New GMail App for Nokia E61 - A step back?
I'm a heavy-user of GMail Mobile App. I consider it one of the best and useful Java ME applications ever made. However, I'm very disappointed with the latest version they launched in mid-october.
Although it was released in october, I just made the upgrade few weeks ago, and for my surprise, the new version (v1.5.0.1187) introduced some usability issues:
Startup time
It is incredibly slow to open. It takes at least 10 seconds to open, but sometimes it takes longer.
Changes in shortcut keys
The previous version used the number keys as shortcuts, like * - star, 9 - archive, 3 - mark unread, 8 - mark spam; and although the Nokia E61 has a full keyboard, you hadn't to hold the "blue" key (a kind of Shift-key) to activate the shortcut; you just pressed the corresponding "letter" key.
In the new version, I presume they tried to use the same shortcut keys used in normal GMail website: S - star, Y - archive, ! - spam.
Although it is a minor change, it is annoying when they change something you are used to.
Removal of shortcut key
The previous version had a shortcut key of "3" to mark a message unread. This is useful when you want to take a quick look at some big message and want to mark it unread, so you can read it later in your desktop machine.
In the new version they just removed this shortcut key! Please, don't remove features users are used to!
Introduction of not-so-shortcut keys
Some shortcut keys now requires you to press 2 keys simultaneously! For example, the shortcut to "search" is "/", but it doesn't respond if you just press the corresponding key for "/", because in Nokia E61 keyboard "/" is "Blue" + "I". To report spam, you have to press "blue" + "Q" (= "!"). They made it harder to report spam!
The previous version required only 1 key press!
Conclusion
The previous version worked very well with the Nokia E61 keyboard and was very quick and simple. The new version is slower and commands are hard to activate due to the changes they made in shortcut keys.
These are serious issues (IMHO) because we are talking about a mobile application. In fact, I'm desperately trying to find some place to download the previous version. If you know where to download it, please post a comment.
PS: If someone from Google is reading this, please take it as a constructive criticism, and please, fix these issues 
Hi William,
I found the same problem. I actually thought that I had downloaded an older version by mistake until I read your message.
Please let me know if you find the older version.
Cheers,
PL
Wow…I didn’t know they changed so much. I have never used the previous versions. I just downloaded the new version to my E61i, but reading your blog, I’m surprised they actually made the App worse.
I found your blog by accident, cos I was looking for a way to change the App signature. Emails sent from GMA add the signature “Sent from Gmail for mobile”. I wish is said “Sent from my E61i” or gave the ability to customize the signature. I know with the iPhone, it says “Sent from my iPhone” and actually gives the option to customize it. I think that is so unfair.
I hope they fix these things.