I wish they would have taken more time to better support tabbed browsing instead of implementing their own floating compose windows in javascript.

Now they've implemented their own version of tabs.

Just support native browser controls, please. People understand them. They're simple. They work. The more stuff they add, the heavier Gmail becomes... and the more of a pain it is to load in multiple real tabs.

Show me any big web app that doesn't use tabs at least somewhere. I don't see what the big deal is.

I'd like to once again recommend trying the Basic Html view. You can middle-click the compose button (or any link, really) and it opens in a new tab. It's super helpful for keeping multiple emails open to reference while writing a new one (which is what the floaty javascript compose window is supposed to solve, but it doesn't really)

"...and you can't even pick what goes into the tabs they have created."

Sure you can. Just drag an email between them. It gives you the option to permanently move emails from that sender to a specific tab. Presumably, it also adapts to your selections, much like their priority and spam filters.

I hate the new compose. I think the mail UI team need to make a poster that says.

"If it's not broken, don't fix it"

The new compose has at least 4 things that are broken for me:

1) When you hit "forward", it hides the subject box, even though the majority of the time when I hit forward I want to delete the "Fwd:" from the subject line. Especially when sending a form email. This resulted in a couple of embarrassing emails before I changed back to the old compose.

2) I often want to create a big list of emails that I want to review before hitting send. The new compose replaces each email address I type with the persons name! For a lot of people I do business with, I have both their business and personal email address. But now I can't tell which one I'm about to email. What the hell Google?

3) Attachments are now an object within the email. But often I want to forward something with an attachment, but clear out the text in the email. Well now when I do select-all, it deletes the attachment also.

4) The compose email doesn't cover my screen, even when I pop it out as its own window. When I'm drafting an email, I don't want to be able to see distractions. If other emails pop up while I'm editing it, that can make me lose my train of thought. Worse, there are no options that I can set to change this.

And that's just off the top of my head...

You mean the compose that pops up and doesn't open in a new page? 100% agree.

Go to your gmail. Enable keyboard shortcuts. Press "d".

No can do. I refuse to turn shortcuts on because there are at least 2 (and maybe more I'm not aware of) ways to send the email I'm currently drafting. Command + Enter, or hitting shift, then enter.

I've learned from past email programs that's a recipe for disaster. Turn those two off and I'd gladly use keyboard shortcuts.

Use the undo send lab.

I prefer shift+C since it makes Chrome pop up a separate window (I like alt-tabbing to reference when writing e-mails... maybe that's just me)

Have you tried ctrl+click?

Does work! Feels unnatural though, opens a pop-up stretched to be displayed full screen.

Gmail previously had 5 types of inbox view. Now it has 6. Feel free to choose the one you like.

Gmail previously had 1 type of message compose. Now it has 2. Feel free to choose the one yo--oops, now it has 1. The one you didn't choose.

Used to have 2 (old one, and pop out), now it has 2 (new one and pop out). (there is also the look for reply, and for chatting (which i use even if other is offline sometimes instead of a quick email), and the ability to revert to the old look)

By this logic, the old one is at least as fascist. Additionally, while you might not like the new style, "real" feature was removed, but the ability to write multiple emails at once, or write one while one is open, were added.

Edit: I just tried to old one to see it again. It is rather bulky. It needed a UI update of some kind at least. (which may have been accomplished not semi-popped out, i guess)

Technically, you still have two compose interfaces, but they have promised to remove the oldest one. To get the old interface, click the little downward pointing arrow and select "Temporarily switch back to old compose".

To be fair, you didn't choose the old one either. Since, ya know, it was the only choice.

>Judging by how they are forcing the new compose on everyone it is reasonable to expect that they will force us to use this as well.

Considering Google has already allowed users to choose from 5 different Inbox styles for years now, I don't really think your conclusion is logical.