Gmail Launches with Generous Storage in 2004, Sparking Frenzy for Elusive Invitations
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Gmail launched on April 1, 2004, leading many to think it was an April Fools' joke from Google's playful founders.
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Gmail offered 1GB of free storage, powerful search capabilities, and automatic threading - features considered remarkable at the time.
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The launch was quiet and limited to 10,000 users at first due to Google's limited computing capacity.
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Invitations to open a Gmail account became highly desirable, selling for up to $250 on eBay.
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By 2007, Gmail opened to the general public, though Google still played occasional April Fools’ jokes about imaginary new email features.