Google acquires Apple-oriented email client Sparrow ahead of iPad app release

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Comments

  • Reply 61 of 95
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member


    In a similar vein Facebook has acquired Acrylic Software, developer's of popular iOS apps like Pulp for newsfeeds and . . .


     


    ...Wallet, for iOS and Mac, that helps users keep track of passwords, license keys, credit cards and other sensitive information.


    Facebook snuggles in ever deeper tighter in Apple, Mac and iOS. The two employees who comprise Acrylic say they won't be taking the current Wallet data with them to Facebook, instead starting from scratch.


     


    http://blog.acrylicapps.com/post/27635101056/our-next-project-facebook

  • Reply 62 of 95
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member


    http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57476739-93/google-snatches-up-sparrow-team-to-work-on-gmail/


     


     


     


    Quote:



    From the email I received: "However, as we'll be busy with new projects at Google, we do not plan to release new features for the Sparrow apps."


     


    Sparrow customers have now paid for abandonware. 




     


    Paying for abandonware isn't *that* bad. You're still getting something for your money: the app "as is." You just won't be getting any further updates for it. 


     


    Some folks can live with that, some folks can't. 


     


    But one thing is for sure: It is abandonware now, in its current state. 

  • Reply 63 of 95
    jragostajragosta Posts: 10,473member
    fredaroony wrote: »
    Google Chrome, Mail, Docs and Sites are crap?

    Yes.
    fredaroony wrote: »
    I guess that makes you his alter ego since you only seem to bad mouth Google for some reason.

    Where 'some reason' is 'well-established evidence that Google has no respect for privacy or intellectual property' as well as products that work poorly or not at all.

    OTOH, his praise for Google products stems from nothing more than them coming from Google.
  • Reply 64 of 95
    dunksdunks Posts: 1,254member
    Google has become the new Microsoft.

    Long-time Apple fans will remember when they robbed the Mac of getting Halo by purchasing Bungie...

    I will never forget Microsoft's acquisition of Rare. It killed off one of Nintedo's best third party developers. None of their subsequent outputs were remotely the same. Nor were they accessible to the fan base that were responsible for their success.

    I still find Gmail a truly excellent experience, primarily because of conversation view. It's a million times better than microsoft outlook, which i'm forced to use at work; too much crud in the interface, slow ass search and the inexplicable archiving process. iOS mail plays nice with gmail but I'd prefer they used labels instead of folders because it's inefficient to think of digital content only being accessible in one place at any one time.
  • Reply 65 of 95
    fredaroonyfredaroony Posts: 619member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Dunks View Post







    I still find Gmail a truly excellent experience, primarily because of conversation view. It's a million times better than microsoft outlook, which i'm forced to use at work; too much crud in the interface, slow ass search and the inexplicable archiving process. iOS mail plays nice with gmail but I'd prefer they used labels instead of folders because it's inefficient to think of digital content only being accessible in one place at any one time.


    I would love to use Outlook as my work has Lotus Notes, which is a terrible experience.

  • Reply 66 of 95
    quadra 610quadra 610 Posts: 6,757member


    Postbox?


     


    http://www.postbox-inc.com


     


    http://www.postbox-inc.com/blog


     


    I'll be trying this out. 

  • Reply 67 of 95
    fredaroonyfredaroony Posts: 619member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by jragosta View Post





    Yes.

     


    Well that sums it up for me! Pretty much what I thought you would say..

  • Reply 68 of 95

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Gazoobee View Post


     


    I'm not saying it doesn't have it's uses.  For the average end user however, the whole concept of "downloading your mail from the server" just to read it is poison IMO.  


     


    I wish I had the several years of my life back that I spent explaining to PhD's that all of their email was deleted off the server and that yes, it was their fault, and ... no, being smart and having a PhD doesn't mean you can't make colossally stupid mistakes with POP email.  



    Well, I don't have a PhD...I have a BFA and I have been using the same POP3 account for eons. I have never had an issue with downloading my email and using options to delete it from the server once read. If it's important enough, I save it along with others in an .mbox archive. I have never lost any email before. POP3 may not be your cup of tea, but it works fine for me. Maybe I'm not the average end user. 

  • Reply 69 of 95
    This is another sad story like Freehand.
  • Reply 70 of 95
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by specter2009 View Post


    I'm sorry but I had to laugh at that because Apple is just like MS too, if not worse.



