Gmail is a wonderfully useful web based email service, but as with any similar service it has its limitations, particularly if it is used solely in a browser rather than with an email client. This is something that Gmail Manager aims to rectify. It is a small Firefox extension that makes it easy to interact with your Gmail account without the need to keep checking back at the Gmail page.

The extension can be used to manage a single Gmail account, or to easily switch between several - it can even be used in conjunction with hosted accounts. If you are working with an email client, you would expect to be notified when a new email is received, and this is something that Gmail Manager brings to Firefox.

In addition to this, the extension can interpret mailto: links, making it possible to click email addresses contained in web pages and compose an email without the need to copy and paste the address. If you do want to access the Gmail web site, this is never more than a click away, but the quick compose option means that you may not need to do this if all you want to do is send a quick message.

The icon for Gmail Manager can be placed in the toolbar or in the status bar, and this has to be one of the most useful Firefox extensions available for Gmail users. The ability to check how many unread messages you have at a glance coupled with the quick email composition is a real time saver.