I’m not a big email user (read – I avoid it all costs).
I’m really struggling with the gmail web interface. I’m reluctant to just plug outlook into it, but I’m slowly losing the will to live with lost emails and threads in orders which I can’t fathom.
Is there hope?
Is it just a picnic?

** googles alternatives to outlook **

I quite like it. Sorry.

I have to use NHS webmail sometimes. Believe me, your gmail experience is very very good in comparison!

Me too. Better than outlook by a mile from a pure Emil POV.

Sounds like it’s a not being familiar with something issue, which always takes time to work out.

The search is very good and and if you create labels this helps loads and is better than folders.

I miss inbox.

Awful. I use outlook and really can’t get on with gmail. Suspect it’s just what you’re used to though.

I’ve been ‘using’ it since November last year, so I’d hope familiarity wasn’t an issue.
To add to the confusion I’m also a mac user that uses mail and calendar for my personal stuff – I don’t want to mix work and personal stuff.

I miss inbox.

Me too.

I also miss inbox. Don’t mind Gmail, mainly use it on my phone though.

I just about never go into the gmail web interface and only ever use Mozilla Thunderbird for my emails…

I have two gmail IDs and one Orange.fr coming into Thunderbird. Works fine.

I occasionally use the gmail interface if I’ve lost an email and have run out of ideas where I might have put it. Sometimes searching using the gmail interface has found “it”.

Have you checked the settings? It is possible to make it look and behave very similar to outlook.

Gmail and outlook both piss me off, equally crap at handling longish conversations but in different ways

Other than that, though, Gmail shits on outlook

I’m not a big email user (read – I avoid it all costs)

I think this is your problem.

Maybe just learn how to use it. It’s not like there’s anything easier.

I’d get frustrated at work if we had to communicate by tapping on a pipe in morse code because I’ve never learned how to do it. As it is, everyone is on Gmail and it’s fine.

Maybe just learn how to use it. It’s not like there’s anything easier.

There are lots of better ways of doing things that email enables.

I’ve had a Hotmail/Outlook account for ~22 years (or maybe a bit longer? from back when you needed an account to play on the Microsoft Gaming Zone) and while I’ve had a Gmail account for ~3 years, even though it “intelligently” filters mails to different inboxes, I’ve never seriously considered making it my primary mail app.

Many of us are simply creatures of habit for many things in our lives, staying with the same ultility companies etc. out of some unexplained loyalty, even though swapping and making savings is far simpler than it used to be.

Click the cog wheel for Settings.

Make sure Default view is selected for Inbox Type.

Go down to the bottom where it says “conversation view” and take the tick out of the box.

Behold, all your emails back in date order. You’re welcome.

Hotmail does something similar but calls it “Focused inbox” or some such. It’s a terrific misfeature.