Google created the most powerful email ever. You`ve heard of Gmail and you probably want to create an account. Before I will be your guide, I would like to say the following: Gmail, it`s free, it`s not that old ( launched for the first time in April 1, 2004 ) when compared with Hotmail or Yahoo. At the time that I am writing this article, Gmail has over 260 million users worldwide. Right now, Gmail offers the biggest email storage capacity, it`s probably the fastest and it has a lot of options. It`s a complex and easy to use free email service. Ok, let`s get started with the sign up process for Gmail. Open the Gmail page, all you have to do is to either type www.gmail.com or simply ``Gmail`` in Google and you will land on this page:
In the upper-right corner you can find a red button called ``Create an Account``. Make sure that you click on this button and you will be redirected to the signup page. I`ve split the ``Create an Account`` page in two pictures so that you can have a better view. Here`s what you need to enter:
1. Your First name
2. Your Last name
3. Desired Login Name:
Note: Make sure that you enter your desired username and click on ``check availability!`` button. If the username it`s not available, you will see an error message and a couple of suggestions. If you like any username from those suggestions, select one otherwise keep trying until you will find an available username. When you will find one it will say the same thing like in my picture.
4. Choose a password
5. Re-enter password
Note: Stay signed in and Enable Web History are optional, you can uncheck them if you like.
6. Security question:
Note: You can choose from several security questions or you can create your own security question if you like.
7. Answer:
Note: Make sure that you remember the answer to your security question so that you can be able to recover your Gmail password if you will ever forget or loose access to your account.
8. Location:
Note: Enter your country
9. Birthday: Enter your birthday in the same format e.g. 1/12/2012
10. Word Verification:
Note: This is a re-captcha verification code in order to prevent automated signups, if you don`t understand the code, you have two options. Click on the refresh button and a new code will appear or listen to the code by clicking on the small volume sound box.
11. Terms of Service
Note: Read the Terms of Service, there are several things explained there such as why you`re seeing ads relevant to the content of your messages.
That`s it, if you completed all the steps click on ``I accept. Create my account.``
If everything went well, you should be able to read ``Congratulations!`` - ``You`ve successfully signed up for Gmail! Here`s a quick run through to help you get comfortable.`` and all of course all you have to do is to click on ``Show me my account`` blue button. If you`re not at that page, you`ve probably made a mistake when you`ve completed all details or you will be required to enter a phone number for verification but this is not the purpose of this article.
You may see this page or probably not which is an introduction to Gmail`s new look. It`s actually a helping page, explaining a couple of things about the new look but you may not see this page. If it`s going to appear just click on the blue button called ``Continue to the new look``.
Finally, this is the main interface of Gmail, when you will sign in for the first time you will receive 3 emails from Google helping you with 3 things: how to get Gmail on your mobile phone, how to import your contacts and old email and how to customize Gmail with color and themes. Since you`ve created a Gmail account for the first time, I advise you to read all these emails as they are very useful and it will help you to get familiarized with Gmail.
That`s how you can sign up for Gmail and I would like to add a few things. At the time that I wrote this article, Gmail offered over 7 GB of storage, POP and IMAP access and many other features. In order to be able to access Gmail through a computer or a mobile device you need to have cookies enabled, SSL traffic, a WAP web browser - XHTML compliant. As I said, Gmail is free and yes it has ads, but all ads are text, non-intrusive based-ads. For example if you will receive an email from a friend talking about his new car, you`re going to see small text-ads about cars. The most important thing, when you create a Gmail email account you will be able to access a lot of other Google services such as YouTube. Anyway I just wanted to say a couple of things about what to expect from this email service, as far as it concerns me, only good things.
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