Demise and taxes would be the most well-known of life’s certainties, however it’s also possible to all the time depend on Google to kill off one other service or characteristic. It’s usually one thing fiercely beloved or downright helpful, too. (No, I’m nonetheless not over shedding Google Reader.) And sadly, the Grim Reaper has appeared as soon as once more. This time the scythe is coming for one of many firm’s oldest options—Gmail’s fundamental HTML view. In January 2024, that straightforward interface heads for the nice past.
In keeping with The Verge, the upcoming demise was introduced quietly in a Google assist web page round mid-September.
For a lot of, this information might seem to be a no brainer—most individuals are acquainted with the usual view, which is the default while you log into Gmail by way of the net. It’s full featured, with help for contemporary fonts, a customizable inbox, built-in chat options, wealthy textual content formatting, and extra. In the meantime, the essential HTML view is precisely as described—it appears to be like like one thing from 2005 and behaves prefer it, too. All you’ll be able to actually do is learn your e mail (and on cell net, you’d higher hope there’s a correctly formatted textual content model, as a result of it doesn’t render fancier codecs properly).
PCWorld
However that simplicity is what made the essential HTML view so excellent. As a result of it takes so little information to entry, you could possibly nonetheless entry Gmail with a nasty web connection or whereas on an historic system. Or each. A couple of member of the PCWorld employees makes use of the essential HTML view—some throughout commerce exhibits or conventions, others wherever native reception is dangerous. Even when service crawls alongside on the equal of 2G or slower speeds, you’re not shut out of your inbox. Beginning subsequent yr, although, we’re all out of luck.
Whereas this improvement is disappointing, it’s not shocking. Google’s been pushing a number of merchandise and tasks onto the chopping block (and into the graveyard) as of late. Google Domains is gone, as is the Pixel Cross program (a lot to the ire of subscribers who by no means received their promised cellphone improve). It’s a stark distinction with Microsoft, which not solely provides reprieves to venerable apps as soon as marked for retirement, however decides to soup them up, too.
