Four solutions to work with Gmail in Windows 8 under Modern UI
Gmail is Google's mail service. Many users have one or more accounts that we can manage from the application's website using a browser. Google has declined for the time being to create apps for Windows 8 . I say “for the moment” because 100 million Windows 8 licenses sold might make the Mountain View giant think again.
The fact is that, to date, by not having an "official" client, other software companies are offering solutions, including Microsoft itself, to be able to manage Gmail without leaving the Modern UI interfaceIn this article we are going to see four applications with this purpose.
h2. Mail, the default system application
The Mail application that comes with Windows 8 by default is the first option if we want to work with Gmail under the Modern UI user interface. If we have never used it, the first time we run the software we will be required to configure the Microsoft email account associated with the system user, and particularly if in Windows 8 we work with a local account instead of an online account. Once the data is supplied, the Mail application is ready to work.
Now we are going to see the necessary steps to configure a Gmail account in Mail With Mail running, we have to show the sidebar right, either with the mouse, or with the finger.When is displayed, we will choose the “Settings” icon and after this, in the text menu that appears, we will click on the “Accounts” option. We will then see the default account associated with the system user.
We press or tap on the only available option: “Add account”. Once done, we will choose the “Google” option After that, a dialog will appear where we must indicate in the corresponding text boxes, our Gmail email address and password associate. In the password box we have a small control that allows, by pressing and holding, to see the password that we have entered.
When all the information is duly recorded, we will click on the “Connect” control. Then another screen will appear that allows us to connect the Google account to the system account. My preference in this regard is not to connect, and I press “Cancel”.It is convenient that you read the information that Microsoft provides about the fact of connecting . There will be those who use it and others not.
We already have the Gmail account that we wanted within the Mail application. All the Gmail accounts that we configure will appear outlined in the lower left corner of the application, and switching between each one of them is simple, just press/tap on their name.
h2. Gmail Alerts
This is a different solution, since it is not a mail client, but allows you to view the message headers without leaving the Modern UI environment. Every time you click on one of the boxes that contains a header, the application opens the Gmail login page in the browser (that we have configured by default and that works in Modern UI).
If the option of configuring the default "Mail" application does not satisfy you to manage the Google mail service, and your message traffic is small, Gmail Alerts can be a solution. Gmail Alerts only allows you to configure one account per session, so my advice is to use this software for a marginal Gmail account that does not have much movement.
The only thing that can be configured is the update interval, with a minimum of 15 minutes and a maximum of 120 minutes. Anchored to the home screen, Gmail Alerts works in the background and through the dynamic icon we can see new email alerts. Gmail Alerts is a free app available in the app store.
h2. Gmail Touch+
Gmail Touch+ is another Simple Modern UI solution for working with GmailWhen we launch the application, it presents us with the login screen of the Google mail service, although outside the browser. Once the username and password have been entered, we enter the main screen of the application. The first thing we will see while loading the interface and the messages is a notice with the last three received messages.
The interface is divided into three areas: an upper band in blue, with the Gmail Touch+ icon and menu options, the largest area for displaying the relevant message information, and to the right of this, the folders in which we have Gmail organized.
The top menu options on the left side are: Application Icon>"
"On the right side of the blue band we have another menu, the first two options are: delete >"
The following icon (folder with “+” sign), allows access to another Gmail account, displaying a small vertical menu called “Accounts”, where we can see>" "
Finally there is the “Home” control, with the same functionality as when we click on the application icon, and Logout, to close everything. Gmail Touch+ is a free app with , available in the app store. If there&39;s one thing to highlight about Gmail Touch+, it&39;s the elegance of the interface when it comes to presenting complete messages."
h2. Toasts & Tiles for Gmail
This is the last Modern UI solution to control Gmail from this article. The program transfers to the Windows 8 interface the appearance of the Gmail web client in "raw" form, without any modification, allowing you to manage Google mail in full screen without leaving the Modern UI environment.
At the moment, the application is only capable of managing a maximum of three accounts, this being a somewhat relative inconvenience. The advantage lies in the simplicity to switch between accounts. With a right click of the mouse, it shows the configured accounts in the upper bar that is displayed after the action, just like we do in Internet Explorer to show the different tabs.
It does not offer many more possibilities, apart from the fact that each account can be pinned to the home screen independently, where we will see incoming mail notifications. Another very welcome detail on tablets is the ability to change the size of the fonts. It also has a simple download manager. Toasts and Tiles for Gmail , like the rest of the applications seen in the article, is a free application, available in the application store.
h2. Conclusions
Mail is the most powerful solution. Gmail Alerts is the simplest option. Gmail Touch+ is a good choice for tablets. Toasts and Tiles for Gmail is the choice if speed is what counts.Each of the solutions seen in the article has a different approach to working with Google mail under the Modern UI environment, and can be adapted to different scenarios. The most powerful and system-integrated solution is Mail , the default application.
Alerts Gmail is the simplest solution, ideal perhaps for lovers of the Gmail web application, who only need to receive notifications while they are working in another application and, I repeat, for accounts with little traffic.
Gmail Touch+ seems to me a good solution for tablets, the name says it all. If you are used to the Gmail interface and simply want to have it without leaving Modern UI, it is an option to consider.The one it shows is not too invasive as the application is now.
Finally, Toasts and Tiles for Gmail is the one I would choose if speed is what counts for managing up to three Gmail accounts simultaneous, and in particular if they are very active accounts. In fact, it is the one I use most of all because of Cesar's what is Cesar's, I manage Microsoft accounts with Mail and Gmail accounts with Toasts and Tiles for Gmail, separating the personal environment from the professional one.
Each and every one of the solutions seen have a wide margin for improvement, in particular Mail, being the official application of Microsoft must further evolve.
