quote:Online search engine leader Google Inc plans a free email service providing 250-500 times more storage space than market leaders Yahoo! Inc and Microsoft Corp, delivering the latest challenge in a fierce fight for web supremacy
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
quote: "I don't think [the ads] will be annoying at all," Page said. "We think this will give us a business model that will work and allow us to provide a high-quality service."
*snort* SUUUURE. Having links in private emails to web-ads won't be annoying at all!
Why does the article have a dateline of April 2? It's April FIRST! (Is that it? Is this really a joke?)
All their articles say April 2. Weird.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Well, that particular article was out of Australia -- are they ahead of us on the timeline?
Farmgirl
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Yes, that's likely it -- it is already tomorrow in Australia. Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
aren't they behind us? Isn't it yesterday in Australia?
[ April 01, 2004, 09:45 AM: Message edited by: sarcasticmuppet ]
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
The web ads would be like google's ads, where they have small text based messages. You've likely seen them on google's searches (look to the right, and directly above the searches) and on many web pages. They're nonintrusive, and tailor themselves to the content making them have a much higher rate of interest.
Posted by JohnKeats (Member # 1261) on :
Anything would outshine hotmail.
Posted by Suneun (Member # 3247) on :
They probably dated them April 2nd so people wouldn't believe it's an April First joke. I've seen a lot of people trying to figure out if it's a complete joke.
Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :
Am I the only one that thinks "G-mail" sounds like the female equivalent of a penis enlargment add?
Are we sure this isn't an April Fools?
AJ
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
I think it is.
Posted by Robespierre (Member # 5779) on :
Google has shown in the past that they are some shrewd businesspeople. Just look at their frontpage compared to yahoo's front page. Look at the lack of clutter, the simple acessibility of all their options. Yahoo is a frenzied circus of trash. I think google will do well in the free e-mail market, if indeed it is their aim and not a joke.
[ April 01, 2004, 10:15 AM: Message edited by: Robespierre ]
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
Sarmup, I believe that EVERYONE is ahead of us. If I'm not mistaken, the sun sets for the world in Hawaii or whatever tiny islands.
I always get confused...the IDL goes through Greenwich, but the Prime Meridian goes through the Pacific Ocean? Isn't that right?
In that case, maybe that WOULD put Australia ahead of us.
Posted by Hobbes (Member # 433) on :
Other way around.
...
I think.
Hobbes Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
The Prime Meridian is in Greenwich? Is that what you're saying?
Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :
Japan's a full day behind, aren't they? I think I remember something from The Three Ninjas where they thought they missed the Sunday game while they were in Japan but really it was only Saturday in the States.
And Australia's somewhere between Japan and Hawaii...
[ April 01, 2004, 10:24 AM: Message edited by: sarcasticmuppet ]
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
3 Ninjas!!!!
*Adds Sarcastic Muppet to "human list"*
LOL.....you guys are really impressing me today.
I'm so happy, let's talk about 3 Ninjas.
"You are very worthy opponent, Spaz."
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
There is a link to an FAQ where you can submit your email address to be notified when it goes online.
Posted by Book (Member # 5500) on :
To me, GMail reminds me of GMan... Which makes it sounds cool and intimidating. I'd sign up just so I could say, "I'm on GMail."
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I hate this day of the year. I have to ignore almost everything I see/read, and then check the next day to see how full of it people were.
Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
I know what you mean. In ninth grade, my best friend's cat got hit by a car on April Fools' day. When she told me about it, I didn't believe her, and I laughed at her. But it had really happened. I have had a grudge against this day ever since.
Posted by peterh (Member # 5208) on :
My wife's name is April. She hates it because as a kid it was always, "April's a fool day."
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Google already has the obligatory April Fool's prank, but perhaps that's a feint, a red herring.
---- It seems to me that there is an academic paper to be done on how the semiotics of April Fool's Day pranks has changed with the advent of the Web.
Posted by Farmgirl (Member # 5567) on :
Well, CNN Money is convinced it is NOT a prank -- and says they have confirmed it is true in interviews with Google marketers.
Farmgirl
Posted by mr_porteiro_head (Member # 4644) on :
I still don't believe it. One GB per person? That is preposterous.
Posted by Chris Bridges (Member # 1138) on :
Apparently it's legit, a victim of bad timing. Forbes article Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
One gigabyte per person isn't preposterous at all. Think about where google's expertise is -- massive farms of consumer computers. Considering the google search database stores itself in RAM, they probably have lots of HD space floating around that they're just not using. And even if they open up whole new farms, since they already have the management technology developed the biggest costs are taken care of. The hardware technology is comparatively cheap, especially if they make it all viewed as one massive disk image and dynamically allocate accounts (like they will). I bet most people's accounts won't go over 50 Megabytes for years, and not over 500 until past 2010 (note, I'm saying the average account, not all accounts by any means). They should be able to do it with under $5 million in initial hardware outlay (and likely even less)
Posted by Zevlag (Member # 1405) on :
Fugu, most absolutely right. It will be great.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Heck, even if they stick it all in RAM its not preposterous. In fact, that would make it even easier in certain ways. 2 GB of RAM per computer (2 to keep it cost effective) at under $500 a pop per computer. More likely under $300 if they're skimping the hard drive and processor which would be more important in an HD based system. At 50 MB a person, that's about 40 people per computer. So an initial expenditure of between seven and eight dollars a person.
Significantly higher initial outlay, but still manageable. And likely to grow much, much cheaper over the years -- there are several memory technologies in commercial development right now that promise to increase both speed and density of RAM.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Oh, and with their highly successful ad model, they'll probably sell enough advertising in the first year (possibly much less, this has been highly anticipated) to completely cover startup costs.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Does hotmail even shine?
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Cheaper than that, fugu13. A single computer can be configured to handle many hard drives.
What's cute is that Googlemail will "read" your messages, and tailor ads based on key words&phrases contained within the text. And no, it doesn't mean that your privacy will be violated any more than by sending clear text through your InternetServiceProvider.
Posted by fugu13 (Member # 2859) on :
Especially considering pretty much all ISPs use spam filtering that filters based on message content. Thats just as much of a privacy "concern".
Re: what I was estimating, recall I was estimating prices for the necessary computers plus a reasonable quantity of hard drive space. Google's strategy so far hasn't been to load up as much as possible in a given computer, but to get off the shelf computers in large numbers with smaller individual capabilities, and I'm pretty certain they'll continue that strategy.
Posted by peterh (Member # 5208) on :
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[Confused]](confused.gif)
All their articles say April 2. Weird.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
Am I the only one that thinks "G-mail" sounds like the female equivalent of a penis enlargment add? ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
I have had a grudge against this day ever since.
![[ROFL]](graemlins/rofl.gif)