Trailing behind Google Reader, who got its refresh yesterday, Google's email service, Gmail, has also received a significant update, one that brings a redesigned conversation view, better navigation, improved search capabilities and more.
The upgraded conversation view has a lighter design allowing users to focus on the actual content, and adds profiles pictures so 'it’s easier to keep track of who said what', whereas the tweaked navigation panel (the one on the left) offers more customization options - resizing labels and chat areas. Moreover, there are arrow keys to help navigate around the interface.
People who like to make Gmail more lively will be happy to know that Google has revamped the themes available, making old favorites better and adding new, high-resolution ones sourced from iStockphoto.
A new advanced search panel also been added to speed up the search/filtering process, while the Settings menu now offers a few options regarding the spacing between elements. The spacing is done automatically depending on screen size but the user can modify it manually too.
All these changes are going to be rolling out on their own soon, but eager users can have them quicker by clicking on the 'Switch to the new look' link that will appear in the bottom-right of Gmail.
