You've got mail wars: Google making an inbox push

Google is pushing harder on yet another front in its bid to dominate all of online advertising: e-mail.

Yahoo and Microsoft still have an edge when it comes to your inbox, but the Internet search leader is pushing to win more share, the Financial Times reports.

Google is reportedly banking on Gmail, the Web service it launched in 2004, to deliver more advertising dollars and get users to spend more time on Google products. To accelerate its progress, the company has been rolling out a steady stream of new features and improvements -- even safeguards for those who are strangers to sobriety.

Yahoo and Microsoft are not sitting idle. Yahoo has pledged a "smarter inbox" that will allow users to add photos, status updates and more. Microsoft is making its Windows Live Hotmail inbox even more social too.

So far, Yahoo and Microsoft each have more than 250 million users to Gmail's 100 million. But Google's service is gaining ground.

Wonder which service Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan would use if "You've Got Mail" were filmed today?

-- Jessica Guynn

Photo: Tom Hanks as Joe Fox makes a love connection in Warner Bros' "You've Got Mail." Credit: Brian Hamill

Comments

[Inquisitor911]

Hopefully GMail will become the dominant e-mail service. It's by far the fastest and most feature-rich system of the three. I signed up for GMail 3 years ago, and I've never looked back.

[jojo]

@Inquisitor911. You just took the words right out of my mouth. I feel exactly the same and I too have had Gmail, my exclusive account for 3 years as well. Gmail has best storage and very importantly best filtering system. I love Gmail!