Looks like Google is dead serious in updating its Gmail features and attracting more users from the other side of the fence. Barely two weeks after the introduction of Gmail Voice and Video, it now announces another feature - Gmail Themes (Gmail Skins/Layouts). Yes, that's right. Gmail will now have colorful themes (also known as skins, layouts or backgrounds) to add some life to the otherwise drab page we've been using all these years, trying to appeal to a segment of the market willing to judge a book by its cover as well as its content.

Google came out with this announcement today through its blog. Gmail themes (or Gmail skins/layouts) will let users customize the look of their web mail application page by choosing from a variety free designs available. It has already started to roll out some of these designs but the full availability of the feature won't be finished until later this week, so don't freak out if you still don't have it on your Gmail account now. We're on the same boat. I've checked my
account three times in the last two hours but still there's nothing. My nephew's account, on the other hand, has it already.

For a company known more for its utilitarian nature rather than for the aesthetic appeal of its site, Google's Gmail themes (Gmail skins/layouts) is a breath of fresh air. Its about time Google realizes that there are people out there, millions of them actually, who like to personalize their frequently-used web applications and are more inspired by such. I just hope Gmail themes will come out with more layout designs than what I've seen on their blog page. And while they're at it, can they replace the Gmail logo as well? The Google G, the graphical envelope for the "m", and three letters for "ail" are ugly. It looks like it was made by a ten year-old! Give us something more polished and professional, please. To customize your Gmail, go to the Themes tab under Settings.

While we wait for this feature to fully roll out, here are some of the Gmail themes designs that will be available to Gmail users, plus the official announcement of the feature's launch from the Google blog.

Gmail fans have been building unofficial extensions to spice up their inboxes for a while, but up til now themes haven't been an integral part of Gmail. We wanted to go beyond simple color customization, so out of the 30-odd themes we're launching today, there's a shiny theme with chrome styling, another one that turns your inbox into a retro notepad, nature themes that change scenery over time, weather driven themes that can rain on your mailbox, and fun characters to keep you in good company. There's even an old school ascii theme (Terminal) which was the result of a bet between two engineers -- it's not exactly practical, but it's great for testing out your geek cred. We've also done a minor facelift to Gmail's default look to make it crisper and cleaner -- you might notice a few colors and pixels shifted around here and there.

Gmail Themes / Gmail Skins / Gmail Layouts Available

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