Mike and I switched to Gmail back in the early 2000s. Back then you had to be invited to open a Gmail account. Fortunately, Mike had a young geeky friend and Steve sent Mike an invitation. A year or so later, I was using Gmail and neither one of us would go back. Why should you consider opening a Gmail account? I have three reasons.
First, getting a Gmail account is like getting a key to a magic door. Open the door and you have instant photo storage, document storage, a calendar, a blogging tool, a website creation tool, and more. These are called Google Apps, and you can find them in Gmail. Look for that set of dots in a table format up in the right-hand corner of Gmail.
Google Photos is a great tool. Most people synch their phones to their email. Photos are organized in a chronological way, but you can also search for them and share them.
Google Calendar is something I use every day to create and share events with friends and family. You can also link your Google Keep app to your calendar. Google Keep is my go-to app for making a note, creating a list, or copying a weblink for something that I want to remember.
Blogger is a great platform for bloggers, and lets you focus on the content, not figuring out a blogging tool. Check out Blogging Basics with Cherie. www.bloggingbasicswithcherie.blogspot.com
Google Sites is another wonderful tool for creating websites. I currently maintain several Google Site websites, including www.ruthsuckow.org, devoted to Iowa author Ruth Suckow, who lived and worked in Cedar Falls and married native son Ferner Nuhn.
Second, Gmail is easy to use. You can easily search for messages using the search bar built-in at the top. It sorts out spam for you. Best yet, you can check it on any device, downloading apps from that device’s app store. I check it on my phone, iPad, Kindle Fire, and laptop.
Third, Gmail now includes built-in apps like Google Meet, a video chat platform. This lets you connect with friends and family, safely and easily. Pandemic or not, we all need to check in with those we love. Google Meet has many of the features of Zoom, without the price tag. Did I mention it’s free?
Set up a Gmail account and check it out for yourself. There are lots of tutorials out there. One of my favorite sources is the Good will Foundation’s Global Learning. https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/topics/emailbasics/
Last Updated October 4, 2020