The future of email
I’m of the opinion that modern email solutions are severely lacking in their interface and features. Especially with respect to organizing, searching, and anything else that requires interaction beyond the first “read” of a message.
A thinktank group at IBM is trying to “reinvent” email in a project called Remail. They have some great ideas that I would love to see in my future.
Don’t get me wrong, I like where Mozilla Thunderbird and the new Microsoft Outlook are going, but they are still sensitive to keeping the interface similar and comfortable for current users. I believe some more radical changes in the way email is presented and interacted with is in order.
Google’s GMail has taken a new approach by trashing the concept of folders and using Labels combined with the awe-inspiring power of Google-Search. This is a great first step!
X1, a product I noted in a previous blog entry provides some fantastic cross-application search capability, which is also along the correct path for email’s future.