     


     


    How so? I don't recall Apple having to have the need to enter every market.  As Steve Jobs said, we didn't enter search. Further, I don't recall Apple being found guilty of illegal anti-competitive behavior like Microsoft was. Google sure is being accused of such actions, and settling with governments over such actions. I don't' see Apple settling such actions. 

  • Reply 71 of 95
    ifailifail Posts: 463member
    mrstep wrote: »
    Totally agree.  It wasn't some strange "Well, Jobs chose not to buy them and gave Microsoft the opportunity to screw Apple."  Apple wasn't looking to get into the games business, and as evidence of that: They haven't to the present day.

    Microsoft had a very valid reason to buy a studio, particularly when they saw a strong title that they could lock up for the XBox platform. Obviously it was a buzzkill for the Apple community to see the leading Mac game studio suddenly owned by Microsoft, but making it some malicious personal game seems like a stretch.

    Your answer is right they weren't in the gaming industry so they had to no reason in particular to buy Bungie but the fact of the matter is they passed on it. You can look up the stories that were published back in 2010 that Steve literally blew up when he had heard Microsoft bought them.
    gazoobee wrote: »
    This is pure historical revisionism.  

    The fact is, Microsoft bought Bungie before Apple did.  
    All that other stuff where you ascribe personal motives to Steve Jobs and "get inside his head" to tell us what he was thinking ... is just made up.  

    Bungie was flailing and Halo would not have been made at all without a cash infusion. Steve Jobs passed on Bungie prior to actually being sold, then was foaming mad when he had heard Microsoft purchased Bungie and the subsequent killing off of OSX Halo. This is pretty common history in gaming actually so there is no revisionism here...
  • Reply 72 of 95
    kellya74ukellya74u Posts: 171member
    deleted
  • Reply 73 of 95
    fredaroonyfredaroony Posts: 619member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by kellya74u View Post





    Just after Google created Android, it bought Simplify to create the streaming service for android only, & killed off the entire 'paid for' Mac streaming service. Google showed their hand of integrity & business ethics early on. I don't expect it to be different with Google's acquisition of Sparrow.


    What about when Apple bought Siri then decided you couldn't have it on the iPhone 4 afterwards? It could clearly run on the iPhone 4 as it was an app in the app store before Apple bought.


     


    What about Apple only allowing the iPad 3 run as a hotspot when the iPad 1/2 could also be used as a hotspot but Apple wont allow it? The iPad 2 should have had the hotspot at a minimum.

  • Reply 74 of 95

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Blah64 View Post


     


    So what do people use these days to consolidate their messages on various services?



     


     


     


    i have absolutely no idea. i tried "imo", ebuddy and im+  and they were all horrific. i actually started experiencing feedbackloops with ebuddy  running on a browser (connected to facebook, etc), while being on facebook chat on facebook, and on ebuddy (logged onto facebook) with my 3GS. i've basically given up on all IMs now and i have no way to contact some people anymore. i really .. loathe .. what google did to Meebo.

  • Reply 75 of 95

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    Messages (10.8). I just use iMessage and a few legacy contacts on AIM, but it can do any service save for Skype.



     


    wait what? does Message on 10.8 work for ICQ,Yahoo,gchat,fbchat,msn?? if so, how? would really love to know.

  • Reply 76 of 95
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by esaruoho View Post

    wait what? does Message on 10.8 work for ICQ,Yahoo,gchat,fbchat,msn?? if so, how? would really love to know.


     


    Messages does everything that iChat before it did, plus iMessage. Those work like they always have.

  • Reply 77 of 95

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    Messages does everything that iChat before it did, plus iMessage. Those work like they always have.



     


     


    does this involve jabber somehow?

  • Reply 78 of 95
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by esaruoho View Post

    does this involve jabber somehow?


     


    Indeed, but it's actually comparatively simple to set up.


     


    Here's what is supported natively (plus iMessage), and then the rest can be set up through Jabber.


     


    image


     


    Facebook Microsoft Messenger

  • Reply 79 of 95
    old-wizold-wiz Posts: 194member


    Guess that's the end of Sparrow.  This is what happens to small companies that develop good and innovative software; they get bought by larger companies, either to simply acquire the tech team or to kill the product.  This is one reason to avoid software, no matter how good, that's developed by small companies; tomorrow the product could be killed.

  • Reply 80 of 95



    #next_pages_container { width: 5px; hight: 5px; position: absolute; top: -100px; left: -100px; z-index: 2147483647 !important; }
    Terrible. Just terrible.


     
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