拥有一个电子邮件地址(email address)就像拥有一个电话号码：一旦它出现在世界上，你就不想改变它。
除了估计每年更改的 30% 的电子邮件地址（其中大部分是商业电子邮件）之外，大多数(business emails–most)人可能不想处理转移联系人、将人们重定向到新电子邮件地址(email address)或搜索每个站点的麻烦、订阅和账单收款人(bill payee)更新他们存档的电子邮件地址。(email address)
然而，有时人们有充分的理由从一个数字语言环境大规模迁移到另一个数字语言环境。可能是您的电子邮件提供商已过时，无法跟上现代典范；或者您的提供商正在关闭，您需要寻找新家。
大多数人并没有真正了解那里有什么以及一种电子邮件服务(email service)与另一种电子邮件服务的区别。但事实是，Microsoft Outlook和Google Gmail已成为管理几乎已成为生活必不可少方面的两个最具示范性的平台。
与彼此相比，是什么让这两个电子邮件提供商更好、更差、不同或相同？对于免费的个人计划，Outlook 和 Gmail(Outlook and Gmail)之间的细微差别对大多数用户来说可能微不足道。这就是为什么在这里，我们将重点比较每项服务的基于订阅的商业计划(business plan)，以便您决定哪一个对您或您的公司和员工(company and employees)更有意义。
外观、感觉和成本
让我们解决这个问题。Outlook和
Gmail提供了非常不同的界面。简而言之，Outlook保持了企业的感觉，而Gmail提供了一些更有创意和初创公司的东西。如果Outlook是企业通信的现代风格，那么Gmail
就是后现代风格。
Outlook 的界面包含许多选项和可自定义的功能，您或您的员工将永远不会使用其中的许多功能。尽管Gmail提供了自己的一组功能，但总体而言，它是一种更简单的用户体验，专注于提供提高效率所需的基本要素。
在购买这些电子邮件服务时，您实际上是在购买它们附带的套件，Microsoft Office 365和Google G Suite。要记住的一件事是，Office 365需要按年付费，但您需要按月付费。G Suite纯粹是基于人数的月度订阅计划。(subscription plan)以下是每个用户每月的价格。
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Office 365
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G Suite
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Office 365 Business Essentials: $5
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G Suite Basic: $6
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Office 365 Business: $8.25
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G Suite Business: $12
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Office 365 Business Premium: $12.50
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G Suite Enterprise: $25
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工具套件
同样，当您为企业购买Outlook 或 Gmail(Outlook or Gmail)时，您实际上购买的不仅仅是电子邮件服务。您正在购买一套工具，其中电子邮件只是其中之一。
当谈到Office 365和G Suite的不同之处时，它实际上是对现有企业及其颠覆者的比较。我们将在以后的文章中介绍更多使这两个套件相同和不同的原因，但这里有一些突出的对比方面。
微软办公室 365
我们都使用过Microsoft Word、Excel 和 PowerPoint。这些是 Office 的核心原则，(Office)但Office 365提供的更多。今天，这三个程序可以在线获得，而不仅仅是桌面程序，使您在其中所做的工作更容易保存和共享。此外，365还为您提供：
- (Outlook )电子邮件的Outlook
- (OneDrive )用于云文件存储的OneDrive
- OneNote，一个数字笔记本
- SharePoint , 一个企业内部网
- (Microsoft Teams)用于即时消息和视频会议的Microsoft Teams
这几个应用程序提供了广泛的功能，这些功能已经定义了企业在数字范围内的内部运营方式。微软(Microsoft)已经成功地将如此多的东西整合到这些工具中以简化它为企业提供的体验，这是一个巨大的吸引力。
谷歌 G 套件
G Suite提供自己的一系列应用程序，这些应用程序与 Microsoft 的主要产品相媲美，而且还有更多。G Suite 的Word(Word)、Excel和PowerPoint替代品是Docs、Sheets和
Slides。但G Suite提供的更多功能对任何企业都有用：
- (Calendar)轻松安排团队日程的日历
- (Currents)公司范围内讨论的潮流
- (Hangouts Chat)用于即时消息的环聊聊天
- (Hangouts Meet)用于视频会议的Hangouts Meet
- (Forms )用于创建调查和表格的表格
- (Sites )用于创建网站的站点
- (App Builder )用于创建业务应用程序的应用程序生成器
- 保留(Keep )用于组织想法
- Jamboard , 数字白板
- (Drive )用于存储和共享文件的驱动器
