GMail extracurricular round-up

You can't buy marketing like this. The invitation-only beta of GMail has given it instant geek cachet, and that in turn is encouraging geeks to hack up all sorts of useful utilities and converters. After all, even Google can't make a system so useful and usable that a decent geek can't make it better, stronger, and more complicated.

Windows utilities for GMail are sprouting like lettuce bunnies. GTray sits in your system tray and notifies you when you have new mail at GMail. If you like the free storage but hate (or can't use) the GMail web client, "Pop Goes the GMail" lets you download your GMail messages into a POP3 mail client like Outlook or Pocomail. G-Mailto lets you automatically associate "mailto" browser links with the GMail compose window.

If you're feeling brave, Mark Lyon's GML (Google Mail Loader) lets you import your existing mailbox to GMail from many mail formats. If GML doesn't support your current mail flavor, this article by Justin Blanton on "Getting More Out of GMail" lists several other importers and exporters, along with several other good tips and links.

GMail Gems (aka "Secrets of the GMail Wizards") is a weblog devoted to GMail tips and tricks. It seems to be run by the folks at Google, although it doesn't explicitly identify itself as such. I love all the keyboard shortcut hints (for instance, "g i" to Go to the Inbox, but you have to have keyboard shortcuts turned on in Settings).

If you're jonesing for a GMail invite, I have a few left; email me. First come, first served; unless you annoy me, in which case I will have just run out.