E-mail and Gmail

Backdrop of E-mail

In the early 1960s, we were introduced to time-sharing computers that allowed all of its users to access the data at the same time. In the U. S., mail applications were developed to improve portability among such devices. Around 1995 the restrictions regarding mail transmission came to an end when the servers adopted a standard set of protocols to share messages over the Internet. This came to be known as Simple Mail Transfer Protocol or SMTP. The popularity of email raised rapidly as organizations could easily pass commands within a blink of an eye. The confusion regarding the destination of a particular mail in a network system was eliminated by Mr. Ray Tomlinson. He introduced the “@” symbol that later on came to be used for transferring messages between devices outside an internal network. The clients or users exchange messages with each other by sending them to a proprietary server from where the communication is relayed. The worldwide popularity of email and the internet went hand in hand as companies like Yahoo and Hotmail marketed them on a huge scale. From 1990 to 1999, the number of clients increased by 8 times all over the world. 

Features of Modern E-mail

Almost 4.1 billion internet users communicate using email by the end of 2021. With the advancement of technology, email services have developed over time. As the contacts kept on increasing, a necessity for sufficient memory space was felt by the users. A modern email comes with the “inbox” feature that helps us to store all the mail content that we have received to date. 

We can save the messages we receive from a particular mail ID in a customized folder so that it becomes easy to locate them later. Also, we can detect phrases within a text message and apply rules to them. This feature proves to be useful for spam messages of various companies that are seemingly unwanted. Offices and businesses are required to send automatic immediate responses to ensure they do not miss any potential customers. Thus email companies come with the feature of auto-replies.

These are a few basic tools provided by email companies for free. Apart from these features, there are several additional components that we can witness in a business email account. Business email accounts can send messages to many recipients in one click. For that, the user needs to create a group including all the destination mails beforehand. While sending the message he can simply select the group. Another smart feature is the option called “shared calendar” which allows a user to mark the dates on which he will be enjoying a holiday and not available for work. He can share it with his employer who can schedule meetings, webinars, and events accordingly. 

Introduction of Gmail

Gmail is the most liked email service company all over the world. It was launched by Google. The popularity is evident because of its few unique features. Gmail implements an advanced algorithm to filter spam content. A default folder is maintained for such messages. Those mails stay in the mail ID for only 30 days. When we exchange frequent emails with a particular ID, Gmail automatically clubs the mails together and they do not appear disoriented throughout the inbox. This feature is termed as “conversation view”. There is a feature of video chat in Gmail which enables us to interact with another user-provided that we know his/her Gmail ID. Gmail also presents its chatbox or the “Hangouts” where we can chat informally with someone instead of sending formal mails every time. Gmail contributes a lot in removing communication barriers among users across the globe. 

Difference Between E-mail and Gmail

The email refers to a medium of communication where internet users share digital messages among themselves using electronic gadgets. Gmail is a free email service brand launched by Google in 2004 mainly for advertising marketing. 

Email-only serves the basic purpose of sending and receiving a message over the Internet. Gmail provides quite a few special features like spam filtering, conversation view, virus detection, shared calendar, and many more. 

Email service does not offer the feature of scheduling messages. Gmail overcomes this drawback of email. 

Gmail earns profit by running advertisements. Email does not show advertisements. 

ARPANET Project’s Email is the precursor of Gmail as it came into action as early as the 1970s. 

Conclusion

With the introduction of electronic mails, the communication gap among remote destinations completely came to an end. The features of attaching documents, pictures, and other valuable information sources benefitted many enterprises and saved the time and resources of many personal device users. More than half of the population all around the world are now connected through email services. Gmail is the most popular option of the mass due to its simple interface and additional free unique features.