Check your Gmail messages without opening your bro small utility...

[deivid1405241470 0]

for all users that have gmail, this utility permit knows when a new email arrives.

https://support.google.com/mail/answer/10960?hl=en

PS: Only works in winXP and 2000

[qwijibow 0]

If you are Lucky enough to be using Linux......

libgmail
http://libgmail.sourceforge.net/
gmailfs
http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

this is still in its testing phases... but with a Linux System and libGmail you can do the following...

1)Mout your Gmail Account as a Local 1GB Hard disk !!!
as a test, i uploaded my Quake directory to gmailFS, deleted quake completely off my local hard disk, and ran it remotely !

took a second or 2 to load levels.... but it worked ! executed remotely !

2)Access your email through a virtual POP / SMTP proxie...
which in english, means send and recieve gmail emails with a standard email tool like ThunderBird, or Outlook Express (provided you have a linux machine on which to run the proxie)

and as for the knowing when you have got email without opening your browser or (in linux's case) an email clients...

check this out.

https://www.linux-apps.com/content/show.php?content=14927
and this
http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

again.... only runs in Linux

[iGuest 3]

A very good site which list almost all of the gmail related stuff is,
http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

You will fidn both the news and links related to gmail. They have been on slashdot and so far I found then best and un biased.

My perosnal pick is Mail Notifier. It doesn't not require any additional support (like .net) and supports multiple gmail, yahoo, hotmail accounts.

[microdude431 0]

Im currently using Gmail Notifier. It is great and it has a small icon which is located in the taskbar and lights up everytime you get new mail.