Unveiled in January, lets you access your account without being online. As its name suggests, the option lets you do almost everything you can normally do on Gmail.com. You can even compose and send messages and Gmail will automatically deliver them once you reconnect. , too, with the typical server delays no longer in the equation. For anyone using a notebook or other system with an intermittent connection, this Labs feature can become invaluable.

2. Gmail Tasks

is a powerful weapon when it comes to standing up to standalone e-mail applications. Its function is simple: It brings a "Tasks" box into your Gmail page. But for anyone sticking with Outlook or another client because Webmail didn't offer all the same options, this could serve as a deal-maker. ( also became available last fall.)

3. YouTube/Picasa/Flickr/Yelp Previews

If Gmail Tasks matches the standalone clients, this next option one-ups them. Gmail Labs' preview features let you see content within an e-mail. Any link to material on any of those sites will be converted into a fully functioning embedded box once you flip this option on.