Richard.H’s Blog

I have written one before about how I managed my Durham university email account in Gmail (both receive and send). But it seems I didn’t write very clearly because today when Megan tried to send AJS emails using Gmail, she found it a bit difficult to setup. So here is a new proper and simple 1-2-3 guide.

1. Forwarding from University Email Account
Durham University’s Mail filter page → Sign in → Filter Rules → Forward → Email

2. Label University Emails
Sign in Gmail → Settings → Filter → Create a new filter → type ‘@dur.ac.uk’ in ‘From:’ section.
Press Next Step → click ‘Apply the label’ → create a new label named ‘University’

3. Send emails from Gmail by using your @dur.ac.uk
In Gmail, settings → account → Click ‘Add another email address’ → type your ‘@dur.ac.uk’ → follow instruction → DONE! Results as show in this picture.

This is how I did it anyway. I hope this may be helpful for Durham students as well as those want to use Gmail as an online multi email client.

The Japanese font problem still not solved yet. But when I login in Jay’s computer using Firefox, it doesn’t have that problem. I guess it must be some fonts missing in my system. Anyway, while I was testing Gmail in his computer, we had a comparison between hotmail, which he has been using for a long time and never thought of changing it, and Gmail.

So I spent a few minutes demonstrated how cool and convenient it is and also showed me how I managed my several accounts with just one gmail account. Also because he is a multi-language genies (English, Chinese, Spanish, French, German), the spelling check function really impressed him a lot. So after my excellent salesman persuading, google got a new customer from its competitor! Here is our conversation in Gtalk:

Richard: are you using it?
Jay: yes! i’m going to start emailing from google from now on i think
Richard: i think google need to pay me for doing this
Jay: haha no way!
Richard: I am a good saleman
Jay: u are, but this is a free service
Richard: but google got one more customer from its rival-MS
Jay: haha it’s true, but i already had an account
but u gave it to me
Richard: have one and use one is different. Just like you had a girl and you love that girl.
is different
Jay: yeah, and then i changed girlfriends and found a better girl :D :D
Richard: do you mind if I posted this conversation in my blog?
Jay: yes

(10 minutes later…)

Jay: go ahead…..it could be fun##

vs.

After started using Gmail last year, I kind of abandoned hotmail already. Both of them had some significant changed lately. I managed to upgrade my hotmail to ‘Windows Live Mail’. And a few days ago when I signed in Gmail, a new colourful sidebar appeared in main page. They all have cool AJAX, but here are my little experiences of them.

Chat in Gmail
Now I can chat to friends instantly when both of us sign in, even without installing Gtalk. And what’s cooler is all the chat history will be saved automatically in Gmail. With its almost unlimited storage, really, I don’t need to delete anything.

I heard some others had experienced a bit speed problem when chat in gmail, but so far it works perfectly with me.

AJAX Hotmail?
I was expecting some cooler stuff when first upgraded to Live hotmail, but actually it disappoint me more.

Talking about design, with while background colour and two big ads on top and right, it looks extremely like still under construction. Three columns layout in mail page makes the mail contents page smaller. I have to roll both vertically and horizontally every time when I want to read a mail, it’s really inconvenient! And then see what AJAX bring us. Drag and drop? Yes, it’s kinda cool but when I use it my CUP fan will growl because it uses up too much RAM I guess. Although it’s AJAX, but I feel more like in flash.

So it goes without saying that gmail is going to take over hotmail from me. I am hoping more of my friends can use Gmail or Gtalk. Until one day, I may uninstall my MSN and just keep Gtalk or, even just sign in Gmail. MS, you really need to do a bit catch up now!

:::: Update ::::
I have uploaded a screenshot of Windows Live Mail, take a look at its design and the notes I added.

It was yesterday-news already, Google added some new features to its Gmail. The most noticeable one to me is the Web Clips. I opened my Gmail yesterday morning and there was a new bar on top of inbox. At the begging I thought it was a imposed News reader, but after I found out it was RSS reader – you can add whatever you want to read in that little place.

Looks quite fun, but somehow I feel it disturb me when I read and reply emails. I can only do one thing at one time. But Google is still google, never too obviously force you to do something. So I unclicked the Web Clip function and inbox remained clean! Google reader didn’t make a good impression at its debut, now it seems it’s trying to rebuild its ‘reader’ image.