- Google Cloud Search可在 G Suite 中进行搜索
- Admin、Vault 和 Mobile(Admin, Vault, and Mobile )，用于安全地管理用户、设备和数据
显然，这里有很多需要考虑的地方。Outlook
将很多内容整合到它提供的少数但功能强大的应用程序中。Google
提供了看似更广泛的功能，分布在多个应用程序中，其中一些是Office 365根本不提供的。
组织
做生意时，电子邮件是不间断的；它们不仅仅是用于交谈的工具。电子邮件是专业人士用来做出业务决策的知识容器，其中一些是关键任务。如果您不能保持对话和信息的优先级和组织性，那么就很难以业务的速度有效和高效地工作并避免损害质量结果(business and avoid compromising quality outcomes)。
外表
如果您考虑传统的、前数字化的组织方法，您可能会想到文件夹和文件。由于数字化本质上是采取有形活动并将其抽象为数字流程的过程，因此人们自然会认为创建电子邮件文件夹和文件是自然的行动过程。
这就是Outlook的工作方式。它使用传统的
文件夹系统(folder system)，并允许您使用彩色标签对这些文件夹中的电子邮件进行分类，就像使用可扩展文件一样。您可以根据需要创建任意数量的文件夹和子文件夹。Outlook还通过过滤掉那些您认为杂乱无章的电子邮件来尽力确定电子邮件的优先级。在您准备好查看它们之前，它们会转到Clutter 文件夹以避开您的视线。(Clutter folder)
邮箱
在描述中， Gmail 和 Outlook(Gmail and Outlook)组织电子邮件的方式可能只有细微差别；但是，在积极使用 Gmail 系统时，组织和优先级划分方法明显不同。
Gmail没有抽象出传统的“文件夹、文件(Gmail)”方法(” method)，而是使用标签。您可以使用多个标签标记邮件，而不是将它们放在文件夹中。
您可以自定义Gmail以首先显示重要(Important)、
未读和加(Unread)星标的(Starred)电子邮件。它还可以按主要(Primary)、
社交(Social)、促销(Promotions)、更新(Updates)和论坛(Forums)自动过滤电子邮件。这种优先级和组织系统使您可以轻松识别哪些电子邮件对您最重要并快速获取它们。
尽管Gmail(Gmail)存在这些差异，但有趣的是，如果您通过其他电子邮件客户端(email client)（例如
Outlook ）使用(Outlook)Gmail ，其标签将显示为文件夹。从某种意义上说，这使Gmail
更加通用，能够提供更灵活的用户体验。
搜索
在电子邮件方面，搜索与组织齐头并进。如果您无法快速有效地找到您需要的信息（这些信息可能隐藏在几个月前的电子邮件中），您最终将浪费宝贵的时间来寻找信息而不是采取行动。
外表
Outlook 的搜索功能(search function)足够好，您可以根据关键字和电子邮件地址在所有文件夹中搜索电子邮件，包括(keyword and email address)已删除文件夹(Deleted folder)中的数千封电子邮件。Outlook 有时可能达不到的地方是准确性。
搜索关键字并不(keyword doesn)总能找到正确的电子邮件或电子邮件，而且(email or emails)Outlook总是有可能只从一个链中提取少数几封电子邮件，而遗漏您需要的一封电子邮件。虽然它在大多数情况下运行良好，但它肯定没有采用与Google的电子邮件服务相同级别的搜索功能(search functionality)。
邮箱
Gmail的搜索功能(search functionality)充满了 Google 的搜索能力(search power)，这也是最初创建Gmail的原因：提供一种类似于 Google搜索引擎的(search engine)电子邮件服务(email service)。您不仅可以使用简单的字词进行搜索并相信Gmail会提供正确的结果，还可以使用高级搜索运算符，例如“from:”、“to:”、“shortcut:”以及更多可以帮助您找到具体你需要什么。
电子邮件召回
尽管
Gmail 和 Outlook(Gmail and Outlook)都提供了不同程度的详细功能的几个关键功能，但每个功能都有很大不同的一个主要功能是电子邮件召回。操作上的差异值得强调，因为大多数人在某些时候都经历过将错误的电子邮件发送给错误的人或发送他们根本不应该发送的东西的令人伤脑筋的情况。
外表
Outlook 非常适合电子邮件召回和(and )替换。只要您向其发送电子邮件的电子邮件地址托管在Microsoft Exchange（(Microsoft Exchange–the)Outlook运行的实际电子邮件服务）上，您就可以删除和替换任何未读邮件。
当然，如果电子邮件已经被打开，你就无法回忆或替换它，但拥有未读邮件的这种功能可以让你在发送不应该有的东西时避免尴尬，或者帮助你重新发送一个更好的发送更多说明的电子邮件，而不是发送后续电子邮件，详细说明之前发送的一封电子邮件。
邮箱
(Gmail)与Outlook(Outlook)相比，
Gmail在这里稍逊一筹。事实上，Gmail(Gmail doesn)甚至不提供合法的电子邮件撤回功能(email recall)。相反，您在发送电子邮件后有几秒钟的时间取消发送。您可以打开或关闭它，并将取消时间(cancelation time)调整为最长 30 秒。如果你不够快，那孩子就永远消失了。
谁是电子邮件之王？
在选择最适合您的业务的电子邮件服务时，Outlook 和 Gmail(Outlook and Gmail)都可以满足您的需求，有时一种比另一种更好。电子邮件(Email)只是开始。
真正改变您的业务运营方式的是各自所属的更大系统（Office 365 和G Suite） 。(G Suite–that)我们将在即将发布的文章中介绍这两个工具包之间的区别，以便您真正确定最适合您的业务的工具包。
Outlook vs. Gmail: Who Is the King of Email?
