Most people pick set up a Gmail account simply because someone close to them has advised them to take advantage of all the great things this entails: enough storage space to pileup mountains of letters, a snappy and easy to use interface, and compatibility with other Google applications. The thing is that Google’s mail client has lots more to offer, but unless you do a little digging up, you will probably never get to enjoy these cool features.

The first thing that you could do is make the Gmail user interface a bit more friendly (or amusing, or amusing) with the themes that were introduced late November. There are some 30 different themes to choose from – some are quite simple in that they only modify Gmail’s color scheme while others change according to the weather or the time of the day. The Gmail theme that I liked the most and that I am currently using is “Tea House”. If you would like to activate Gmail themes, a how to guide is available here.

If you want to chat with your buddies, there is no need to go to an instant messaging program – you can audio and video chat directly from within Gmail. You will of course need a webcam in order for the video part; Google is there for you and even provides you with some suggestions. If you would like to audio and video chat in Gmail, a how to guide is available here.

If you can’t be bothered wit checking your Gmail account every couple of minutes or so, and if not knowing whether you have new mail in your inbox gives you anxiety, it is now possible to download a Google Desktop gadget to keep on your desktop. You could even let Canned Responses pick up some of your work and send out automated replies.