Google Watch - Gmail - Google Opens Gmail to You. Yes You.

Google Opens Gmail to You. Yes You.

Written By
Steve Bryant
Steve Bryant
Feb 7, 2007
1 minute read
eWeek content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More

Almost three years after its launch, Gmail is now available to all comers. Google continues to refer to the e-mail app as a beta product.

When the Gmail launched on April Fool’s Day in 2004 and offered 1GB of storage, a lot of folks thought Google was pulling their leg. After all, Hotmail and Yahoo only offered 2MB.
But Gmail, which now offers almost 3GB of storage, ended up redefining how Web users think of e-mail applications and hinted that Google would be an app-building powerhouse. Hotmail and Yahoo have scrambled to catch up.

Gmail’s debut ruffled a lot of feathers, though. Privacy advocates were taken aback by Google’s intent to sell ads on e-mails. Those concerns are perhaps even more valid now, given the number of applications Google offers to the public.

Google has had some problems with Gmail lately, most notably in Germany where it lost a trademark case. The app is now called Google Mail in the UK and Germany.

eWeek Logo

eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site's focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

Property of TechnologyAdvice. © 2026 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.