Having аn email address is like having a phone
number: Once it’s out in the world, you don’t want to change it.
Aside from the estimated 30% of email
addresses that change each year–most of which are business emails–most people
probably wouldn’t want to deal with the hassle of transferring contacts,
redirecting people to the new email address, or hunting down every site,
subscription, and bill payee to update their email address on file.
However, sometimes people have a good reason
to make a massive move from one digital locale to another. It could be your
email provider is outdated and can’t keep up with the modern paragons; or maybe
your provider is shuttering and you need to find a new home.
Most people don’t really have a good concept of what’s out there and what differentiates one email service from another. But the fact is, Microsoft Outlook and Google Gmail have become the two most exemplary platforms for managing what has almost become an essential aspect of life.
What makes these two email providers better,
worse, different, or the same in comparison with each other? When it comes to
free personal plans, the nuances between Outlook and Gmail are likely
insignificant to most users. That’s why, here, we’ll focus on comparing each
service’s subscription-based business plan, so you can decide which one makes
more sense for you or your company and employees.
Look, Feel and Cost
Let’s get this out of the way. Outlook and
Gmail offer very different interfaces. To put it simply, Outlook maintains a
corporate feel, while Gmail offers something a little more creative and
startup-like. If Outlook is the modern take on corporate communications, Gmail
is postmodern.
Outlook’s interface is packed with options and
customizable features, many of which you or your employees will never end up
using. While Gmail offers its own set of functionality, it’s overall a much
simpler user experience focused on providing the essentials you need to be
efficient.
When it comes to purchasing these email services, you’re actually purchasing the suites they come with, Microsoft Office 365 and Google G Suite. One thing to keep in mind is Office 365 requires an annual commitment, though you’re charged monthly. G Suite is purely a monthly subscription plan based on headcount. Here’s how these price out per user per month.
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Office 365
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G Suite
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Office 365 Business Essentials: $5
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G Suite Basic: $6
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Office 365 Business: $8.25
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G Suite Business: $12
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Office 365 Business Premium: $12.50
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G Suite Enterprise: $25
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Tool Suite
Again, when you buy Outlook or Gmail for business, you’re really buying more than just an email service. You’re buying a suite of tools, of which email is but one.
When it comes to what makes Office 365 and G Suite different, it’s really a comparison between an incumbent and its disruptor. We’ll cover more of what makes these two suites the same and different in a future article, but here are some of the contrasting aspects that stand out.
Microsoft Office 365
We’ve all used Microsoft Word, Excel and
PowerPoint. These are the core tenets of Office, but Office 365 offers even
more. Today, These three programs are available online, not just as desktop
programs, making the work you do in them easier to save and share. In addition,
365 gives you:
- Outlook for email
- OneDrive for cloud file storage
- OneNote, a digital notebook
- SharePoint, a corporate intranet
- Microsoft Teams for instant messaging and
video conferencing
These few apps offer extensive capabilities
that have come to define the way businesses operate internally at digital
scale. It’s a huge draw that Microsoft has successfully consolidated so much
into these tools to simplify the experience it offers businesses.
