of use so
far, and not that many e-mails, though). The only downside I found, is
that the POP server of my ISP replies instantly, whereas the one of
Gmail always takes a few seconds, mayber because the server is probably
at the other en f the world from me (Google HQ being on the west coast
of the USA if I am right, and me being in France/Europe), although IIRC
I did specify that I was in Europe when  I created the acount, so was
hoping to be handled by a local/responsive server...

At any rate, just create an account (you may need an invite, just ask),
configure your favorite e-mail client to access Gmail via pop, and see
for yourself how it goes. You have nothing to lose.

--
Vince