Why Is Gmail Still in Beta?

April 9, 2009 at 12:04 am PT

Gmail turned five on Wednesday, April 1. Launched in 2004 as an invitation-only email service, the Google (GOOG) product now has more than 100 million users. Yet it’s still in “beta”–a term of art traditionally reserved for prototype software that’s ready for testing. What gives?

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Tagged with: beta, email, Gmail, Google, Internet, Juliet Lapidos, prototype, Slate.com, software

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David Lopez

Well I think that the term “beta” after 5 years only tells you about a continuous improvement philosophy in a company that has grown beyond our imagination. I think this is much better than having various 1.0 1.1 2.0 2.0.1 etc versions.

Thanks Gmail for giving us relatively ad-free internet based email with tons of room, and new features all the time.

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