Google G Suite
While G Suite offers its own array of
applications that are on par with Microsoft’s staple products–plus more. G
Suite’s alternatives to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are Docs, Sheets, and
Slides. But G Suite offers even more that would be useful for any business:
- Calendar for easy team scheduling
- Currents for company wide discussions
- Hangouts Chat for instant messaging
- Hangouts Meet for video conferencing
- Forms for creating surveys and forms
- Sites for creating websites
- App Builder for creating business apps
- Keep for organizing ideas
- Jamboard, a digital whiteboard
- Drive for storing and sharing files
- Google Cloud Search to search across G Suite
- Admin, Vault, and Mobile for securely managing
users, devices and data
Clearly, there’s a lot to consider here. Outlook
consolidates a lot into the few yet robust applications it offers. Google
offers a seemingly much wider range of capabilities spread out across several
applications, some of which Office 365 doesn’t offer at all.
Organization
When you’re in business, emails are nonstop;
and they’re more than just vehicles for conversing. Emails are vessels of
knowledge that professionals use to make business decisions, some of which are
mission-critical. If you can’t keep conversations and information prioritized and
organized, it’s going to be difficult to work effectively and efficiently at
the speed of business and avoid compromising quality outcomes.
Outlook
If you think about traditional, pre-digital
methods of organization, folders and files probably come to mind. As
digitization is essentially the process of taking tangible activities and
abstracting them into digital processes, one would naturally assume creating
email folders and files is the natural course of action.
This is how Outlook works. It uses a traditional
folder system and allows you to categorize emails within those folders using
colored tabs, just like you would with an expandable file. You can create as
many folders and subfolders as you’d like. Outlook also does its best to
prioritize emails by filtering out those you would consider clutter. These go
to the Clutter folder to stay out of your way until you’re ready to view them.
Gmail
In description, it may come across as there
being only a slight nuance between how Gmail and Outlook organize email;
however, in actively using Gmail’s system, the organization and prioritization
method is noticeably different.
Rather than abstracting the traditional
“folder, file” method, Gmail uses labels. You can tag messages with multiple
labels, rather than put them in a folder.
You can customize Gmail to show Important,
Unread, and Starred emails first. It can also automatically filters emails by Primary,
Social, Promotions, Updates, and Forums. This prioritization and organization
system makes it really easy to identify which emails are most important to you
and get to them fast.
Despite these differences in Gmail, what’s
interesting is if you’re using Gmail through another email client (such as
Outlook) its labels will show up as folders. In one sense, this makes Gmail
more versatile and capable of providing a more flexible user experience.
Search
Search goes hand in hand with organization
when it comes to email. If you can’t quickly and efficiently find the
information you need, which is potentially buried in an email from months ago,
you’re going to end up wasting valuable time hunting things down instead of
taking action.
Outlook
Outlook’s search function is good enough in
that you can hunt down emails across all your folders, including thousands of
emails in your Deleted folder, based on keyword and email address. Where
Outlook can sometimes fall short is accuracy.
Searching on a keyword doesn’t always pull up
the correct email or emails, and there’s always a chance Outlook will pull up
only a select few emails from a chain, yet leave out the one email you need.
While it works well most of the time, it certainly doesn’t employ the same
level of search functionality as an email service from Google.
Gmail
Gmail’s search functionality is imbued with
Google’s search power, which is also why Gmail was created in the first place:
to provide an email service that operates like Google’s search engine. Not only
can you search on simple terms and trust that Gmail will serve up the correct
results, you can also use advanced search operators like “from:,” “to:,”
“shortcut:,” and several more that can help you find specifically what you
need.
Email Recall
While there are several key features both
Gmail and Outlook provide to varying degrees of detailed functionality, one
major function each does quite differently is email recall. The difference in
operation is worth highlighting because most people, at some point, experience
the nerve wracking situation of sending the wrong email to the wrong person or
sending something they shouldn’t have at all.
Outlook
Outlook is great for email recall and replace. As long as the email
address you sent an email to is hosted on Microsoft Exchange–the actual email
service Outlook runs on–you have the ability to delete and replace any unread
message.
Of course, if the email has already been
opened, you can’t recall or replace it, but having this capability with unread
messages could save you from embarrassment in the event of sending something
you shouldn’t have, or help you resend a better email with more clarification
rather than sending follow-up emails elaborating one the previous send.
Gmail
Gmail falls a little short here compared to
Outlook. In fact, Gmail doesn’t even offer legitimate email recall. Instead,
you have a few seconds after sending an email to cancel the send. You can turn
it on or off and adjust the cancelation time to last up to 30 seconds. If you
aren’t quick enough, that baby’s gone for good.
Who Is the King of Email?
When it comes to choosing which email service is best for your business, Outlook and Gmail both offer what you need, one sometimes better than the other. Email is just the start.
It’s the larger systems each belongs to–Office 365 and G Suite–that really make a difference in how your business operates. We’ll cover the differences between these two toolkits in an upcoming article so you can really decide what’s best for your business.
