Email was the first killer application on the Internet and while it has been surpassed by many others in terms of the "coolness" factor, it remains one of the top applications for almost every Internet user around the world.  However, the development of new email software is almost nil - except for Google's Gmail.

Tens of millions of business and home users still use Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express - but Outlook is a desktop software that is updated only once every 2-3 years.  Not much innovation can occur on that update schedule.  Millions of other Internet users use the web based email program provided by their Internet Service Provider (ISP) but most of those providers are also resting on their laurels.  The ISPs are struggling to remain afloat and they aren't investing in new software development.

So this leaves us with, Google Gmail, and they are rolling out new feature after new feature.  It may say beta on the product that only reflects that they keep innovating!  With this in mind, here are 10 reasons why you should switch to Gmail sooner than later for your personal email.  And, if you already use Gmail, make sure you a tapping into these features:

1. Switching email accounts can be pretty painful. It's like getting out of a relationship.  However, Gmail now imports email and contracts from numerous other email providers. All you have to do is click on “Settings” and then hop over to the “Accounts and Imports” tab. Specify the account you want to import the mail and contacts from, choose the options and you are done! Supported email providers include:
   • aol.com
   • clear.net.nz
   • hotmail.com
   • Ihug.co.nz
   • juno.com
   • live.com
   • msn.com
   • netscape.com
   • optusnet.com.au
   • orcon.net.nz
   • paradise.net.nz
   • slingshot.co.nz
   • yahoo.com
2. If you have a slower connection, Inbox Preview is awesome. Imagine you are waiting for email to load,   what if you could get a sneak peak of your account while email is still loading? That is precisely what Inbox Preview has to offer. It presents a static view of the 10 most recent messages in your account.
3. Save yourself the embarrassment of the second whoops-I-forgot! email with the Forgotten Attachment Detector. It reviews your email to determine whether or not you had meant to attach a file and alerts you if an attachment is missing.
4. Do a lot of repetitive typing. With Canned Responses, you can set up canned replies so you can quickly and easily fire off that same old reply.  If you run a club, a forum, a volunteer group - you'll be amazed how often you can use this!
5. You can read your mail offline. Offline Gmail turns Gmail into an offline email client. You can search most of your messages, draft new messages, and do pretty much everything you can do with Gmail while you're connected to the internet.
6. Search your mail using Google search within Gmail to find the exact message you want, no matter when it was sent or received. Just search for a message when you need it and we'll find it for you.
7. Conversations, Not Messages - No more looking in separate places to find the original message, replies, etc…  The original email is attached to every reply that is sent or received.  They are saved as a conversation, not individual emails.  You can see the entire email conversation as it happens. 
8. You will never have to delete a message. There is more than enough space - virtually unlimited space.
9. Less annoying ads. Anyone who has used Yahoo Mail, AOL Mail, or Windows Live Hotmail knows all too well that the annoying ads are in abundance. But when you load up Gmail, it's an entirely different story as they're not intrusive in any way.
10. Gmail spam filters block 99% of the spam that usually makes it to your inbox.  This isn’t a SPAM filter you constantly have to add things to, this a smart filter that is both accurate and thorough. 

Resistance is futile. So even if you don't drop your current providers than just consolidate all your other email by having Gmail go check them all and bring them back to one place.